Want to learn how to catch poker tells at the table? You can check my poker tells video course.

Video Transcription

A couple of myths about tells before we start really getting into the good stuff.

The first myth that I hear all the time, and you will see that in discussion forums when I talk to players, is that poker tells are useless.

Now, Dan Harrington, who I have the most respect for, he’s a world champion. He did that back to back final table in 2003 and 2004 of the main event. You know, a tremendous accomplishment but in his book Harrington on Cash Games Volume 2, he has a section on tells and basically he says that tells are useless. That’s basically what he’s saying because you can’t know what a person means, what a gesture means and something he says is that a player shifts in his seat as he plays a hand. Is this a tell or did he just shift in his seat?

People move around from time to time and sure people move around from time to time. But what the science tells us and all the studies that have been done in the past years tell us more and more that every shift, every body movement, every gesture has a meaning. There’s something behind them.

Now if you stand up from a table, for example, you’re sitting down and you stand up, there are many reasons why you might do that. I mean you might stand up because you just want to stretch, because you want to go and grab a drink, because you saw someone from a distance. You want to wave at them but also these are legitimate reasons why you’re standing up. But also it might be because you’re distancing yourself and I will talk about that as part of a flight response later on but there are other reasons that maybe you’re responding to a threat and you’re trying to create some distance between you and the threat and that’s possible.

So to say that people move around from time to time is sure but what I think Dan Harrington is missing, and we will look at other myths that he talks about, is that he’s almost saying that since he doesn’t understand if that’s a tell, if he doesn’t – because he doesn’t understand what that specific shift means, he kind of discards them and that’s why I think that’s the mistake he’s making, I think, in my opinion.

The second myth that you will hear all the time is that good players don’t have tells and that’s really not true. I have never seen a player who doesn’t have any tells and if you look at our videos on Tells Kitchen, in all the videos I’m going to present to you today, you will see that I’m featuring topnotch players.

The reason is, well, usually the players you see more on television so I have more tells on them than random Joe but also to prove a point that everybody has a tell, even those guys that have 10 bracelets, even those guys that have been playing live poker for 30 years, even those guys that make the most amount of money per year playing poker. Everybody has a tell.

Now the great thing about that is that 99.9 percent of players have no clue what they’re looking for and that’s why I think – that’s for example like a guy like Dan Harrington makes a mistake. He makes a mistake of thinking that since he has won and accomplished so much and obviously he doesn’t necessarily pay attention to tells that much, then they don’t have any use or they’re useless, right?

So it’s a mistake to think that because you’re having success in something, you’re lacking something else. You might be lacking – you’re not lacking something else. So I have heard past world champions say that good players don’t have tells. They’re good at hiding tells and that it’s more important to pay attention to hand ranges and all that stuff and as far as good players not having tells, that’s total crap. Everybody has a tell. You just have to know what to look for and most people don’t.

So myth number three is a gesture or a tell, an expression real or deception. So Harrington goes on to say some of your opponents will actively send out false tells. Can you tell the real from the fake? You may have to observe someone for quite a while before you can sort things out.

Well, that might be true. However, that’s not a reason to discard tells as a whole. I mean your worst opponents, those are really who are really, really bad will not send out false tells or if they do, they will be so obvious like the strong means weak acting that you’re going to figure that out pretty easily and your best opponents and your toughest opponents have learned to hide their tells more and better. But like I said earlier, they do have some.

It might take you longer to figure them out but that doesn’t mean they don’t have some because it doesn’t mean you should dismiss tell because it’s harder to find a tell in a good player. It will be harder too to figure out what his hand range is, where his leaks are and all that stuff.

When someone is good, it will take you a longer time to figure out his game and how you can exploit it and so, nobody says that you have to – you’re going to learn tells and spot tells in 15 minutes and then you can totally exploit your opponents. Some of your opponents will take longer to see but when we play sessions of 15 hours, when we play multiday tournaments and if you’re on the circuit, then playing against the same players over and over again, you’re going to spend a lot of time with them. So why not try to find out what their tells are?

Most likely you will eventually find them out and you can exploit them after and probably forever. So that’s just, I mean, a statement that I really don’t – sure, some people send false tells but if you really know what you’re looking for, you will see some discrepancies in the timing and the way that they send false tells and you will be able to know when someone is setting up false tells and when it’s a genuine tell.

Myth number four is, “What does it mean?” So Harrington goes on to say, “Even if we are sure a player is strong because of a tell, it does not tell us how big his hand is.” Well, that’s true in the sense that sure, if I see a high confidence tell and that tells me that the opponent has hit the flop pretty big, it doesn’t tell me exactly what he has. Well, no, but when he pushes all in on the flop, he’s basically telling me he has got something usually. I mean it could be a bluff but – and I still don’t know exactly what he has and going on a hand range, right?

If the flop is a – I don’t know. Queen or maybe a Jack 8, a deuce, and he pushes all in, a player that had raised pre-flop, that’s pretty tight and all that stuff, what could he have? Jack 8 deuce. Well, he could have a set. He could have an overpair. You still don’t know exactly what he has. You’re still not sure that he has got – that was exactly what hands he has but you’re pretty sure that he has got a pretty strong hand.

Well, it’s the same thing with tells. If you have a tell that tells you that your opponent is strong or that he’s bluffing, it can totally help you narrow his hand range and even if you can’t pinpoint exactly the cards he has, that doesn’t mean you have to dismiss tells as a whole because of that. I mean it’s just one more piece of information at your disposal that you can use to figure out what he has. Say that same player pushes all in and you think that most of the time he’s very strong. Sometimes he’ll be bluffing. Well, if you pick up that tell that tells you he’s strong, then you can disregard the bluffing part and that gives you a lot more information to play against him.

So I think the biggest mistake that Dan Harrington makes is that he doesn’t understand that some people out there know non-verbal behavior more than he does. I’m not saying he’s – in the sense that because he doesn’t see, he doesn’t understand that non-verbal behavior exists, that some people can teach others about which gesture means something in that circumstance and other – what that gesture means in other situations, he totally disregards the value of tells and that’s why – I think that’s where the mistake is in my opinion. He can’t do that and that’s what most players do and I hope you don’t make that mistake.

If you’re listening to this today, then you probably are interested in that stuff at least enough to want to know more so that’s good. And then really don’t make the mistake of dismissing tells because most players out there, even some who are having success are not good at spotting them.

I’ve seen countless videos of a topnotch player playing against an amateur and the amateur goes all in, displays two or three tells, classic tells of low confidence, that he’s totally bluffing, totally giving out the strength of his hand and the topnotch world class player folds. I’ve seen this time and time again.

So even the big names of the poker world don’t know what they’re looking for. So in a good sense, that’s good news for you because you can really get an edge over your opponents in that sense but also be one of the very few that get tells in general.

Want to learn how to catch poker tells at the table? You can check my poker tells video course.

The physical proximity you allow someone depends on the relationship you have with each other, and on the situation. Two people with an intimate relationship, for example, will have little or no problem with entering each other’s personal “bubbles”, but that will certainly not be the case between two strangers.

Generally, the more intimate and comfortable you are with another person, the more you allow that person to penetrate your space bubble. Likewise, the more unfamiliar you are, the greater you need distance between you.

There is no specific measurement or delineation, but there is a general idea of how much space is acceptable between interacting people.

Degrees of Personal Spaces in Interactions

1. Public Distance, or Audience Zone

Public Distance is a relatively large space that you apply when addressing a group of people or an audience, like at a lecture or speech. This is usually 8 or more feet – an impersonal distance, but an appropriate one for the given circumstance.

2. Casual Distance, or Social Zone

This is a polite distance of around 4 to 8 feet, which you use when interacting with strangers, new acquaintances or anyone you haven’t gotten to know well yet. This is a safe distance where you aren’t really close enough to touch each other.

It would be wise to note that it’s generally considered intrusive to touch someone you aren’t well acquainted with. It’s totally acceptable to briefly shake hands when you meet for the first time, but it’s a violation of their personal space to touch their face or put your arm around them. It would be wise to avoid physical contact as it may cause undesired tension.

3. Friendly Distance, or Friend Zone

When you know someone quite well and are generally comfortable with one another, you allow them near enough to touch, but not quite close enough for an embrace – around 18 inches to 4 feet. This distance is appropriate between and friends or colleagues. It’s a cordial, conversational distance, convenient for personal interactions, like friendly chats, high fives, gossiping and partying.

4. Intimacy

Intimacy is the most personal zone for an individual, and is reserved only for those you trust and feel safe with. You reduce the space bubble around you to about 18 inches or less. At this proximity, you place yourself in a vulnerable position. It usually applies to lovers, spouses, children, parents, close family members and special friends. It’s a natural, easy distance to show affection – share a hug, cuddle, or even kiss.

It shows familiarity and a sense of belonging to each other. If you are in an intimate relationship with someone and they come in closer, it’s safe to take it as an invitation to get more affectionate.

When you enter the intimate zone of persons you are not in close relationships with, they will feel offended, even threatened. Their instinct would be to create more distance, or to defend themselves.

How Personal Spaces Vary

Each individual’s personal space may vary, depending on factors like childhood experiences or socio-cultural backgrounds. There are standards of personal space in Western cultures that may not be applicable in Eastern countries, and vice-versa. For example, Americans are normally uncomfortable when a person comes up in front of their face, and may even take this as an aggressive gesture; most Asians however would find that totally acceptable and polite.

Concepts of personal space may differ even between two individuals from the same country. A person from a crowded city will require a smaller space bubble than someone from the quiet countryside.

The space bubble would also vary according to gender. The distance is usually larger between two males than between two females. Two women talking to each other can get comfortable enough to be affectionate; two men won’t normally be comfortable to be so close to each other, unless they were brothers or lovers.

When two people are having a heated disagreement, at least one of them will draw closer, violating the other’s space bubble. This is considered as an act of aggression, where one person expresses with his body that he wants to impose himself on the other.

Personal space is subjective, but as a general rule, be aware of other people’s boundaries. Observe how they react as you come nearer. Take note of how much distance they require to put between them and you; if they back away, that’s a certain sign they’re uneasy, so don’t try to move in.

An awareness of personal space and body language will definitely benefit you as you relate with others. It can refine your social interactions – even affect people’s perceptions of you – and ultimately improve your relationships.

And as in any emotion, we can experience disgust at varying degrees. Sometimes we are disgusted because we see a child rapist on television, and sometimes it’s because our favourite team just lost a big game. In the same way, sometimes we display a full face disgust, like in the picture to the right, and other times it will be much more subtle, like a slight raising of the upper lip, or a minimal creasing of the upper nose area.

At the poker table, things are no different. When a situation arises that is not to our liking, for example if an opponent thinks about calling our bluff, we are likely to feel disgusted about it. And even if we try to keep a poker face, facial expressions nevertheless leak. These leaks often take the form of what are called micro-expressions, which are 1/5 second displays of a suppressed emotion. They are quickly shown, and as quickly hidden, but for an astute observer, they can mean the difference between winning a big pot or folding the best hand.

Poker is a great arena for spotting micro-expressions, because all poker players try to hide their true feelings. We all strive to keep a poker face. But we all fail.

As you’ll see in this article, even seasoned pros will display micro-expressions, and if they can’t help it, with thousands and thousands of hours playing live poker, I bet you can’t either.

From my own observations, poker players will usually show disgust in one of four typical situations.

While their opponent is deliberating

This usually means that whatever the opponent is thinking about doing, the player does not like. I was involved in a hand recently at the WSOP where a player raised under the gun and it was folded to the cut-off who was deliberating his next move. The raiser then showed a micro-expression of disgust, clearly not happy about the fact that the player was thinking about playing, thus telling me he was weak and did not want any action. The cut-off moved in (preventing me from raising myself ), and the original raiser folded.

Right after their opponent has called

Often times, bluffing players will show disgust right after being called by an opponent. This is a very accurate tell that tells us that the bettor did not appreciate the action, in this case the call by another player. So it gives you a bit more information on the state of mind of your opponent if you are the caller.

When they bet

Sometimes a player will show disgust as he puts chips in the middle. When you see such an expression, you have to ask yourself why a person would be feeling disgusted while betting or raising. It’s rare we feel this way when we have a great hand.

After the hand is played and an opponent folded

There are not many tells that give us information on our opponents after the action has concluded. Sometimes, players will show disgust after their opponents have folded, thus telling us that they did not like it. For example, if you are thinking about calling or folding and you eventually decide to fold, watch your opponent. If he shows you disgust, there a very good chance you made the right decision.

Daniel Negreanu on The Big Game

Let’s now look at two examples of disgust at the table. First, let’s look at a real live hand featuring Daniel Negreanu and Doyle Brunson (I suggest you watch the hand before reading further).

Here’s the hand:

After a raise preflop, both Doyle and Daniel flop top pair. Both decide to slowplay and the action is checked around. On the turn, the board pairs the bottom card, making the board Td Jc 3c 3h and Doyle reaches for his chips. Obviously annoyed by the turn card, and that Doyle might have sucked out on him, Daniel shows a micro-expression of disgust (see screenshot).

The expression can be seen at exactly 0:48 in the video. It’s a micro-expression, and it’s real fast (remember micro-expressions last 1/5 of a second and can be even faster). But there is no denying it, we can see wrinkles in the upper area of the nose and a slight raising of the upper lip: disgust.

And even if we can’t usually tell for sure why a person feels a certain emotion, we can probably assume that it’s because Daniel saw something he did not like. The fact that Doyle bets into two players increases the chances he’s got a piece of the board, and that that turn card might have hurt Daniel. So he probably regrets his flop check, and is disgusted by the way the hand is playing out.

So if you were sitting in Doyle’s position and happen to see that expression in Daniel’s face, you should bet for sure. Sometimes, you can be considering a bet when you spot this tell, tipping the scale towards betting. It’s a very accurate tell.

Stan Goldstein on the World Poker Tour

The second hand we’ll be looking at involves Stan Goldstein and Hon Le, at the final table of the Legends of Poker during the World Poker Tour back in 2002. Lets’ watch the hand first.

Stan Goldstein seems somewhat frustrated about the way the final table has been played so far. He’s been playing pretty tight, and Hon Le has been splashing around. In this hand, Stan raises preflop with A3o, and Hon Le calls out of the big blind.

The flop is certainly bad for his hand being KdQc9d, so he checks. Is he trapping? Has the flop missed him? Well, if you look at his face when he checks, at exactly 0:17 of the video (see screenshot), you’ll see that he displays a micro-expression of disgust, as sure sign of how he feels about the flop. In the image below, you can see that his upper lip is raised, and his nostrils are flared. Stan does not like what he sees. And if he’s disgusted about the way the hand has turned out, then he has to have a weak hand, and in fact, he does.

So being able to spot that micro-expression of disgust would mean you can safely bet and take the pot away. Disgust is one of the most accurate poker tells, and I’d say probably one of the more frequent tells I see when I play.

Disgust Poker Tell

Disgust is just one of the many poker tells that a good observer can see at the poker table. Some players are more expressive than others, and some facial expressions are very subtle, but the leaks are there. So if you want to improve your reading skills, and thus improve your win rate, you might want to take up your study of poker tells to another level. The clues are out there, right in front of you. You just need to know what to look for, and understand how to find them. And although we all strive to put on our best poker face when we play, mark my words; there is no perfect poker face!

Want to learn how to catch micro-expressions at the table? You can check my poker tells video course or this great suite of micro-expression software.

1. Touch

How you touch another person reveals how you feel toward them. When you make full contact with your palm, this communicates warmth, familiarity and fondness. Touching with only your fingertips means less fondness, maybe even some discomfort.

When a person touches you and you notice that his hands are warm, this tells you he is more or less at ease. Cold, clammy hands mean he is tense – not necessarily because of you, but possibly because of the circumstances.

2. Palms up

Open palms usually have a positive effect on people. It’s effective in making amends or closing a sale.

Combined with outstretched arms, it communicates acceptance, openness and trustworthiness.

When done with a jerk of the shoulders, it can mean resignation or admitting weakness, as if to say, “I have no idea”.

3. Palms down

This means confidence and shows that you know what you’re talking about – but it also conveys rigidity.

Downward palms with straightened fingers indicate a sense of authority, even dominance or defiance. When a person does this while talking to you, it means he is not going to budge and you might have to change your approach.

When combined with a chopping action, a downward palm indicates emphatic disagreement.

4. Hands in the back

 This is usually shows some amount of confidence, as the front torso and vital parts are exposed. You will often see this in men, and while it is always better to show hands, this is perhaps the exception to the rule as far as hand confidence displays go.

For many people, this hand position makes them feel totally uncomfortable when they are being looked at. They feel naked.

5. Clenched fists

Clenched fists usually connote firmness of resolve – think of someone preparing himself for a football game or a fistfight. It can signify unyieldingness, like a more intense version of palms facing down.

Clenched fists with thumbs tucked-in indicate discomfort. This person is anxious and trying to harden himself.

6. Hands on heart

This conveys a person’s desire to be believed or accepted. Though intended to communicate sincerity, it doesn’t necessarily mean honesty. It just means, “I want you to believe me (whether or not what I say is true”. I means, “What I say comes from the heart”.

7. Chopping movements

Chopping is for emphasis, and is usually authoritative. A person who “chops” has made up his mind and is not likely to change it.

It can often be used as a way to make a point. For example, chopping down as to separate an idea in two categories. If you use this gesture, just don’t be too aggressive when you do it.

8. Finger Pointing

Pointing a finger at a person while speaking is an authoritative gesture. People do this when imposing themselves: parents do it to their children, teachers to unruly students. It’s a way of talking down, usually interpreted as aggressive and angry. When done to a peer, it’s a show of arrogance – it’s confrontational, invasive and offensive. A fiercer variation is jabbing your finger.

In any case, it’s often considered impolite to point at a person. It would be more refined to point with your whole hand.

A playful finger-point with a wink however, is a pleasant expression of approval or acknowledgement.

Pointing a finger in the air adds emphasis to your words. It convinces people of your confidence and authority. You may notice how politicians or preachers use this as they speak.

9. Rubbing hands together

Hand-rubbing indicates anticipation or relishing something to come. Always remember that self-rubbing gestures used to dissipate stress – and being overly excited in anticipation of something to come is a form of positive stress.

Another form of this is cracking knuckles – it expresses readiness for action, more often associated with men.

10. Clasping hands, squeezing hands

Clasping and squeezing hands together is a self-pacifying gesture. A person who does this is uncomfortable, maybe even nervous or fearful. He’s trying to assure himself, “Everything’s going to be alright.” A variation of this is rubbing the wrist.

Clasped hands with interwoven fingers indicate great anxiety and frustration. That person is thinking, “Things are going really bad”. You better prepare yourself when you spot this.

11. Steepling

Steepling is what you call palms that face each other with just the fingertips touching (the fingers resemble a steeple). This is a display of confidence and self-assurance. You would see this in a lawyer or chess player who just found a way to wipe out his opponent.

You don’t want to over do it however, as this is a real show of power.

12. Hands on hips Akimbo

 This is sometimes mistaken for unfriendliness, but it’s often really just a position of readiness. This is often observed in workaholics, athletes and productive people.

Certainly sometimes this display can be a show of authority and superiority. For example, this is a gesture used by the military and law officials to show assertiveness and take control of a situation.

13. Hands in pockets

Pocketed hands indicate unwillingness, mistrust and reluctance. If a person keeps his hands in his pockets, you will need to first gain his interest as well as his trust.

Even if someone tries to hide what he’s really thinking, his hands can tell you the truth. If you are sensitive to the language of his hands, you can make an appropriate course of action and even get a good response.

Now, pay attention to your own hands too. Consciously use gestures that will get your message across, especially those that will help you build alliances and influence people.

- Video Transcript -

Hey everybody. Nicolas Fradet here for my VIP blog. This week, we’re going to look at what we call microexpressions and microexpressions are very quick and fleeting emotions on our – flashes of emotions in our face that are repressed emotions.

Hiding Our Emotions

And so whenever we want to hide our emotions, when we don’t want to reveal them and that could be in any situation really, what will happen is that we will try to keep our usual face. We will try to keep a poker face but what will happen is that will flash very quickly, less than a second, maybe one-fifth to one-twenty fifth of a second, what is called a micro-expression. And micro-expressions are simply if you feel disgusted about something, if you feel anger or surprised about – if you’re surprised about something, what might happen is that you will show – for that fifth of a second, you will show surprise in your face.

But it will be really, really fast and sometimes it’s pretty subtle but let’s look at an example here. This is from The Bachelorette and I’ve discussed this show before. I always like looking at these reality TV shows. They’re really intense for the people that participate in them and that this is real for them. They don’t want to – especially here, this is the rose ceremony so if you know the show, this is when the girl will give the guys a rose and if they want to stay on the show, if they want to pursue the relationship with that bachelorette, they don’t want to go home. They want to get that rose.

And unfortunately this guy that we see on the screen here has just realized that he’s not getting the rose. He’s going home. The bachelorette doesn’t necessarily see a future with – in between them. So he’s not getting a rose. So we will look at him and I will play the video and then I will comment after.

All right. So that was it. That was really fast and this one is pretty easy to see. You might have noticed some kind of twitching in his face. His face is very neutral. There’s not much going on. He’s not talking. He’s not being expressive at all so it’s pretty easy to see that there was kind of something there in his face. But what I’m going to do, I’m going to play it in slow motion here and you will see exactly what happened and you can see this is a beautiful micro-expression really and he will show us actually two emotions that he’s feeling at the time here.

Two microexpressions in one!

So let’s watch it here. This is kind of his neutral face and then he shows his micro-expression right here. So I will pause it here. So watch what happened. This is kind of – this is a great micro-expression. You can see there are two emotions here. You can see that his upper lip here is being raised upwards and that’s a sign of disgust and also there’s some wrinkling here on the top nose area and it’s also being pushed up. This is also a sign of disgust but also what’s great about this micro-expression is that there’s also anger involved. You can see that the eyes are glaring and also that the eyelids here and the lower area of his forehead here is being pushed together and downwards and that’s a sign of anger.

Actually if I don’t show you the forehead and actually cover the glaring of the eyes, you might see disgust. You might see and imagine him smelling something that smells bad or seeing something that is kind of disgusting him. And if I hide the lower area of his face, it will only show you the glaring of the eyes and the frowning here on the forehead. You will probably notice that he’s kind of angry here.

So you put two and two together. He’s showing both disgust and anger and in this case, it’s pretty easy to figure out why. He just – he’s not getting a rose. He’s feeling bummed about it and not necessarily happy about it so that’s why he’s showing us this microexpression. And like I said, this was kind of easy to see. At least notice some kind of twitching or some kind of muscle movement here but if you’re an observed – if you know about micro-expression, you can probably figure out that also he was showing disgust and anger.

So look for these microexpressions in the faces of your business partners and potential clients. They might give you an indication on their state of mind. They really are a snapshot of their emotional state when they express that micro-expression. So they’re feeling disgusted and angry in this case when they show that micro-expression.

So look for those facial expressions in the faces of your colleagues and all of your business relationships. They will give you an accurate state of mind of their feelings and how they see maybe what you’re telling them and what you’re selling. If you tell them that you have a product out and you specify some features and at some point, they flash you disgust or something like that, then there might be some issue there with one of your features that they don’t really like. So you might want to diffuse that negative feeling that they’re getting now with your product or service.

So look for these micro-expressions. You will see on my website there are some links there to micro-expression training. Look for these. They’re great to look for and really get a great snapshot into your business associate’s state of mind. All right. I will see you next time.

All human beings converse with one another through verbal as well as non-verbal communication.  There is no mystery to verbal communication since it is simply written or spoken; however, non-verbal communication is not nearly as obvious.  Since it is much easier to show emotion than it is to speak of them, the meaning of our words comes across in our body language gestures.  Frequently, we are totally unaware that we are conveying any type of non-verbal meaning whatsoever.  Yet, it has an incredible influence in our lives.

Learning body language gestures can be a very effective social skill.  Some people can naturally determine others body language and some can’t, but with a little practice it will become relatively easy.

Body Language Gestures by Body Part

1.     Pay attention to stance.  The more distance between you, the less they care about you and your situation.  If a person is standing in a similar position as you are, this can also be a sign that they are interested in you.  To check this out, change your body position often, if they change theirs as well, they are mirroring you and are showing concern for you.

2.    If you observe a person’s head movements, you will notice a tilted head is either a sign of sympathy or, if smiling, flirtation.  A lowered head will most likely indicate that they are hiding something or they may be shy or timid; though in some other cultures it may indicate respect.  A cocked head may mean that they are either confused or challenging you.  This will depend upon the various body language gestures such as the movements of the eye, eyebrow and mouth.

3.    Look into their eyes for body language cues.  If they frequently look to the side, it will either indicate that they are nervous, distracted by something or lying.  Someone glancing down at the floor most likely indicates that they are shy and meek.  While looking into a person’s eyes, check out their pupils.  If they are dilated, the person is interested in you and what you are talking about.  Keep in mind that in some cultures, it is believed to be a sign of disrespect when you look someone directly in the eyes.

4.    People who cross their arms are sometimes simply closing themselves off from any social interaction.  Some cross their arms out of habit when they are cold or don’t know what to do with their arms, but others are demonstrating that they are uncomfortable in their current situation.  If they have crossed arms while their feet are more than shoulder width apart, this is representative of an authority figure.   In addition, if a person puts their arms behind their head or neck, they are either a laid back person or they are agreeing with what is being said.

5.    Placing your hands on your hips signifies impatience.  If the hands are clenched, it demonstrates a feeling of nervousness, anger or hostility.  There are many other common body language gestures that indicate a variety of feelings.  Pushing the hair back is one that means they are grooming, which is very common if they like you.  If they constantly push up their glasses, this could indicate they are in disagreement with what is being said.  When you see someone narrow their eyes while lowering their eyebrows, it means they are making a desperate attempt to understand what is happening; this is oftentimes a skeptical look.

6.    Body language gestures are often demonstrated through a person’s feet.  For instance, a sudden quick movement of the foot is a sign of impatience, nervousness or intimidation.   Sitting with your ankles crossed is a sign of relaxation and comfort.  In addition, whatever holds a person’s interest is usually the direction that many will turn their feet.

You should keep in mind that everyone has their own unique body language gestures.  Therefore, you shouldn’t form an opinion based exclusively on them, although many do.  No matter what activities you engage in, people are seeing your non-verbal communications.  This begins from the moment you walk out your front door.  You are conveying a message regardless of what you are doing, whether it is walking, sitting or standing.  For this reason, it is important to develop effective body language gestures as well as to strengthen our communicative signals.

Our eyes have been known as the windows into our souls, and they are able to convey emotions and send essential non-verbal communication signals during a conversation. Those who are interested in learning more about the people that they are talking to and learning more about their emotions should consider learning body language eyes signals. It is an effective way of learning more about the other person, and by carefully observing the type of body language eye signals that they are giving off, it becomes easier understanding the emotions behind their words.

There are many different types of eye movements that are possible from looking up and down to prolonged eye contact. Negotiators, psychologists and other researchers have been able to match different types of eye movements to different types of inner emotions or feelings. By being able to learn more about eye movements, researchers have been able to get a better understanding about human psychology, and movements. While these body language eye movement signals may not be true for everyone, they have been known as reliable signs of different emotions.

Lateral eye movement has been associated with shiftiness as it expresses the person’s inner desire to escape or leave the area. If not, it is also seen as a method for a person to scan the room in order to ensure that no one else is listening in on the conversation.

Eye Glances & Eye Gazes

Glances and gazes can also indicate different types of desires. For example, a quick glance at the door could indicate an inner desire to leave the room while gazing at a person can be a form of affection or admiration. Since there are many different types of gazes and glances, it is important to be able to pay close attention to a person’s specific eye movement throughout the whole conversation in order to get a good grasp of the small glances that they may be making.

Eye Contact

Eye contact between two individuals could also hint different types of expressions. In fact, eye contact is one of the most important body language eye signals that are available as it is able to connect two people that are in a conversation in a non-verbal way. Generally speaking, eye contact is used to signify acknowledgement and interest. It is a sign of personal connection which is why there is a huge emphasis placed on eye contact during communication in order to better convey emotions and feelings.

By learning the different body language eye movements that are available, it becomes a lot easier to identify all of the different emotions that a person may be attempting to convey. It helps move the conversation forward, and is definitely a crucial and important aspect in communication.

Lie Spotters Are Not Created Equal

True. Recent studies have shown that an average person has about a 54% chance of catching deception. That’s it. A tad above the flipping of a coin. But a seasoned pro, having received proper education in the field of lie spotting, can reach about 85-90% accuracy in spotting liars.

A LOT of myths and inaccurate information is out there, so I thought it would be time to settle some debates and debunk some myths about catching liars.

This Is No Pinocchio Effect

True. If you’ve ever heard that this gesture, or that facial expression, or that display is a sure sign of a lie, you’ve been misinformed. No studies have ever shown that there is one single thing that we do that is 100% indicative of a lie. Nope. Nada. Niet. In essence, there is no Pinocchio effect. It simply does not exist. Most of the myths out there, as we’ll see below are signs of stress and discomfort, but not signs of lies per say.

“A Liar Will Not Look You In The Eye”

False. This is probably the biggest myth out there. And because it’s so well known that liars will often look you straight in the eyes because of this. Denying eye contact is often a sign of discomfort, and one could say that when we lie in a high stakes situation, we are very likely to feel some kind of discomfort, but to say that a person that does not look you in the eye is lying, is false.

“A Liar Will Cover His Mouth”

False. Sure, your kids might do this when they lie to you. But a person covering their mouth is not necessarily lying. The mouth cover action is actually a sign of discomfort and can be related to stress. When we are uncomfortable, we often tend to close ourselves (we cross our arms, grab our opposing shoulders or wrists). It’s a way to protect ourselves from imminent attacks. And when we are experiencing a higher level of stress, we will resort to some kind of auto-massage, like rubbing the chin or our lips with our fingers. So when you see someone suddenly cover his mouth and start rubbing his chin, it’s probably a sign he’s uncomfortable. Now, that said, of course when we lie and we can get into trouble if we get caught, we will probably show some kind of stress and discomfort. But the hand to mouth gesture on it’s own is not a sure sign of a lie.

“Micro Expressions Are Signs Of Lies”

False. If Lie To Me‘s Cal Lightman can do it, everyone can right? Well no, wrong. Micro Expressions are not signs of lying. They are quick flashes in time of a felt, repressed emotion. In other words, they reveal how we feel. Now, if your boss tells you he’s very happy with your work, and flashes a micro-expression of disgust and contempt, you might be in trouble, but the micro expression is not a lying signal. It’s rather the fact that there is a discrepancy between the spoken words and non-verbals that can tell us there is something being hidden from us.

So please be careful when you try to some lie spotting, In for yourself from reliable sources, or else you might be totally misinformed.

* To become a true lie spotter, you can check out my video course on spotting deception and lies here.

Communication is not solely reliant on verbal speech, and in order to be able to communicate efficiently with others and learn their inner desires, it is also important to take note of their body language. For those who are wondering what is body language, body language is a non-verbal method of communication that consists of body posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye movements. During a conversation, our body will generally mirror our inner emotions, and body language is a way of better understanding the different emotions and feelings that someone may be going through while in a conversation. The study of body movement is known as kinesics, and there are many researchers who are working on deciphering body language in order to gain a better understanding about a human being’s psychology.

By being able to take note of somebody’s body language, communication becomes a lot easier and effective. Generally speaking, human beings are wired to send and interpret signals that are shown through body language subconsciously; however, by being able to take in the signals consciously and look for certain body language, some people are able to communicate more effectively with others as they are able to track and progress how the communication is going, and how the other person is feeling. By being able to keep the atmosphere of the conversation in a relaxed and happy state, some people are able to better interact with others, and able to make others feel better.

90% of the Communication

Many researchers have claimed that body language and other non-verbal methods of communication comprise of over 90% of the communication that we do. This is why communication through the phone or even through email may not be as effective as both parties are unable to detect the body language that is being sent off by the other person. This can lead to misunderstandings and a tense environment if the tone of the context is being translated incorrectly.

Body language comprises of a person’s ability to express their emotions through different types of signalling; this will include emotions like joy, amusement, excitement, guilt, pride, relief, shame and more. Those who are wondering what is body language will find that it is anything that has to do with physical movement and posture of the human being. This will include any hand movements, eye movements, and even the way that a person is sitting as the body is able to convey different types of emotions. At times, when people are not saying what they mean, body language is a good indication of their true feelings and emotions.

Learn Body Language

By being able to learn and decipher body language, we are at an advantage when communicating with others as we are able to detect and understand subtle changes in their emotions. By learning body language, we are able to gauge how the conversation is going, and we are able to make subtle changes that will compensate for any problems that may be occurring as well. Excellent communicators and negotiators that are able to get a message across will pay special attention to the body language coming from everyone in order to maintain a balanced conversation.

Body language is an essential non-verbal method of communication that is able to convey an immense amount of details regarding our inner emotions and our inner desires. Since body language is normally sent out subconsciously, most people don’t have the time to think about their body language when conversing in a conversation which is why paying attention to body language is one of the best ways in catching a liar. Those who are learning how to catch a liar will generally find that they are able to find most of the signs that they need about the authenticity and reliability of the person’s speech through their body language, and by being able to master reading body language, it can be easy identifying liars from those who are telling the truth.

Body Language & Lying

Body language has been known to make up over 50% of our conversations which is the reason why when learning how to catch a liar, it is important to also learn how to decipher body language. There are many different types of body language signals that have been associated with lying, and while they are not entirely guaranteed signals, many researchers studying psychology and kinesics, the study of body movement, will claim that they are quite reliable. In fact, most of these signals are looked for during interrogations, and many successful negotiators and communicators take special note of these signals when attempting to work out different kinks in contracts and problems.

Types Of Deception Signals

In order to learn how to catch a liar, it is important to first learn about the different types of body language signals that are available. This will include learning about their basic body language when relaxed and content. By being able to make comparisons between different environments, it is easier to detect subtle changes in body language signals. Not all body language signals are easy to detect, and it will require a lot of observation in order to master the skills of learning how to catch a liar.

For one, liars are generally unwilling to open up and want to leave. Their body will generally be in a blocking position meaning that it is blocked off from the accuser. The body language of a liar will generally be facing away or “closed”. This will include taking up less space and placing “blockages” in between the accuser and the one being questioned. Crossing their arms can be a huge signal of discontent.

Facial expressions will also change severely. Those who are lying tend to have a lapse in their facial expression duration with their speech. At times, what they are saying may not match what their facial expression is conveying.

Out of all of the different body language signals on how to catch a liar, eye movement is generally the easiest method of being able to tell. Our eyes are known as windows to our souls and most people who are lying will tend to have lateral eye movements indicating a sign of unease. They will normally glace at the doors or other types of exits, and will be uncomfortable in maintaining eye contact with the questioner. They may look constantly right as they are attempting to imagine different scenarios.

Body language is an essential cue in catching liars, and those who are learning how to catch a liar will want to place special emphasis on the body language that is being sent out. By learning more about the different body language signals that are out there, understanding the emotions behind verbal speech becomes a lot easier.