You’ve heard about the ‘cards talk’ rule in poker, but how does it work? Most card rooms have a “cards talk” rule, which means that verbal statements made by a player do not determine the value of their hand. Regardless of how it works, it does not apply to awarding a pot or to the “one player to a hand” rule. However, it does apply to mistakes in reading a hand.
For example, a player once said, “Aces talk. They say, “I’m lucky!” After receiving a single-card ace on the flop, he yelled, “I’m going to ship it!” And then, just as the dealer threw out the case jack, he cursed and tossed his hand into the middle of the table. So, is it really possible for cards to talk in poker?
The betting round in poker is not as exciting as the ‘cards talk’ part of the game. One player can win the pot if all the other players fold. To indicate a next move, players push their chips towards the pot. In order to make this move, they have to make a string raise, or match the previous bet, and observe reactions to their cards. As long as no one else is betting on the hand, that player is called the “runner”.
Occasionally, players can tell if their opponents are bluffing. They may stare at an all-in opponent, scratch their neck, or wiggle a leg. If they can decipher their movements, they can use these subtle cues to win. If you’re wondering how to detect this in a game of poker, read Caro’s Book of Tells or Navarro’s Read’m and Reap.
