Do you ever have that itch? The itch to bet, to head to the nearest casino, to locate a superior stakes game of Texas 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 like to watch folks wager. No two poker faces seem equal. When I bet I like to assume I put on a poker face that’s impassable. But I know I’ve particular personal habits. For one, the only time I smoke cigarettes is when I wager on poker or Black-jack. And then I chain smoke. But I chain smoke whether or not I am winning or losing, whether or not I’ve a beneficial hand or bad.
I once bet within a weekly poker game. The casino game was always five card draw. There was a gentleman who wagered with us just about every week who often wore a hat. When he was dealt a great hand, unconsciously, he would start touching and betting with his hat. Pointless to say, he never won.
The very best poker gambler I ever saw was a gentleman who manufactured much more actions and gestures at a poker table than anybody I had ever met. He was impressive in the way he dressed. Often an costly suit and tie, boots shined and nails trimmed. He was diligent in this manner. And he was generally brushing his pant leg or holding his hands or putting his chips in tidy little piles.
I use to examine him for hours. I would attempt to see if I could spot his tell. Selecting lint off his jacket- did this imply he was bluffing? Arranging his chips in a short pile – did this imply he had a excellent hand?
Several years later I bumped into him in a very bar in Chi town and we had a beverage. I asked him if he have been aware of all those motions he produced or if they have been unconscious. He told me that every single individual thing he did at a poker table was intentional. He said that everyone is constantly checking out everyone else’s poker face. They’re trying to detect the the tell.
So his system was to give them lots to think about. His thinking was if they had been pondering about him choosing a piece of fuzz off his vest and what it meant they certain weren’t thinking about their cards.
His process was distraction. And it worked for him. Never give up a method that functions for you.