Poker tells fall into one of two categories — unintentional tells from players who don’t realize what they’re doing, and intentional tells from “actors.” In this latter category, a player deliberately puts on a show to mislead his opponents. He wants to fool you. When you hear the poker axiom, “Strong means weak and weak means strong,” this is what we’re talking about. These would-be poker thespians are trying very hard to make you believe the opposite of the truth.

This acting runs the gamut, from subtle and nuanced (rare) to over-the-top hamminess (much more common). But whatever form it takes, poker acting never goes out of style. Fundamentally, poker is a game of deception. So is acting. In both cases, the more deceptive you can be, the more success you will enjoy. It’s a natural fit. And the poker table itself is a kind of stage, where one by one, clockwise around the table, we each get a turn in the spotlight. When that spotlight shines on us, some just can’t resist the temptation to put on a show. Trying to win that Oscar for Best Performance Trapping an Opponent While Holding the Mortal Nuts.

The biggest problem with “Hollywooding” as it is often called, is that just as in real life, true acting talent is rare. Most green-felt actors think they are much better than they really are. And knowing how to read those bad-acting tells can earn you extra money. It may be more glamorous to be an actor, but it’s more profitable to be a critic.

Generally speaking, the more exaggerated the acting performance, the more extreme the opposing truth will be. For example, if the action is on one of your opponents to call, and he shrugs his shoulders while announcing, “Oh what the hell, I’ll raise,” — that’s a tremendous red flag. He’s probably putting on a show with strong hand. Now let’s suppose this exact same player gives us a more elaborate performance: He “agonizes” over the decision while staring at his hole cards...starts to reach for his chips...then hesitates. He sighs. Twists up his expression as if in physical pain, rubs his face, and finally asks in a defeated, mournful tone, “How much is it to me?” Now that’s a real ham actor, chewing the scenery for all he’s worth. He’s got the stone-cold nuts. Fold.

So watch out for any opponent who conspicuously sighs, shrugs, speaks with a too-obviously-sad tone of voice, or asks a stupid obvious question about how much it is for him to bet, call, or raise. These are all signs of a good hand putting on a bad acting performance. Other clues pointing to a strong hand “playing possum” include the following: Pointedly looking away from the action, while trying a little too hard to appear unconcerned. A player who makes a showy fake-folding gesture when he sees that another player is about to bet. An exaggerated show of disappointment when the river card hits (because of its decisive nature, the river will bring out more acting performances than any other round of betting). Or a raiser who informs the table that he is “only” making a position raise

Let’s go back a bit. How do you separate out the fake acting tells (which almost always mean the opposite of what they appear) from the “real” unintentional tells? To quote Shakespeare again, “There’s the rub.” The answer is, know your opponents. Know the situation. There’s some intuition involved, yes, but mostly the solution is to just think it through logically. First of all, is this opponent aware that he is being watched? Is he sensitive to what’s going on around him? Or is he truly caught up in his own world, lost in his own thoughts? If you suspect that another player is putting on an act, next ask yourself: Who is he putting this act on for? Every performer needs an audience, and poker actors are no exception. It always takes more energy to lie than to tell the truth, and embellishing the lie with a “performance” uses up more energy still. It’s a lot of work. So if you suspect a player is putting on an act, then that act should be aimed at a specific opponent — somebody whose decision in the hand matters to him. So always consider — for whose “benefit” is he acting? What is he trying to convince that person to do, and why?

Since acting does use up a lot of extra energy, it follows that most players won’t bother unless something valuable is at stake. A player holding 8-3 offsuit who intends to muck it first chance he gets is not going to waste his energy with putting on a show. Of course in all the above examples, something valuable is indeed at stake, because the player in question holds a strong hand and wants to maximize his profit. But on the other side of the poker-acting spectrum, the “strong means weak” side, again something of value must hang in the balance for him to go to all that trouble.

Probably the most common tell of this type is the fake-grabbing-at-chips move. It’s your turn to act, you’re considering whether or not to make a bet, you look over at your opponent (who is yet to act behind you) and he immediately moves his hand towards his chips. He wants you to think he’s eager to put money in the pot. He’s putting on this “strong” act for your benefit, to dissuade you from betting. And while he certainly doesn’t hold a good hand (this is one of the most reliable tells in poker) he doesn’t have trash, either. What he wants here is a free card. He wants it badly enough to put on this performance for you, and that means he must have something. A drawing hand or a smallish pair — something that could become the winner if he catches his miracle card on the river. As with all poker actors, figure out what he’s trying to coerce you into doing, and then do the opposite.

Acting or no, anytime you attempt to read poker tells, you must first consider your opponent’s “baseline demeanor.” How do they normally act? Some people are naturally theatrical and dramatic. Some players usually have a depressed air about them, while others will always behave as if they’re holding pocket aces. It’s the deviations from their normal behavior that will tell you when something fishy is going on. Even, and perhaps especially, for poker players who fancy themselves as great actors.

All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players:

They have their entrances and their exits;

And one man in his time plays many parts.

— William Shakespeare

This article originally ran in Woman Poker Player Magazine print publication