Do you ever have that itch? The itch to gamble, to head to the nearest gambling establishment, to discover a good stakes game of Texas holdem, to sit at a Twenty-one table for hours on end. I like that itch. And I like to scratch it.
I also like to watch men and women gamble. No two poker faces seem alike. When I wager I like to believe I put on a poker face that is impenetrable. But I know I have particular gestures. For one, the only time I smoke cigarettes is when I wager on poker or Black jack. And then I smoke. But I chain smoke whether or not I am winning or losing, whether or not I’ve a excellent hand or bad.
I once wagered in a weekly poker game. The game was constantly five card draw. There was a player who bet with us each and every week who constantly wore a hat. When he was given a excellent hand, subconsciously, he would start touching and wagering with his hat. Pointless to say, he never won.
The very best poker gambler I ever saw was a man who manufactured more movements and gestures at a poker table than anyone I had ever seen. He was impeccable in the way he dressed. Often an costly suit and tie, footwear shined and nails trimmed. He was fastidious in this manner. And he was usually brushing his pant leg or rubbings his hands or putting his chips in neat little piles.
I use to study him for long periods of time. I would tried to see if I could spot his tell. Choosing fuzz off his jacket- did this mean he was bluffing? Arranging his chips in a very short pile – did this mean he had a very good hand?
Several years later I ran into him in the bar in Chicago and we had a beverage. I asked him if he were aware of all those actions he created or if they had been unconscious. He informed me that each and every single thing he did at a poker table was intentional. He said that everyone is generally checking out everyone else’s poker face. They’re trying to notice the the tell.
So his technique was to provide them lots to believe about. His reasoning was if they were pondering about him selecting a piece of lint off his shirt and what it meant they sure weren’t pondering about their cards.
His method was distraction. And it worked for him. Never give up a system that operates for you.