Do you ever acquire that itch? The itch to bet, to head to the closest gambling house, to locate a superior stakes game of Texas hold em, to sit at a Black-jack table for hours on end. I like that itch. And I like to scratch it.
I also love to watch individuals wager. No two poker faces seem similar. When I gamble I like to believe I put on a poker face that’s impassable. But I know I’ve certain gestures. For one, the only time I smoke is when I bet on poker or Blackjack. And then I chain smoke. But I smoke whether I am winning or losing, whether I have a very good hand or bad.
I once played in the weekly poker game. The game was generally 5 card draw. There was a player who bet with us just about every week who generally wore a hat. When he was dealt a excellent hand, unconsciously, he would begin touching and betting with his hat. Needless to say, he by no means won.
The greatest poker gambler I ever saw was a guy who made more movements and signals at a poker table than anybody I had ever met. He was impressive in the way he dressed. Constantly an high-priced suit and tie, shoes shined and nails trimmed. He was meticulous in this manner. And he was often brushing his pants or holding his hands or stacking his chips in neat little piles.
I use to analyze him for hours on end. I would tried to see if I could spot his tell. Selecting lint off his vest- did this imply he was bluffing? Arranging his chips in a short pile – did this imply he had a beneficial hand?
Years later I ran into him within a bar in Philly and we had a drink. I asked him if he had been aware of all those actions he produced or if they were unconscious. He informed me that just about every individual thing he did at a poker table was intentional. He said that everybody is constantly checking out everyone else’s poker face. They are trying to spot the the tell.
So his technique was to provide them lots to assume about. His thinking was if they have been thinking about him choosing a piece of fuzz off his vest and what it meant they positive were not thinking about their cards.
His technique was distraction. And it worked for him. Never give up a program that operates for you.