Do you ever acquire that itch? The itch to wager, to head to the closest gambling establishment, to locate a superior stakes game of Texas hold’em, to sit at a Twenty-one table for hours on end. I really like that itch. And I like to scratch it.
I also really like to watch folks wager. No 2 poker faces seem similar. When I bet I like to consider I put on a poker face which is impenetrable. Except I know I have particular gestures. For 1, the only time I smoke is when I bet on poker or Twenty-one. And then I smoke. But I smoke no matter if I am succeeding or losing, whether or not I have a great hand or bad.
I once played in a weekly poker game. The casino game was often five card draw. There was a player who wagered with us every week who usually wore a hat. When he was given a good hand, subconsciously, he would begin touching and betting with his hat. Needless to say, he by no means won.
The greatest poker gambler I ever saw was a player who created far more movements and gestures at a poker table than anybody I had ever seen. He was flawless in the way he dressed. Always an expensive suit and tie, boots shined and nails manicured. He was meticulous in this manner. And he was often brushing his pants or holding his hands or stacking his chips in neat little piles.
I use to examine him for long periods of time. I’d attempt to see if I could notice his tell. Selecting fuzz off his shirt- did this mean he was bluffing? Stacking his chips in a very short pile – did this imply he had a good hand?
Several years later I ran into him in the bar in Chi town and we had a drink. I asked him if he were aware of all those activities he created or if they had been subconscious. He informed me that each little thing he did at a poker table was deliberate. He said that everyone is constantly checking out everyone else’s poker face. They’re attempting to notice the the tell.
So his method was to provide them lots to feel about. His reasoning was if they were thinking about him choosing a piece of lint off his vest and what it meant they sure were not thinking about their cards.
His process was distraction. And it worked for him. By no means give up a technique that operates for you.
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