One of the many fun things about poker is that it gives us a license to lie, a practice which is generally frowned upon in polite society. In fact, from an early age, we are socialised to tell the truth, so much so that we start to assume that everyone else tells the truth as well – psychologists refer to this as the ‘truth bias’. Consequently, when we come to figuring out whether or not someone is lying to us, we are not very good at it.

Indeed, research suggests that generally we’re no better than a 50/50 chance at spotting when someone is pulling the wool over our eyes – so in poker terms, maybe the next time you’re trying to figure out if someone is bluffing you, you should simply flip a coin!

However, before you start to despair and reach for your lucky two pence coin, be assured that there are things you can do to improve your ability to spot when you’re being bluffed.