Do you ever acquire that itch? The itch to gamble, to head to the closest casino, to come across a high stakes casino game of Holdem, to sit at a Pontoon table for hours on end. I really like that itch. And I really like to scratch it.
I also like to watch folks gamble. No two poker faces seem equal. When I gamble I like to think I put on a poker face that is impenetrable. But I know I’ve specific mannerisms. For one, the only time I smoke is when I wager on poker or Twenty-one. And then I chain smoke. Except I chain smoke no matter whether I am succeeding or losing, regardless of whether I’ve a beneficial hand or bad.
I once wagered in a weekly poker game. The game was constantly 5 card draw. There was a man who bet with us each week who generally wore a hat. When he was dealt a good hand, unconsciously, he would start touching and playing with his hat. Needless to say, he by no means won.
The very best poker player I ever saw was a man who made far more movements and signals at a poker table than anybody I had ever met. He was impeccable in the way he dressed. Often an costly suit and tie, shoes shined and nails trimmed. He was meticulous in this manner. And he was always brushing his pant leg or rubbings his hands or putting his chips in tidy little piles.
I use to analyze him for long periods of time. I would attempt to see if I could notice his tell. Choosing lint off his jacket- did this mean he was bluffing? Arranging his chips in a very short pile – did this imply he had a good hand?
Many years later I bumped into him in the bar in Boston and we had a beverage. I asked him if he were aware of all those activities he made or if they have been subconscious. He informed me that each little thing he did at a poker table was intentional. He said that everyone is constantly checking out everyone else’s poker face. They are trying to detect the the tell.
So his method was to provide them lots to assume about. His reasoning was if they had been pondering about him choosing a piece of fuzz off his jacket and what it meant they certain weren’t pondering about their cards.
His process was diversion. And it worked for him. By no means give up a system that operates for you.
