The Grind/The twenty habits
The twenty habits
A tell is not a twitch. It is a habit somebody repeats: a bet size they keep reaching for, a street they always give up on, a pause that only happens when it matters. These twenty are the ones The Grind teaches, and each entry is the coach's own reading of it - what it looks like, and what to do about it.
Raises Any Pair
Any pocket pair and they're raising, even deuces. So don't get scared off their raise - there's plenty of junk in there. Next time they open, think about a 3-bet and make them sweat.
Limps Weak Hands
With weak hands they don't fold, they limp. Monsters almost never show up in their limps - it's all small stuff. Try it: put pressure on after their limp and see if they fold.
Limp Then Re-Raise
Watch out - they can limp with a monster, then re-raise if someone raises behind them. Their limp isn't automatically weak. Before you try to isolate, remember this trap.
Squeezes Light
They'll fire a 3-bet into multiway pots without a real hand behind it. There's more bluff than usual in those 3-bets - in position you can call or even 4-bet. Watch for them jumping into a crowded pot from behind.
Folds to 3-Bets
They fold to 3-bets more than they should. A 3-bet from position pays off against them even with a middling hand. Next time they open, try a light 3-bet and watch how fast they give up.
Min-Raise Means Strength
A min-raise from them isn't timid, it's a signal - they've got a hand. They bump it up just enough to get called and grow the pot. Take note what they're showing after those raises.
C-Bets Too Much
They fire the flop almost every single time, on autopilot. Those c-bets are full of air. They bet after their preflop raise? With equity you can float or raise them back.
Floats in Position
They like to call your c-bet in position, then take the pot away on the turn if you check. Their flop call doesn't mean a made hand yet. Watch whether they bet the turn after a call like that.
Always Barrels Turn
If they were the preflop raiser, they're betting the turn almost every time. That's a lot of semi-bluffs and thin value in there. A range that wide can't hold up to a turn raise - use it.
Slow-Plays Monsters
With a monster they go quiet - checking, calling, waiting for you. Their passive flop play isn't weakness, more the opposite. Sat quiet and suddenly came alive? Don't build the pot for them.
Never Bluffs River
On the river without a made hand, they just don't bet, period. A big bet from them always means something. So folding to their river bet is a fine decision even with a decent hand.
Chases Flush Draws
On a flush draw they'll pay any price, odds don't bother them. Third suited card hits and expect them to wake up and start betting. That's your cue to be careful.
Folds to Aggression
Any bet blows them off a hand, even a small one, on any street. Bet in, take it down, even with air. They check to you? A small bet is enough - it won't get to showdown.
Waits on Draws to River
On a draw they quietly call down to the river, and only bet if they get there. Their calls aren't a hand, they're hope. Draw comes in and they suddenly bet? There's your answer.
Check-Raises Flop
They love a flop check-raise - check to bait a bet, then raise. A check from them isn't an invitation to bet. Either keep the pot small or check back against them.
Overbets River
A river overbet from them is polarized - either near the nuts or a straight-up bluff, nothing in between. So pick your side: they've got it all, or they've got nothing.
Timing Tell
Their timing gives them away - instant on the easy ones, a long pause on the ones that matter. A long tank and then a raise means they have it. They snap, and that hand is nothing. Read their clock before you read their chips.
Calls Blindly
Small bets they call without looking, no matter what they're holding. Thin value against them is free money - bet it with confidence. And notice: small bets get paid right away, big ones get check-folded.
Loose Early Position
From early position they open junk they have no business opening there. Their raise from UTG or MP doesn't mean strength. Don't take their word for it.
3-Bet or Fold
They have no calling range against a raise, period - it's 3-bet or fold. And those 3-bets are polarized too - monster or bluff, nothing in the middle. They 3-bet you? Work out whether that's a real hand or a squeeze.