Poker Face
Posted in Poker on 03/20/2013 03:21 am by Rudy
Do you ever acquire that itch? The itch to wager, to head to the nearest casino, to find a high stakes casino game of Hold em, to sit at a Black jack table for hours on end. I like that itch. And I really like to scratch it.
I also really like to watch folks wager. No 2 poker faces seem identical. When I gamble I like to believe I put on a poker face that is impassable. But I know I have certain gestures. For one, the only time I smoke cigarettes is when I play poker or Black-jack. And then I smoke. But I smoke whether or not I am succeeding or losing, no matter if I’ve a beneficial hand or bad.
I once played in a very weekly poker game. The casino game was constantly five card draw. There was a gentleman who wagered with us every week who often wore a hat. When he was given a good hand, unconsciously, he would start touching and wagering with his hat. Needless to say, he by no means won.
The greatest poker player I ever saw was a gentleman who manufactured much more movements and gestures at a poker table than anyone I had ever seen. He was flawless in the way he dressed. Constantly an high priced suit and tie, shoes shined and nails trimmed. He was meticulous in this manner. And he was usually brushing his pants or rubbings his hands or putting his chips in tidy little piles.
I use to analyze him for long periods of time. I’d attempt to see if I could notice his tell. Selecting lint off his shirt- did this imply he was bluffing? Arranging his chips in a short pile – did this imply he had a beneficial hand?
Years later I ran into him in a bar in Chi town and we had a beer. I asked him if he were aware of all those activities he manufactured or if they were unconscious. He informed me that just about every little thing he did at a poker table was deliberate. He said that everybody is often checking out everyone else’s poker face. They are attempting to detect the the tell.
So his program was to give them lots to feel about. His thinking was if they were pondering about him choosing a piece of fuzz off his jacket and what it meant they certain weren’t thinking about their cards.
His program was distraction. And it worked for him. Never give up a program that functions for you.