Why do Poker Players Lie?

I know that Lying is a pivotal skill in Poker... but why do poker players need to carry that skill over to conversations off the felt.

My all-time favorite poker lie goes like this:

"I didn't cash any of the WSOP or WPT events... but I made it all back in the cash games."

BS... how many donkeys / chip bleeders are in these cash games. I've never, ever, ever, met someone who admitted to loosing their tail at a WSOP, WPT, or circuit event. For God sakes... Million dollar prize pools just don't materialize out of no-where.

I would like to hear your opinions on why so many players not only bluff at the table... but try to "bluff" us all off the truth in other aspects of their life/ poker issues.

Where's the honesty.... I'm on this post to get realistic and honest feedback from winners AND loosers.

I'll start... I lost my tail at the MGM in Vegas playing like a quazi-donkey this last weekend because I knew I was better than everyone at my talbe. Unfortunately I didn't adjust for the tempo of the game and all the calling stations. And... all my college football picks except for Washington didn't come through.

[soko]

[ QUOTE ]
I know that Lying is a pivotal skill in Poker... but why do poker players need to carry that skill over to conversations off the felt.

My all-time favorite poker lie goes like this:

"I didn't cash any of the WSOP or WPT events... but I made it all back in the cash games."

BS... how many donkeys / chip bleeders are in these cash games. I've never, ever, ever, met someone who admitted to loosing their tail at a WSOP, WPT, or circuit event. For God sakes... Million dollar prize pools just don't materialize out of no-where.

I would like to hear your opinions on why so many players not only bluff at the table... but try to "bluff" us all off the truth in other aspects of their life/ poker issues.

Where's the honesty.... I'm on this post to get realistic and honest feedback from winners AND loosers.

I'll start... I lost my tail at the MGM in Vegas playing like a quazi-donkey this last weekend because I knew I was better than everyone at my talbe. Unfortunately I didn't adjust for the tempo of the game and all the calling stations. And... all my college football picks except for Washington didn't come through.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't understand, lose their tail? Are you saying that anyone who wins in the cash games has at the very least get in the money in any major event?

What I mean is that there has to be some loosers...

People don't spend thousands of dollars on tournament entry fees... maybe tens of thousands... never cash one of these events... then keep their composure and make it all up in the "cash games".

To hear anyone tell their WSOP story... they lost $10,000 in tournament buy-ins... but immediately sat down with some of the best players in the world and won it all back at cash games.

The real root of my question is this. Do poker players have some inherent trait that makes us want to lie? even away from the felt?

[soko]

It is said that Richard Nixon financed his first campaign for public office with poker winnings. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[elmo]

poker players have the same reasons as non-poker players to lie... and both groups do it regularly

[soko]

You might get better responces in the psychology fourm?

Psychology Forum (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=psych)

[UATrewqaz]

Denial is at the heart of all gambling (see Schoomaker's book Physcology of Poker or whatever).

People play -EV games in denial, they convince themselves they can win.

People who lose at poker are also in denial, they aren't bad, they are just unlucky and they "pretty much break even".

The human brain is amazingly selective in what it chooses to remember. Life is better when you remember good things (the first girl you banged, that time you found $100 in the street, that time you hit the perfect card and won a huge pot) and chooses to not remember the bad.

[Vincent Lepore]

[ QUOTE ]
"I didn't cash any of the WSOP or WPT events... but I made it all back in the cash games."


[/ QUOTE ]


That's not a lie! [ QUOTE ]
"I didn't cash any of the WSOP or WPT events ever.. but Im the best player on the circuit."


[/ QUOTE ] "

Now that's a lie! But in the words of "The Chopper" (local Car Dealer). "Dat's what we doos!"

Vince

[pudley4]

[ QUOTE ]
I know that Lying is a pivotal skill in Poker... but why do poker players need to carry that skill over to conversations off the felt.

My all-time favorite poker lie goes like this:

"I didn't cash any of the WSOP or WPT events... but I made it all back in the cash games."

BS... how many donkeys / chip bleeders are in these cash games. I've never, ever, ever, met someone who admitted to loosing their tail at a WSOP, WPT, or circuit event. For God sakes... Million dollar prize pools just don't materialize out of no-where.

I would like to hear your opinions on why so many players not only bluff at the table... but try to "bluff" us all off the truth in other aspects of their life/ poker issues.

Where's the honesty.... I'm on this post to get realistic and honest feedback from winners AND loosers.

I'll start... I lost my tail at the MGM in Vegas playing like a quazi-donkey this last weekend because I knew I was better than everyone at my talbe. Unfortunately I didn't adjust for the tempo of the game and all the calling stations. And... all my college football picks except for Washington didn't come through.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's because most people recognize poker as a game of skill. So if they admit they lost (or didn't win), in their mind they're admitting they aren't skilled at poker. And no one likes to admit they suck at something, especiallly when it involves money.

[Lash]

I sit here and lie to myself all the time. To deal with those lies is just a matter of not running away from your problems… or so I’m told. Then in the future you will only have to lie to yourself… nobody else. Hold yourself accountable… confront… and move on.

[Lash]

Yes… poker players are human… with ego. An ego that is an integral part of their game and as a poker player… I know that I personally want to see myself in a good light through others perceptions of me…. Is that so wrong? A little outside validation for who you are? You can’t sit there and just go through life saying I’m right, and that’s all that matters.

but don't you think that some honesty would be good to develop good skills or change the bad habbits

[Lash]

Yes, I do, but I also think that at the heart of every players game is the need to hang onto something brilliant in their play, something flashy etc. That defined the game for them early on. So what if you get in there and abuse some odds and abuse reality a little bit, it's fun to be unique...

Bad habits?

I don't lie away from the felt.

Table image.

[ QUOTE ]
What I mean is that there has to be some loosers...

People don't spend thousands of dollars on tournament entry fees... maybe tens of thousands... never cash one of these events... then keep their composure and make it all up in the "cash games".



To hear anyone tell their WSOP story... they lost $10,000 in tournament buy-ins... but immediately sat down with some of the best players in the world and won it all back at cash games.

The real root of my question is this. Do poker players have some inherent trait that makes us want to lie? even away from the felt?

[/ QUOTE ]

Many of these players got in on satellites so they didn't come close to losing $10,000.

Why do fisherman lie? They always say they catch more fish than they do, and the fish they do catch are bigger than they really are.

[ QUOTE ]
What I mean is that there has to be some loosers...

[/ QUOTE ]

You mean losers

[nomadtla]

[ QUOTE ]
but don't you think that some honesty would be good to develop good skills or change the bad habbits

[/ QUOTE ]

I want to sit down at a table of nothing but liars personally because as UA said it's part of the denial of bad players who "pretty much break even". Away from the felt I am honest about my winnings 1.5 BB/100 because though they are not as good as I'd like I know that denying them does not help me become a winning player.

read Schoonmaker's Psychology of poker. And learn to love the liars because they probably make your money.

I believe the pros like Greenstein and Brunson have been making a killing at WSOP side games for a long time.

There have been several great suggestions, but the answer to the question is really quite simple. The answer is they lie for the same reason men buy sportscars...you know, to compensate for something.....