Poker Face

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Do you ever have that itch? The itch to wager, to head to the nearest casino, to come across a superior stakes game of Holdem, to sit at a Blackjack table for hours on end. I like that itch. And I like to scratch it.

I also really like to watch men and women wager. No two poker faces seem equal. When I wager I like to assume I put on a poker face that is impenetrable. Except I know I’ve particular actions. For one, the only time I smoke is when I play poker or Pontoon. And then I chain smoke. Except I smoke no matter if I am winning or losing, no matter whether I have a great hand or bad.

I once bet in the weekly poker game. The casino game was always five card draw. There was a guy who played with us every week who often wore a hat. When he was dealt a very good hand, unconsciously, he would begin touching and playing with his hat. Pointless to say, he never won.

The very best poker gambler I ever saw was a man who created far more actions and gestures at a poker table than anybody I had ever met. He was flawless in the way he dressed. Generally an high priced suit and tie, boots shined and nails manicured. He was diligent in this manner. And he was always brushing his pant leg or holding his hands or stacking his chips in neat little piles.

I use to examine him for long periods of time. I’d tried to see if I could notice his tell. Selecting fuzz off his vest- did this imply he was bluffing? Arranging his chips in a short pile – did this mean he had a excellent hand?

Several years later I bumped into him in the bar in Chicago, il and we had a drink. I asked him if he were aware of all those movements he created or if they have been unconscious. He informed me that each and every 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 trying to spot the the tell.

So his method was to give them lots to feel about. His reasoning was if they were pondering about him picking a piece of fuzz off his jacket and what it meant they certain weren’t thinking about their cards.

His system was distraction. And it worked for him. Never give up a technique that operates for you.