Hiding Tells
Monday, 29. November 2010
Do you ever get that itch? The itch to gamble, to head to the nearest casino, to find a great stakes game of Hold em, to sit at a Black-jack table for hours on end. I love that itch. And I really like to scratch it.
I also like to watch folks bet. No 2 poker faces seem the same. When I gamble I like to consider I put on a poker face that is impassable. But I know I’ve certain personal habits. For one, the only time I smoke cigarettes is when I bet on poker or Blackjack. And then I chain smoke. But I smoke whether I am succeeding or losing, whether or not I have a excellent hand or bad.
I once wagered in the weekly poker game. The casino game was generally five card draw. There was a player who played with us every single week who generally wore a hat. When he was given a excellent hand, subconsciously, he would begin touching and betting with his hat. Pointless to say, he in no way won.
The very best poker player I ever saw was a gentleman who manufactured much more actions and gestures at a poker table than anybody I had ever met. He was impeccable in the way he dressed. Constantly 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 rubbings his hands or stacking his chips in tidy little piles.
I use to examine him for hours. I would tried to see if I could spot his tell. Selecting fuzz off his vest- did this mean he was bluffing? Stacking his chips in a short pile – did this mean he had a great hand?
Many years later I bumped into him inside a bar in New York and we had a drink. I asked him if he had been aware of all those actions he created or if they were unconscious. He told me that each little thing he did at a poker table was intentional. He said that everyone is often checking out everyone else’s poker face. They are attempting to spot the the tell.
So his program was to give them lots to consider about. His thinking was if they had been pondering about him choosing a piece of lint off his coat and what it meant they certain were not pondering about their cards.
His method was diversion. And it worked for him. In no way give up a method that functions for you.
Posted in Poker by Winston - No Comments