quiet

[Tommy Angelo]

Recently I played a few days in a row during the daytime and evening at Lucky Chances. I haven’t been playing there all that much in the last year, and when I do, it’s almost always in the morning. So during these day sessions, I ran into lots of friends I had not seen for a while.

The typical questions I got asked were, “Where you been? How you doing?”

My stock reply was, “I got married and I am currently living happily ever after.”


I’d like to talk about talking. When I observe the changes in my poker game, starting all the way back in high school, right up until now, I see a gradual decrease in the number of words I speak while seated at a poker table. It used to be I’d never shut up. Thirty years later and now I never speak up. It’s not because I lost my tongue. And it’s not because I bite my tongue. It’s because I’ve already said everything there is to say at a poker table, a million times, a million ways.

On day three at LC I was back into the local loop to where I was no longer exchanging Hey-good-to-see-you-again’s with most of the staff and some of the players. I was sitting there, playing mum poker, when a buddy of mine who I hadn’t seen in a while sat down in the game. He saw me and he revved up. “Hey Tommy! How you been lately?”

The guy sitting next to me spoke up on my behalf and replied, “He's been quiet.”

[La Brujita]

Congrats on getting married.

One thing I have noticed in the last few years (and its not like I am exactly a poker veteran) is that the tenor of table talk has changed a bit. People are quicker to criticize the play of others, at least in my limited experience.

I think it is the internet players changing the game.

[StacysMom]

I hate playing live for many reasons, one of whcih is having to listen to what donks think about poker. I toss on my Ipod, and ignore everyone. You are not alone in you quietness.

[goofball]

The amount I say at the table varies a HUGE amount depending on my mood. Usually I talk a lot, but once in a whiel I'm very quiet. The thing is though I enjoy talking to the tourists and fish most of the time. Sure you have to listen to their "I felt it coming" speeches and the like, but remember that does actually help you tell if they are a fish or not. It's fun to promote gambling at the table too. "Jesus christ, have we had an 8 on every flop? from now I'm on playing every 8 I get."

[Dantes]

I usually equate quiet with going broke.

[andyfox]

"It used to be I’d never shut up. Thirty years later and now I never speak up. It’s not because I lost my tongue. And it’s not because I bite my tongue. It’s because I’ve already said everything there is to say at a poker table, a million times, a million ways."

Hmm. I suppose you've had the "same" conversation a million times--the weather, politics, the ballgame, the election. But you're a more interesting person, and a more interested person, than you've ever been. Maybe, in the old days, you were only a good listener when you were doing the talking. Now you're a great listener even when nobody's doing the talking.

Some here say that, for you, the three most important things in poker are position, position, and position. Maybe you've discovered that the three most important things for you are position, position, and focus?

[Tommy Angelo]

"I toss on my Ipod, and ignore everyone. You are not alone in your quietness."

Interesting. In your mode of quietness, the sound volume of the game goes down, and you ignore everyone. In my mode of quietness, the volume goes up, and I ignore no one.

Overall, if you play well, your bottom line wont change much whether you talk or not, but I think its good for the game if you can talk a little, make people laugh a little and so on as long as this doesnt compromise your focus. When I play "real life" poker It is very important to me that the recreational player is happy to see me even when they know I play well. When this type of player is happy to see me in their game cuz they know they are gonna have a more fun and relaxed time, then I know I'm doing my job.

[Victor]

[ QUOTE ]
I hate playing live for many reasons, one of whcih is having to listen to what donks think about poker. I toss on my Ipod, and ignore everyone. You are not alone in you quietness.

[/ QUOTE ]

listening to players is the easiest way to get reads. ppl love to tell you how they play and why. its an acceptance thing.

[Eric P]

I think it's good to be able to do both. Obviously everyone is just going to do what they are most comfortable with. But if I put a bad beat on someone, i'm much more likely to then start talking and ribbing the guy. When I want to, it seems like I am able to put half a table on tilt without actually doing anything out of line myself.

I also lie about hands constantly and appear honest. Does anyone think this is wrong to do? Talking for me is a lot more fun, but I also occasionally switch it up and become very quite, especially after a bad beat I take, I like to become quite and make it seem like I'm just tilting to myself. Does anyone else do this sort of image projection? I don't play very high (10-20,15-30, occasionally 20-40) but at this level most people can't see though this, and even if they do, it doesn't matter because i'm mainly just trying to be annoying.