Hiding Tells

[ English ]

Do you ever acquire that itch? The itch to bet, to head to the closest casino, to uncover a superior stakes game of Holdem, to sit at a Chemin de fer table for hours on end. I like that itch. And I love to scratch it.

I also love to watch folks gamble. No 2 poker faces seem equal. When I wager I like to assume I put on a poker face which is impenetrable. Except I know I have specific mannerisms. For one, the only time I smoke is when I play poker or Chemin de fer. And then I chain smoke. Except I smoke whether I am succeeding or losing, whether or not I’ve a great hand or bad.

I once played in a weekly poker game. The casino game was generally 5 card draw. There was a guy who bet with us every week who always wore a hat. When he was dealt a very good hand, subconsciously, he would begin touching and betting with his hat. Needless to say, he never won.

The greatest poker gambler I ever saw was a player who made more movements and signals at a poker table than anyone I had ever met. He was flawless in the way he dressed. Always an expensive suit and tie, footwear shined and nails trimmed. He was meticulous in this manner. And he was constantly brushing his pants or rubbings his hands or stacking his chips in tidy little piles.

I use to analyze him for long periods of time. I would attempt to see if I could spot his tell. Selecting lint off his jacket- did this imply he was bluffing? Stacking his chips in a short pile – did this mean he had a beneficial hand?

Many years later I bumped into him in the bar in Chicago, il and we had a drink. I asked him if he had been aware of all those motions he created or if they had been unconscious. He told me that every single 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 attempting to spot the the tell.

So his system was to give them lots to think about. His thinking was if they have been pondering about him picking a piece of fuzz off his shirt and what it meant they certain weren’t pondering about their cards.

His technique was distraction. And it worked for him. By no means give up a system that works for you.

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