Poker is as much a game of chance, as it is of tactics. The cards you get dealt with do matter. But you not only have to play with the cards you're dealt but also play your opponents. It is imperative that you must learn to conceal your intentions while trying your best to glean the intentions of other players at the table. In fact, ace poker players are capable of deducing surprising amount of information just by observing the body language of their opponents.

At the poker table, a player's mannerisms, habits and reactions in various situations can provide invaluable insight into the strength or weakness of his holdings. Known as tells, these giveaways enable a player to catapult from the ranks of amateur to professional and win a lot of money in the process. To win often you have to understand not just the hand you hold, but also the one your opponent does.

Here are some of the most common body language giveaways:

The trembling player

As a player places chips at the table, his hands start trembling. This is a dead giveaway that this player is holding a superlative hand. He is trying his best to control his emotions, but his excitement has got better of him, making him nervous and wound up.

When you spot such a player, you should immediately get the hell out of the game. This guy is rock solid and you will only end up losing money by playing the dodge.
A chatty player becomes quiet

It is fairly common to come across a chatty player, who insists on telling a story at the beginning of a hand. If he suddenly stops talking (or seems to lose track of his story) when he looks at his hole cards, it should start ringing warning bells in your head.

This player has interrupted his monologue only because he has been dealt with a very strong hand and now all his thoughts are focused on how to maximize his winnings. Don't bet him unless you are on a very firm footing.
The stare-down

If an opponent stares right at you after he has placed his bet and it is your turn to act next, you can rest assured that it is only a ruse. He is only trying to scare you by appearing confident and strong. You should not fall for his gimmick. Call or raise and show them that you are in charge at this table.

Feigned disinterest

While waiting for an opponent to act (to call, raise or fold), the player in question tries to seem disinterested by deliberately staring away from the action at the table. But his apparent lack of interest means just the opposite. The player has a strong hand and wants to do nothing to discourage his opponents from entering into the pot.
In such a situation if you have the option of checking, you should definitely do so and wait for this actor to make his move. If he bets and you have a weak or marginal hand, you need to fold. You checked in order to save yourself money. If, however, you have a very strong hand, you might still want to check, since you can be almost certain that the player will bet the hand.

The stack glance

When he sees his cards, the player instantly glances down at his chips for a split second. This almost always means that a player's hole cards are strong, and he is taking an inventory of his chip stack because he intends on betting or rising. In such a situation you are advised to play only premium hands, as your opponent almost certainly has a strong holding.

The very high bet

A player makes a large bet by throwing, or splashing, his chips into the pot in a grand, exaggerated fashion. But this always means the opposite of the impression the player is trying to convey. The player's hand is weak or marginal at best, and he is trying to bluff you out of the pot by drawing as much attention to the large bet as possible. Chances are that the opponent is putting on an act to scare you away. Call this player with even a marginal hand, and raise a hand you might otherwise just have called with.