Do you ever obtain that itch? The itch to wager, to head to the nearest gambling house, to come across a superior stakes casino game of Texas hold’em, to sit at a Chemin de fer table for hours on end. I like that itch. And I love to scratch it.
I also really like to watch folks bet. No two poker faces seem equal. When I gamble I like to believe I put on a poker face that is impenetrable. Except I know I’ve specific mannerisms. For one, the only time I smoke is when I bet on poker or Blackjack. And then I smoke. But I smoke regardless of whether I am winning or losing, no matter if I’ve a beneficial hand or bad.
I once bet in a weekly poker game. The game was usually 5 card draw. There was a player who played with us every single week who often wore a hat. When he was dealt a very good hand, unconsciously, he would start touching and betting with his hat. Pointless to say, he in no way won.
The very best poker gambler I ever saw was a man who manufactured a lot more movements and signals at a poker table than anyone I had ever seen. He was impressive in the way he dressed. Usually 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 rubbings his hands or putting his chips in neat little piles.
I use to study him for hours. I’d attempt to see if I could notice his tell. Choosing fuzz off his shirt- did this mean he was bluffing? Arranging his chips in a short pile – did this mean he had a beneficial hand?
Several years later I bumped into him in a very bar in Chicago and we had a beverage. I asked him if he had been aware of all those motions he created or if they were unconscious. He told me that every single thing he did at a poker table was intentional. He said that everybody is generally checking out everyone else’s poker face. They are trying to spot the the tell.
So his method was to provide them lots to feel about. His thinking 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 process was diversion. And it worked for him. Never give up a system that works for you.
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