Hey everyone,

I have holding tournaments at my house for awhile. I always thought that while in tournament play blinds could not be skipped. If someone got knocked out there is either a dead blind or dead button. We get into arguments everytime we play on which way is right. They say that if someone gets knocked out that the next person post the blinds. Can someone help me out?


When someone who previously was calm, makes a bet and have him suddenly begin to shake hands, it is hardly a conscious action. It is also not a bluff. Many people think that shaking hands - that is suspicious and indicates the nervousness associated with the bluff. It is not. Players who are bluffing tend to stand still, without betraying his nervousness. They are afraid that they would not "read", and therefore behave in the hands and try not to do anything unusual. It is also not a conscious action - is an instinctive reaction.

Your opponents are conscious when they decide to convince you of something. Usually, their actions take the form opposite to the situation that prevailed in reality. That's why you often can see how the players with an ideal combination, shrug, sigh, or are reluctant to make bets. They try to convince you that you do not have to worry about their maps, but it is a lie.

In short, your first task - to identify whether there was an opponent conscious. And if so, to understand what he is trying to force you to do and disappoint him.

It is more likely that players will act consciously, if they think that you are watching them closely. Consequently, if the player is prone to "replay", you must be very specific to make him understand that you're being watched.

Very often, when I can not see any clues, the player's body movements, it appears as soon as it becomes apparent that I was watching him and thinking what to do next. The more closely I was being watched, the more likely that he would give himself in an unsuccessful attempt to hide the truth.