Reading Poker Hands: What You Need to Know

In the movie Rounders, there is a scene where the protagonist played by Matt Damon reads the judges' cards while they are playing a friendly game of poker. Much to his credit, he correctly advises his professor, wins the admiration of the group, and walks away feeling proud that these men of wisdom recognized his skills. Is this scene just the stuff that great films are made of, or can a smart card player actually read his opponents' cards?

The answer to this question is yes and no. Some clever individuals can develop the skill of card reading but by no means do most veteran card players possess this skill. In short, card reading is when a player can tell with measurable certainty whether or not his opponent has a good/weak hand and how he will behave in response to those hands. It does not mean a player can correctly surmise an opponent's exact hand and it does not involve any type of psychic ability.

Card reading is only useful for those individuals who play at high stakes games and who are themselves advanced players. It is not wise to attempt card reading if you are an inexperienced player yourself. Card reading requires a great amount of memorization, focus and attention to detail. Card readers must remember each move of his opponent from when he folded and when he raised to what his body language said when he did each of these things. Understanding "tells" well and the psychology of poker is necessary for one to embark on card reading. For instance, a card reader may take note that an opponent checks every time he has a weak hand. This may be an indication of future behavior, but it is by no means a full-proof guide. Players change their strategy all the time and card readers must remain aware of that.