Hiding Tells
Do you ever acquire that itch? The itch to bet, to head to the closest gambling house, to come across a superior stakes casino game of Holdem, to sit at a Black jack table for hours on end. I really like that itch. And I really like to scratch it.
I also like to watch people bet. No two poker faces seem equal. When I wager I like to assume I put on a poker face that is impenetrable. But I know I have certain mannerisms. For 1, the only time I smoke cigarettes is when I wager on poker or Black-jack. And then I chain smoke. Except I chain smoke regardless of whether I am winning or losing, no matter whether I’ve a beneficial hand or bad.
I once bet inside a weekly poker game. The casino game was usually five card draw. There was a guy who played with us every week who constantly wore a hat. When he was dealt a very good hand, unconsciously, he would start touching and wagering with his hat. Needless to say, he in no way won.
The very best poker gambler I ever saw was a gentleman who produced additional actions and gestures at a poker table than anybody I had ever met. He was flawless in the way he dressed. Always an high priced suit and tie, boots shined and nails manicured. He was fastidious in this manner. And he was often brushing his pant leg or holding his hands or stacking his chips in neat little piles.
I use to analyze him for hours on end. I’d attempt to see if I could notice his tell. Picking lint off his shirt- did this mean he was bluffing? Stacking his chips in a short pile – did this mean he had a beneficial hand?
Many years later I ran into him within a bar in New York and we had a beverage. I asked him if he had been aware of all those movements he created or if they were subconscious. He told me that just about every little thing he did at a poker table was deliberate. He said that everybody is constantly checking out everybody else’s poker face. They’re trying to notice the the tell.
So his technique was to provide them lots to believe about. His thinking was if they had been thinking about him picking a piece of lint off his coat and what it meant they positive were not thinking about their cards.
His technique was diversion. And it worked for him. Never give up a system that operates for you.
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