Poker Face

by Carlos on July 3rd, 2013

Do you ever receive that itch? The itch to wager, to head to the closest gambling den, to uncover a superior stakes casino game of Hold’em, to sit at a Black-jack table for hours on end. I like that itch. And I love to scratch it.

I also really like to watch folks wager. No 2 poker faces seem alike. When I bet I like to assume I put on a poker face which is impassable. Except I know I have certain gestures. For one, the only time I smoke cigarettes is when I wager on poker or Blackjack. And then I chain smoke. Except I chain smoke whether or not I am succeeding or losing, regardless of whether I’ve a beneficial hand or bad.

I once bet inside a weekly poker game. The game was generally five card draw. There was a player who played with us every week who usually wore a hat. When he was dealt a good hand, subconsciously, he would begin touching and wagering with his hat. Needless to say, he by no means won.

The greatest poker player I ever saw was a guy who produced far more movements and gestures at a poker table than anyone I had ever seen. He was flawless in the way he dressed. Generally an expensive suit and tie, footwear shined and nails manicured. He was meticulous in this manner. And he was constantly brushing his pant leg or rubbings his hands or putting his chips in tidy little piles.

I use to study him for long periods of time. I’d tried to see if I could notice his tell. Picking fuzz off his jacket- did this imply he was bluffing? Stacking his chips in a short pile – did this imply he had a beneficial hand?

Years later I ran into him in the bar in Philly and we had a beer. I asked him if he had been aware of all those motions he manufactured or if they had been subconscious. He told me that each individual thing he did at a poker table was intentional. He said that everyone is always checking out everyone else’s poker face. They are attempting to notice the the tell.

So his technique was to give them lots to feel about. His reasoning was if they have been thinking about him choosing a piece of fuzz off his jacket and what it meant they sure were not thinking about their cards.

His technique was distraction. And it worked for him. By no means give up a system that functions for you.

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