I was in a tournament yesterday (I rarely play tournaments) and was sitting next to a solid player that was about tied with me for chip leader.

He goes all-in.

I am out of the hand and wished him good luck.

This player sat on my right and was heads-up on the flop with someone on my left.

“HE is the one that needs the luck!” this player forcefully said. “He has 14 outs and 12 nervous twitches!”

I could not help but laugh.

I thought the speech was brilliant.

This sign of strength got his opponent to fold what was probably the best hand.

I am looking for habits, strengths, and weaknesses.

Here is a short list of what I am looking for:

What kinds of hands do each player play? Are they playing “good” hands or any Ace or any face card?

Where does each player play from? Are they playing any position or late position?

How many hands does each player play? Are they seeing every flop, most flops, or only a few an hour?

Do they raise with raising hands or limp-in?

Do they play any two suited cards and chase flushes down to the river regardless of unfavorable pot odds?

Do they play any two straight cards and chase straights down to the river regardless of unfavorable pot odds?

Do they look at their hole cards when they receive them or when it is their turn to act? If they are watching their cards out of turn, they are not watching the other players react to their hole cards. This means they are focused on their own hand and not reading the strength of other players.

I am on the lookout for gamblers too. Gamblers are not card players. They lose over the long run.

Do the players talk about poker tournaments? Tournaments are for gamblers. They push all-in on draws and think A-K is a good hand. Not in a cash game.

Do they use blackjack signals when checking? Blackjack is for gamblers.

Do the players talk about playing poker online? Internet players play alot of hands, most of which are marginal. They also tend to be aggressive with marginal or losing hands.

I am also on the lookout for collusion or cheating. Yes, unfortunately, some players cheat – even in casinos. I can beat nearly any player acting alone. But beating two, three, or six people working together is very difficult.

In this case, I am looking for hand signals, card flashing, chip placement on hole cards, and glances. I watch for players taking breaks together. I watch to see who is in a hand together and who drops out of a pot on fifth street.