[DCopper04]

What do you think about table talk, especially when a player is trying to make a big decision? Does it influence your decisionmaking? I usually try to pay careful attention to table talk to spot tells, although it can be difficult to do much of the time. Some things I have noticed:

1. Most of the time, if a player says he wants you to call, that means he really does want you to call. Similarly, if a player says "I will call you if you go all-in" then he is probably going to call you if you go all-in. Players normally don't B.S. about that.
2. If a player goes all-in and is awaiting your decision, he might ask "whatcha got over there? Mid pockets?" or something to that effect. In this situation, I tend to believe that his hand is not as strong as he is showing it to be. If he has AA or KK, he wouldn't really care what you have, right?
3. This is one that is often difficult to read if you don't know your opponent very well, but can be useful nonetheless: Sometimes, when a player is awaiting a big decision by you, he will tell you that if you fold, he will show his cards. Generally, I believe that if the player is weak or inexperienced, he is usually not holding a very strong hand . Conversely, if he is a good player, then he usually is holding a strong hand.
4. I'm sure most of you would agree with this simple assessment: The talkative players are usually the loosest. This doesn't mean that the deaf, anti-social kid sitting across the table from you won't bluff on occasion, but normally, the talkative ones are the loosest (and often the most reckless.)

Your thoughts?