How can I seem relaxed after monster flops?

[gergery]

I'm pretty new to live play, but what I've been doing is watching my opponent, not the flop. I wear sunglasses so it's not so obvious I'm doing this. That way anyone looking for my reaction has to wait several seconds after the flop comes to see what i think about it.

And you'd be surprised how many people purse their lips, or start staring intently at me, and then sure enough when i look at the flop a scare card has hit.

I also riffle chips continuously, i find the motion helps dissipate some of that nervous energy.

-g

[TripleH68]

It seems to me trying to act calm/indifferent and then raising will give away more information than sitting up and paying attention.

I tend to look at the board and up at my opponents and back at the board as if I am thinking 'how should I play this one?'
What I am really thinking is something more like 'what range of hands are they putting me on?' and 'how do I get the most $$ in the pot?'

Also read Bernie's comments and trust his experience.

Go limp and soil yourself.

Then they will think you just had a stroke.

No one will see it coming when, just as the perimedics are strapping you in, you push all your chips into the pot.

[yvesaint]

Don't bother relaxing after monster flops. Just go crazy after EVERY flop, so they can't tell which one you've hit [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[tonypaladino]

[ QUOTE ]
Go limp and soil yourself.

Then they will think you just had a stroke.

No one will see it coming when, just as the perimedics are strapping you in, you push all your chips into the pot.

[/ QUOTE ]

nh

[bernie]

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What I am really thinking is something more like 'what range of hands are they putting me on?'

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This will also go far in finding out how to get the most money in the pot. Be aware of what else you can be representing. Be aware of how your opponents would play the hand and how they may put you on the hand at a certain point because of this.

See, lots of stuff to take your mind off of it. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

But remember, the pot isn't yours until they push it to you. Lots can happen between the flop and showdown.

b

btw...One common thing I see is betspeed in these cases. Many times I'll see a guy raise or reraise and the person he's raising barely has his chips settling on the felt when he fires his in. It's just so automatic that it's obvious what the guy has.

If you can, in your mind, downplay your hand a bit and bet as if you have a lesser, but good hand. This will also come with time. Note you can also use betspeed in that way for some bluffs. Don't play like your opponents play when you have the same type of hand your opponent would have. (make sense?) I'm talking more body language and such than actual betting. But even some of your opponents will screw up playing a nut hand. Ever see a guy sneakily wait to the turn to come alive and kill his action on a nut hand? Proudly he drags the pot even though he missed a ton of chips.

Just some more stuff to chew on, toss up and see if it sticks.

b

[tek]

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Another good way is to think about how you are going to extract the most from this hand and what is the best way to play it, in the meantime, you should be putting others on ranges of hands.

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ding ding

A few times after I hit monster flops this summer on hands like 63o in the BB and the flop comes 633, I exclaimed "Whoa good thing I have 63o!" or "Ok who was the idiot that folded 63o..."

This makes everyone smile or chuckle, and people will think thats why you are staring at the cards.

When I showdown the hand I would say, with a smile, "I told ya so"

[A_Junglen]

Apparently I have the gift of "no expression" when flopping monsters. I think I'm the only person out of my friends that's flopped quads and not smile the entire time.

Anyways. Just because you've flopped the nuts, or a monster flush/straight draw doesn't mean the hand is over. Just concentrate on playing the hand. You have no reason to be "nervously excited" yet. You haven't won anything yet. Play the hand.

[MustangMarc]

The reason you feel nervous and excited is the anticipation of the expected rewards of winning the hand. Rewards like the fame of adoring fans, the prestige in the eyes of your peers, the lust of poker groupies. Oh, and the $$$.

When you play poker, you should focus on playing good poker, and forget the rewards. Awareness of the rewards will also bring awareness of the risks, and both will cause you to play worse poker.

Renounce the rewards of good play, in order to achieve the ability to play your best.