Distracting Players
Posted in Poker on 12/02/2012 05:21 pm by Lilly
Do you ever have that itch? The itch to gamble, to head to the closest casino, to find a high stakes game of Hold em, to sit at a Black-jack table for hours on end. I like that itch. And I like to scratch it.
I also like to watch folks gamble. No two poker faces seem similar. When I wager I like to assume I put on a poker face that is impenetrable. But I know I have certain mannerisms. For one, the only time I smoke cigarettes is when I bet on poker or Chemin de fer. And then I smoke. But I smoke regardless of whether I am succeeding or losing, no matter whether I’ve a beneficial hand or bad.
I once bet inside a weekly poker game. The game was generally 5 card draw. There was a person who wagered with us just about every week who always wore a hat. When he was dealt a excellent hand, subconsciously, he would begin touching and wagering with his hat. Needless to say, he by no means won.
The very best poker gambler I ever saw was a person who made additional movements and gestures at a poker table than anyone I had ever met. He was impeccable in the way he dressed. Usually an costly suit and tie, boots shined and nails trimmed. He was fastidious in this manner. And he was always brushing his pants or rubbings his hands or stacking his chips in tidy little piles.
I use to study 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? Arranging his chips within a short pile – did this imply he had a good hand?
Many years later I bumped into him inside a bar in Chicago, il and we had a drink. I asked him if he had been aware of all those activities he made or if they have been subconscious. He told me that each little thing he did at a poker table was intentional. He said that everyone is generally checking out everyone else’s poker face. They’re attempting to detect the the tell.
So his method was to provide them lots to think about. His thinking was if they had been pondering about him choosing a piece of lint off his coat and what it meant they sure were not thinking about their cards.
His technique was distraction. And it worked for him. Never give up a system that functions for you.