Chip Tricks Rant

[UATrewqaz]

95% of the reason alot of "new" players play poker is because they can live out some trite fantasy of being a high stakes, ultra cool poker hustler.

Thus the sunglasses/hood/chip shuffling/staredowns at the 2/4 limit hold em table.

In other words they aren't playing for the poker or even to win money. It's like baseball fantasy camp, only with Poker.

Basically they are playing make-believe.... which is fine because players like this, however annoying, rarely play good poker.

[Xelent]

I shuffle chips b/c I have ADD and some OCD, and a lot of poker players have characteristics of these disorders which make them shuffle to calm the nervous system.

[daryn]

i disagree with you, but i thought this was pretty top notch material:

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe you'd like it if next time youre waiting on me to make a big decision in a pot against you, you look over and Ive decided to put together a model railroad while i think about it.

[/ QUOTE ]

[Smokey_McPot]

Personally I do chiptricks while i play to relax and for fun. I think chiptricks are a separate issue from going hollywood. While annoying that some players posture a lot when its clear what they will do I say let them have it. You'll be spending their money later that night anyway, so why not keep them coming back for more by keeping them happy.

In time you might come to like the sound of chips shuffling, for me its become something akin to the crashing of waves, soothing.

Also its good to keep busy, or at least look busy while observing the play of hands your not in. No point in playing live unless you make use of the inherent advantages of live play, of which I feel chiptricks are one.

[bdohaney]

I tend to shuffle chips constantly... Whether or not I am trying to make a big decision or not. Yeah, if you are playing limit and someone is taking an inordinate amount of time staring you down, shuffling chips, building chip castles, etc. instead of making a decision it is annoying.

i got a poker chip set for free so when i play online im shuffling chips at the same time. i do it because all the cool pro's do it, but i think it became a habit now.

[12AX7]

Yes, I see your point. But funny thing... years ago when I left Vegas I recall being in the Bellagio poker room and for some reason I recall thinking... "Geez, I'm gonna miss that chip clatter sound."

LOL!

I guess it's just the sound of "action" to me.

[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[varoadstter]

Hey man, you do your thing, I'll do mine. Get the stick out of your ass.

[Ghazban]

I've never seen anybody do chip tricks (other than shuffling, which doesn't really count) while making a decision... and I play mostly NL. People capable of doing chips tricks are usually also decent enough players that they don't need to take 20 minutes to figure out what they're going to do.