Do you ever get that itch? The itch to gamble, to head to the nearest gambling establishment, to find a great stakes game of Hold’em, to sit at a Black jack table for hours on end. I really like that itch. And I really like to scratch it.
I also really like to watch folks gamble. No 2 poker faces seem identical. When I bet I like to think I put on a poker face which is impenetrable. Except I know I’ve certain gestures. For one, the only time I smoke cigarettes is when I play poker or Black jack. And then I smoke. Except I chain smoke whether I am winning or losing, whether I’ve a very good hand or bad.
I once bet in the weekly poker game. The game was always 5 card draw. There was a guy who played with us every single week who constantly wore a hat. When he was given a excellent hand, unconsciously, he would start touching and betting with his hat. Pointless to say, he by no means won.
The very best poker gambler I ever saw was a man who made far more actions and signals at a poker table than anyone I had ever met. He was impressive in the way he dressed. Often an high-priced suit and tie, footwear shined and nails manicured. He was meticulous in this manner. And he was often brushing his pants or rubbings his hands or putting his chips in tidy little piles.
I use to examine him for hours on end. I’d attempt to see if I could notice his tell. Choosing fuzz off his jacket- did this mean he was bluffing? Stacking his chips in a very short pile – did this imply he had a good hand?
Years later I ran into him in a bar in New York and we had a beverage. I asked him if he have been aware of all those actions he created or if they have been unconscious. He told me that just about every little thing he did at a poker table was deliberate. He said that everyone is constantly checking out everyone else’s poker face. They’re attempting to detect the the tell.
So his technique was to provide them lots to assume about. His thinking was if they have been pondering about him picking a piece of lint off his coat and what it meant they certain were not pondering about their cards.
His process was diversion. And it worked for him. By no means give up a system that works for you.