If you regularly play poker online then you will have become accustomed to typing in the chat box or at the very least seen people chatting in it before, during and after a hand has taken place. Online this can be a powerful tool but nowhere near as powerful as table talk in a live game.

Table talk is a term for anything said to your opponents in order to engage them in conversation. The rules of what you are allowed to say vary greatly from venue to venue with some of them allowing you to say anything except your exact holding and others preferring you to remain as silent as possible.

The thing about table talk is that speech patterns emerge the same as betting patterns do. Does a talkative player suddenly become quiet when the flop is dealt? What cards arrived in the flop and what hand did he showdown? Does a particular player usually answer your question about the strength of his hand immediately but on this occasion he was hesitant to talk to you. Like any read or tell you pick up you should not act on it straight away, instead wait until it has been confirmed a couple of times before you can take it as the gospel truth.

You can find out a lot about a player, their hand strength and their experience levels by asking simple, leading questions. Something as innocent as, “Is this your first WSOP?" should give you some indication to their big tournament experience and they may even go on to reveal more about themselves as a result of this question.

If you do choose to engage in some table talk with a player make sure that you do not give away your thought processes otherwise you could be giving a clear insight into how you approach the game. Whilst you may be thinking that a player would have made a big re-raise if he held a big ace, you should not say this out loud as you instantly tell the table how you would expect them, and possibly yourself, to play.

You should also refrain from letting player's know your future intentions. At a recent poker tournament I participated in a player told me that the next time I raised his big blind he was going to at least call but more than likely come over the top and make a three-bet. His little speak, designed to deter me from stealing his blinds actually let the entire table know that he was becoming increasingly frustrated and likely to go on tilt!

Talking at the table is down to your own preference but it can be such a powerful ally to you that you should always be listening for discussions at your table. For this reason and this reason alone, I would not recommend wearing headphones when playing live poker, try finding some other way to entertain yourself!