Do you ever receive that itch? The itch to wager, to head to the closest casino, to uncover a superior stakes game of Hold’em, to sit at a Blackjack table for hours on end. I love that itch. And I really like to scratch it.
I also love to watch people today wager. No 2 poker faces seem equal. When I gamble I like to think I put on a poker face that’s impassable. But I know I have certain personal habits. For one, the only time I smoke cigarettes is when I bet on poker or Blackjack. And then I smoke. Except I chain smoke whether or not I am succeeding or losing, whether I have a beneficial hand or bad.
I once bet in the weekly poker game. The game was always 5 card draw. There was a man who played with us each and every week who constantly wore a hat. When he was given a excellent hand, unconsciously, he would begin touching and wagering with his hat. Pointless to say, he never won.
The very best poker player I ever saw was a player who manufactured far more movements and gestures at a poker table than anyone I had ever seen. He was flawless in the way he dressed. Usually an high priced suit and tie, footwear shined and nails trimmed. He was diligent in this manner. And he was usually brushing his pants or rubbings his hands or putting his chips in neat little piles.
I use to analyze him for hours on end. I’d attempt to see if I could spot his tell. Selecting lint off his shirt- did this mean he was bluffing? Arranging his chips in a short pile – did this imply he had a great hand?
Several years later I bumped into him in a bar in Philly and we had a beer. I asked him if he have been aware of all those actions he created or if they were unconscious. He informed me that each and every single thing he did at a poker table was deliberate. He said that everyone is always checking out everyone else’s poker face. They’re attempting to spot the the tell.
So his system was to give them lots to feel about. His thinking was if they have been thinking about him picking a piece of lint off his coat and what it meant they sure weren’t pondering about their cards.
His technique was distraction. And it worked for him. Never give up a method that operates for you.