Best verbal (or other) psych-outs

[burningyen]

Please post your most effective tricks (or tricks you've heard of) for getting a better hand to fold or a worse hand to call. Scotty Nguyen seems to be particularly good at these mind games ("If you call this it's all over, baby."). I have absolutely nothing like this in my repertoire, so any help would be welcome. I'm primarily interested in tricks that work in live games and tourneys.

[Al_Capone_Junior]

I have found that if you try to psych someone out, it is mostly going to result in their calling you. If you want them to fold, keep your mouth shut. It really doesn't help too much IMO to try this type of tactic, so I am not going to recommend anything.

al

[Dan Mezick]

The classic is as the guy looks like he's gonna fold, you say "you'll need to have the [set, straight, flush, full etc] to play" when in fact the guy needs considerably more than that.

Phil Hellmuth plays this verbal angle often when he holds the nuts or nuts-1, which I often refer to as "the neonuts".

[Cpt Spaulding]

There are no general psych outs that would work on everyone...You need to adjust to thier personality. What I do is show my really great hands when you don't have to show. (when everyone folds). This sticks out in others minds that when you are in a hand you usually have a top 10 hand. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't...Depends on how observant the other players are....Now if you just want to tilt another player...Be a smartass...that can help...but can also hurt if not done right...

[bernie]

The toughest psych-out is a guy who doesn't say or do anything while awaiting your decision.

It's not as cool, but it's the best way.

Edit: although i did use a verbal statement to gain a free card on the turn against a guys set. I named his hand on the flop (2 tone) and said i would slide one off. The 3rd flush card hit, he checked to me, i checked behind. He looked totally confused. The 4th flush card hit, he got an exasperated look on his face and i took it down with a runner flush that beat his flopped set. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

b

ps. Now in golf, Bobby Jones was the master of it. I've used many of his lines in a cutthroat skins game i used to play in. Worked like a charm.

[bunky9590]

Playing 10-20 Borgata
Usual cast of suspects. I'm as usual up decent and have that wicked nasty bet at every opportunity image.
4 limpers to me on the button , I raise with A /images/graemlins/heart.gif T /images/graemlins/heart.gif, Sb folds BB calls limpers call.

Flop comes A /images/graemlins/spade.gif 7 /images/graemlins/heart.gif 2 /images/graemlins/heart.gif
BB best, 2 callers, I raise, BB calls, limpers call.

Turn J /images/graemlins/heart.gif
BB bets, 1 caller, I raise again.

Now, BB is a twenty something kid, PokerStars Hat, sunglasses, you know the deal. Kid takes off his glasses and hat and literally stares me down. I look right back at him and explain to him that its only another 20 and its not for a bracelet.

Kid takes a good 45 seconds and is still staring me down.

Bunky finally blows him a kiss and the kid insta three bets. limper folds, I call.

River brick.

BB bets, I raise, he three bets, I four bet, he calls.

Whoops /images/graemlins/blush.gif
I'm a bad boy.

[burningyen]

LOL!

[bunky9590]

Yeah it was a bit over the top but got me hella amounts of BB out of him on the river.

What a schmuck.

In addition he was gunning for me the rest of the session. Too bad he busted out and didnt have mommy's Star Card.

[sfer]

Bunky r00lz! /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[flair1239]

[ QUOTE ]
Please post your most effective tricks (or tricks you've heard of) for getting a better hand to fold or a worse hand to call. Scotty Nguyen seems to be particularly good at these mind games ("If you call this it's all over, baby."). I have absolutely nothing like this in my repertoire, so any help would be welcome. I'm primarily interested in tricks that work in live games and tourneys.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why don't you just try being a courteous and likeable human being. Possibly by being pleasant and having a good time others will catch on, and as a result good players may become less concerned with playing good and bad players will not mind playing bad.

Instead of trying to invent newer and more effective ways to be irritating, arrogant, and rude; why don't you focus on maybe trying to help somebody have a fun experience.

The vast majority oif players these days play for entertainment. People are willing to pay for entertainment. Help them be entertained and they will happily give their money to you.

[burningyen]

You have a point, but I think you can be playfully subversive without being annoying. A warm fuzzy table is probably less valuable in tourney situations, but don't worry, I have no intention of adopting a hateful poker persona.

Field test report:
In a $5+.50 SnG on UB today I was heads-up in a raised pot with the chip leader. I flopped a set of 6s on a board full of rags. He was 1st to act and bet 1/3 the pot. I gave it a long "think" and went all-in for half of his chips. He in turn thought for a while. I typed "you can't call this." He replied "I shouldn't but I will" and did, with his unpaired AK. That actually started us chatting, and I didn't get any sense that he resented my play. He and I finished #1 and 2 respectively after he administered a couple of funny beats on me, so in the end the good guy won anyway.

[chesspain]

[ QUOTE ]
I named his hand on the flop (2 tone) and said i would slide one off.

[/ QUOTE ]

During a recent 5/10 kill game at Foxwoods, I was seated to the left of a young guy who played a bit too loose preflop but was basically competent post-flop, and was catching a streak of cards to go up approx. 30-40 BBs in less than two hours. In fact, his first big win was when he chased the flop with only backdoor str8 and flush draws despite being caught between UTG's TP and my AA, and then catching his gutterball on the river [Ouch!].

During a hand when the BB (the middle aged blond woman from my "Was I a jerk post?") had the kill button, the kid comes in UTG for an openraise, which causes me to fold 77. It get folded around to both the blinds, who both call. He says to me in a voice loud enough for the others to hear "Talk about respect!"

The flop comes something like 5 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif 8 /images/graemlins/club.gif. The SB bets and the BB raises...the kid thinks...I say "So much for respect"...he thinks some more...I say "you know your red AJ is no good."

He folds, then slides his cards in front of me. I peak to see Q /images/graemlins/heart.gif J /images/graemlins/heart.gif. Funny, I don't remember him going up against me for the rest of the session.

[bunky9590]

Awwww shucks.

Yeah totally tilted that kid right off.

Nobody really messed with me after that one. Was a license to steal $$.

Kid busted out with a made flush on the turn and I had a set. I made the boat on the river and we went 6 bets to put him all in on the river. (I didn't have the nut boat either.) I had 99 on a board of AAJ94


Good times. I'm usually the nice guy at the table. /images/graemlins/blush.gif

[toby]

At a home game tournament, winner take all NL I was heads up at the final table in the small blind with 28 of clubs. I complete and BB checks. He has me covered by a little. The flop is 4 T J rainbow. He moves to bet about a third of his stack but the dealer says, "stop, it's not your turn to act yet." I go all-in. BB thinks for about 15 minutes and finally folds. I flip over my total bluff hand and to say he went on tilt is an understatement. (He had J7s). I took him out several hands later.

[reid savid]

If your waiting for a player to call your all-in bluff pretend to start getting ready to flip your cards over, only works once though.

[MRBAA]

In general, I think this type of stuff is not +EV, certainly not enough to be worth thinking about.

However, I think whatever it takes to keep your head in the game and stay alert while folding most of the hands you're dealt is worthwhile, and that's the real value of table persona.

Hateful shouldn't be an option -- it's not healthy for you or the other players.

Aside from that though, I think a range of styles can work. I'm a talkative sort, and enjoy a bit of verbal give and take. Sometimes I get too caught up in my own b.s., but mostly I think it helps keep me mentally in the game. Other people seem to play better quiet, and they should probably make that their image.

I think it's important to be aware of how others view you and how they are playing (if they are on tilt, stuck, up big, etc.). However I think it's generally counterproductive to get caught up "getting" one or two players who you don't like, or trying to "work" players for extra calls or folds.

I do agree that, in general, talking to someone who's considering whether or not to fold is more likely to get them to call. I've fairly often seen players show one card or talk in an attempt to induce a call.

Another thing to consider, in general this stuff works less well on better players so it probably has less value as you move up.

[kgbwins08]

Verbal psych outs or any other work if you can pull them off. Its such a good feeling knowing that what you say effects an oppenent so much that he second guesses himself constantly. You have to be able to be convincing however, good at lying.
I am usuallly talk to people at the poker table, normal conversation or complete BS. One thing that I dont do, when im bluffing I dont STOP talking.(no talk+no movement=bluff) so I always keep talking. When I have a LOCK hand, I also keep talking. I'll say "you should fold, really. You cant call this." When they do, I show them the winner, so next time i say that they'll think twice. If they call, I show them my hand and tell them they should of listened. It throws them off a little.
If I make a bet with a solid hand, (flush, top two) and I know my opponents hand is weaker, i might tell him im on a draw. If he calls i show him the hand and tell him i was drawing to a full house(with two pair) or a 6 card flush. It gets them tilted, but I usually dont do this because its poor etiquette.
If its just one other player and myself preflop, I might tell him I have a real good hand before the flop (when I actually do). He won't know what to believe. I might even bet blind before the flop hits. He'll usually think Im bluffing, and even if he doesn't you'll still throw him off a little. When you can get your opponent to second guess himself, jus by saying something, you have the advantage. Just rememeber to always remember which tricks you've used, and which opponent you've used them on.

[nothumb]

Only show your bluffs to weak players who are trying to learn, and are thus attempting to become weak-tight. Truly awful players will call anyway and it won't work on good players. This works better live as it is easier to pick them out.

With most other players I like to encourage paranoia. Let them think I had the nuts - if they ask, I'll sometimes say I had 'em.

I think it's better to scare players without talking to them most of the time. The only time I like to say something to embarass or mess with a player is if he is a loose cannon, the rest of the table will appreciate it and it will help me isolate and pick off the nut.

NT

[RydenStoompala]

Lotta war stories, not many lines on this post. I have heard, but never used:
"You call this, your wife will slap you around in front of us."
"How much makeup you have to wear to look that good this late in the game?" (Female player making a decision)
"I should raise you but you're too good to try something this dumb. Second thought, I raise."
"I love it when he hesitates. This is when he realizes he was screwed on the flop."
"It's only money. To you it's a lot of money, but it's only money."

[MtDon]

I think the general advise is to be quiet if you want them to fold (especially if that's your normal way of acting when you don't know whether you want a call or not.) If you want them to call, do something or say something.

Last night, in a 2-6 spread limit holdem game, I had a hand where I had K9 off suit(no heart). The flop was 399, 2 hearts, I bet 6, had one caller. Turn was another heart, I bet 6, he called. River, the Kh, making 4 hearts on the board and me a full house. I bet 6, he hesitated, I said, " I don't have a heart," he called with A3, no heart.

By the way, this is also an example of the general rule of "acting tells:" "Strong means weak, weak means strong!"

Since it looked like he wasn't going to call, I figured I had nothing to lose trying it.

-- Don

[MikeNaked]

Heh, those are teh funnay!

My current fave is employed by my tricky friend. He'll raise, then when a caller tries to reach for his stack, he'll murmur, "caaaareful", usually with raised eyebrow. Could mean anything...seen him show the nuts as well as a stone bluff. I love it.

[27offsuit]

[/ QUOTE ]Why don't you just try being a courteous and likeable human being. Possibly by being pleasant and having a good time others will catch on, and as a result good players may become less concerned with playing good and bad players will not mind playing bad.

Instead of trying to invent newer and more effective ways to be irritating, arrogant, and rude; why don't you focus on maybe trying to help somebody have a fun experience.

The vast majority oif players these days play for entertainment. People are willing to pay for entertainment. Help them be entertained and they will happily give their money to you.

[/ QUOTE ]


Zzzzzzzzz......

[CollegePlayer]

see if you [censored] the guy's girl friend previously, this pyschout works wonders...

[burningyen]

Another $5+.50 SnG on UB. This time I used something similar to what I saw Negreanu do in a WSOP broadcast, when he asked his opponent a question to feign weakness:

I made it to the final 2 of the SnG, and my opponent, who I had covered, bet nearly all-in into a flop of 4JJ when I had 82o. After a pause, I typed "u can't possibly have it, but I can't beat a bluff" and folded. Fast forward a few hands later, when I still had the chip lead. The flop comes 889, and I have Q8. I check, he bets the minimum. I typed "again?", gave it another pause, and called. The turn comes 5, he quickly bets 3/4 of his stack, I pause, and raise him all-in. He calls with 5T and gets no help on the river.

[Cazz]

NLHE tournament.
The chip leader has a big lead on everyone. 2 limpers to the 2nd largest stack who puts in a big raise. The 2nd stack has slightly more than 1/3 of the big stack. The big stack raises enough to put the 2nd largest stack all-in. It is folded back to the second stack who pauses to think.
The big stack says, "You could be chip leader".
The other guy folds instantly.

[SpiderMnkE]

Constantly remind the table in a ring game that you are currently...

CHIP LEEEEAAAADER!!!

I can't think of any specific effect that it has... but is funny as chit to me.

[NUReedy]

You all should check out Phil Gordon's www.tiltboys.com (http://www.tiltboys.com)
The stories are old (95ish) and very long, but well worth the read. Those guys do some really funny stuff. It kept me entertained at an otherwise boring day of work for hours. I just had to watch myself from laughing too loud at some of the parts.

[JimmyV]

[ QUOTE ]
The flop comes 889, and I have Q8. I check, he bets the minimum. The turn comes 5, he quickly bets 3/4 of his stack, I pause, and raise him all-in. He calls with 5T and gets no help on the river.

[/ QUOTE ]

He was drawing a little thin.

[mmbt0ne]

Steeeeeve Perry!!
Dude, I said no more Journey psych-outs.