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So what should you do if an opponent is showing signs of not knowing whether or not to call?

First, let’s examine why a player might be in doubt. Obviously, most rational opponents are in doubt because they don’t know if a call is a good investment. In-depth mathematics is not the focus of this site; however, if a pot is $80 and a call would cost $10, the player must decide if he has at least one chance in nine of winning.

If he figures to win more than one such pot out of nine, he’s making a good investment—take my word for it. A hesitant player probably feels he has almost exactly one chance in nine of winning, even if his evaluation is merely unconscious or intuitive. Your strategy is simple. If you made a legitimate bet with any meaningful hand, you probably want his call. If you’re bluffing, you don’t.

Remember that, against typical opponents, almost all your physical actions will encourage a call. Players came to the game wanting to put their money in action. If you have the best hand, you should provide your opponent with excuses for making losing calls. Shuffle your cards, talk gibberish, smile insanely, tap the table. All these things bring attention to yourself, make your opponent suspicious, and give him an excuse to call.

So, now you know the following: (1) When an opponent in a limit poker game hesitates for a long time or gives any other indication that he is bothered by your bet, he is probably sincerely uncertain about whether to call; (2) If you’ve bet with a strong hand, you should be animated and try to coax the opponent into calling; and (3) If you’ve bet with a weak hand, you should remain fairly still and, thus, encourage your opponent to pass.

It’s important to note that most opponents will also remain still when bluffing and be more animated and friendly when holding a big hand. Even though you can use that knowledge against them, don’t worry about providing these same tells yourself. It’s very unlikely that your opponents are alert enough to read you correctly, so there’s more profit to be won by using blatant manipulation than by wearing a poker face.

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