Psychological Poker

By Rod Dietrich
9-05-06

I really hate the expression that someone “has a good poker face.” It’s so common now that people don’t expect you to react when you have something good happen to you during the course of a hand. The term “poker face” is so universally understood that beginner players tend to over act when they get their cards on the flop, apparently showing their “reverse poker face.” They say silly things to try and shake people off the scent, come across as a downtrodden, beaten card player who can’t catch a break. I’ve even seen it in the pros; people overacting trying to sell their losing hand when they really know that they’ve got everyone else beat. Everyone’s got a poker face. Big deal.  If you don't think you have a great poker face, then you should be playing on FullTiltPoker.com where nobody will ever see your face.

Another term that has grown into a pop culture phenomenon is the word “tell.” As mainstream as this term has become, the ability to recognize the tells of other players is the more valuable skill at a poker table. Forget about your poker face, the trick is to hide your tells and recognize those of your opponents. This skill in and of itself is valuable enough but it will also lead you into other skills that will help you win at any level.

We’ll start with hiding your own tells and how to do it. The truth is, you probably have no idea what your tells are otherwise you wouldn’t have them. I have found that, since I don’t really know what my tells are, it’s effective to find ways to distract people from them. The goal is to keep the other players guessing. Try this one, every once in a while just tell them what you’ve got. Let me elaborate. Rewinding a bit, as a rule, I comment on the flop cards about every third or fourth hand. If there’s a straight draw for example, I just subtly mention which cards would complete the straight. The other players saw it as quickly as you did and they don’t need you to point it out, but you just want to throw it out there, talk about it. What this does is gets a couple of other players looking at you, trying to figure out what you’ve got. If this happens, you are on your way. This is the psychological side of poker where there is much to be accomplished. Let’s go back to the flop cards. I mentioned that I like to comment on the flop from time to time. There will come a time when the cards that complete the straight or the flush or whatever the draw is are the cards in your hand. There is nothing wrong with letting everyone know right then that you’ve got them. Keep in mind, on a flop of mixed suits four, six and three, I’m not necessarily suggesting that you announce that you have a two and a five. I am suggesting that you mention that a two-five hand would be a nice hand right about now. Or better yet, just tell them straight out that you’ve got the two and the five. Who’s going to believe you anyway? I like that move just fine, especially if you are confident that you have the best hand. If you end up winning the hand with what you said you had, you look like you can win even if you tell the other players what you’ve got. The worst thing that can happen when you start trying to throw people off your scent is to get caught bluffing or to get beat when you admit to having a particular hand. Don’t get caught and don’t get beat. If you see this coming, fold. Don’t show the cards.

In my school of poker, your advantage is one hundred percent psychological. The less they know about your cards, the better. The more you beat them straight up, the better. If you win a hand straight up and then they beat you on the very next hand because you fold, you are still the winner. People will soon start throwing in chips because they want you to prove that you have the better hand and the pots will get bigger.