Hiding Tells
Posted in Poker on 12/15/2010 11:21 pm by Marcus
Do you ever receive that itch? The itch to gamble, to head to the nearest gambling den, to come across a great stakes game of Texas holdem, to sit at a Blackjack table for hours on end. I like that itch. And I really like to scratch it.
I also like to watch people wager. No two poker faces seem the same. When I gamble I like to consider I put on a poker face that is impenetrable. Except I know I’ve particular actions. For 1, the only time I smoke is when I wager on poker or Twenty-one. And then I smoke. Except I smoke regardless of whether I am winning or losing, whether or not I’ve a good hand or bad.
I once played inside a weekly poker game. The casino game was constantly 5 card draw. There was a person who wagered with us each and every week who usually wore a hat. When he was given a good hand, unconsciously, he would start touching and wagering with his hat. Pointless to say, he never won.
The very best poker gambler I ever saw was a gentleman who made a lot more actions and gestures at a poker table than anyone I had ever met. He was flawless in the way he dressed. Often an high priced suit and tie, boots shined and nails trimmed. He was meticulous in this manner. And he was generally brushing his pant leg or holding his hands or putting his chips in neat little piles.
I use to examine him for long periods of time. I’d tried to see if I could spot his tell. Choosing fuzz off his jacket- did this imply he was bluffing? Stacking his chips in a short pile – did this mean he had a very good hand?
Years later I bumped into him in a bar in Vegas and we had a drink. I asked him if he have been aware of all those actions he made or if they have been subconscious. He informed me that each individual thing he did at a poker table was intentional. He said that everybody is constantly checking out everybody else’s poker face. They’re trying to spot the the tell.
So his method was to give them lots to assume about. His reasoning was if they were pondering about him choosing a piece of fuzz off his shirt and what it meant they sure weren’t pondering about their cards.
His program was distraction. And it worked for him. By no means give up a system that functions for you.