Keeping a Poker Face

[dlk9s]

I don't have much experience live, but one thing that I've heard works pretty well (and I try it sometimes online) is to count to a certain number before making your move. So, every time it's your turn, count to 5 or something then fold, check, bet, etc. I guess sometimes you'll need more time to think, but if the timing stays consistent, that's one tell that's gone. Plus, the counting will help you concentrate on something other than your reactions.

[mostsmooth]

im sure ill get flamed for this, but id recommend sunglasses
i dont wear them, but i had once or twice
it wont get rid of every tell, but it will make you feel more comfortable in that they wont see your eyes (which you are probably worried about) and you wont be worrying about where to look and how to look and staring and blah blah blah. you can just sit there comfortably and look wherever you want and probably wont fidget (is that a word?) around. fidgeting can be good at times, but you need to get your act in order before you start worrying about false tells imho.
ok flame away!
[img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[TheJunkyardGod]

The best way I figured out how to keep control of my tells (when I first started playing live, I would nearly jump out of my chair when I hit a monster) is to pay attention to one of the many TVs in the place and watch a game.

It takes your mind off the ace high flush you're holding just enough so that you can keep throwing in chips but seem distant enough to be making a bad call/raise.

[bones]

Replay the hand in your head and try to figure out how you could have extracted extra bets. This looks the same, whether you have a monster or a mediocre hand.

[Dan Mezick]

Emitting tells is typically a function of emotional attachment to the outcome of hands. That attachment is often a function of how high you are playing.


Propensity to emote during poker appears to be directly connected to the stakes-to-bankroll ratio and associated risk-of-ruin.

The best "tell management" is highly developed emotional control. Develop a detached attitude and watch your readability begin to fall to near zero.


Keeping per-session risk small relative to your bankroll can remove emotion-based tells from the overall risk equation.



Annie Duke's 30-bet stop-loss rule seems to make sense for most players in poker games with 7 or more players. For short-handed games a somewhat higher number (40 bets, 50 bets) is probably OK.

The 30-bet Rule

[WizardBU]

Great post, doc. (also loved your Myers-Briggs post.)

I think it's been touched upon a couple of times, but I'd like to get everything in one post. Without resorting to subterfuge/camoflauge techniques, I think the best way to avoid giving information away at the table is to develop a routine. If you've ever watched professional golfers play, you'll notice they go through the same routine before every shot. Whether coming off an eagle or double bogey, it allows the golfer to rely on muscle memory and instincts, keeping emotion out of the mix. In a poker game it's the same thing. You want to be mechanical - no changes in the routine. As always, it's a combination of practice and experience. The practice develops your routine; the experience helps it to become second nature. You'll find the more you play (at limits you're comfortable with), the easier it'll be to think more about those high-pressure decisions and less about whether your upper lip is quivering or your heart's about to bust through your chest.

Good luck!
-Dave

[mostsmooth]

just try the sunglasses!!!!

[BadBoyBenny]

It's much easier if I don't watch the cards as they are dealt. I pretty much wait until its my turn to act before looking at what was flopped. I still get a little rush when I hit a monster, but I'm thinking about what everyone else has, so it's not as bad. Also, I always take about time to reconsider what to do even if the decision is obvious.

[PokrLikeItsProse]

I can't keep a strictly expressionless rocklike face. It just feels unnatural. But not all poker faces have to be that way. I try to always be smiling. It disarms opponents who thinking I am a happy-go-lucky kind of guy. It helps keep the game social. It makes me more aware of when I make a facial movement indicating displeasure. It helps me keep a good mood when bad beats inevitably occur.

[Zoltri]

[ QUOTE ]
You want an easy way to hide your tells? Try this it works for me. Pretend like you don't know what is happening at all times.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, but that is exactly the type of tell im looking for.
Thank you Mr. Caro.