Blushing and poker

Johnny Richter · #1 03-31-2005, 11:21 AM

So this past weekened i was heading out to play poker at my local casino and a buddy of mine asked if he could tag along. He wanted to give live play a try seeing as how he has only ever played online. Well, to shorten the content, the entire time we played that night he was flush red in the face. After we left if i asked him if he was really nervous playing, and though he could be blowing smoke up my ass, he said no he didn't feel he was and asked me why. Well to me, not really knowing much about what causes it in general, assumed that blushing relates to being nervous. Has anyone had a problem with constant blushing (poker or otherwise)? Does it go away with spending more time the tables? What kind of feelings/emotions cause being flush in the face in general? If you've seen someone like this at a table you've played at, what kind of table image does it put off? And finnaly is there ways to counter-act it? I was just looking for a general discussion about the topic. Comments appreciated.

einbert · #2 03-31-2005, 11:26 AM

If he's constantly blushing most people are going to realize that to some extent and not think "oh he's blushing now! He must have a really good hand!"

If people tend to fold to him more often or call him down more often than they normally would because of the blushing, just exploit the tendency by either bluffing more or value betting more thinly against those people.

Kaz The Original · #3 03-31-2005, 12:27 PM

This was this old granny rock at my table once, who never bluffed, and then once on the turn, she bet, someone raised, she folded really quickly and blushed.

Not really related, I know, but she was a bitch.

Johnny Richter · #4 03-31-2005, 12:40 PM

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Not really related, I know, but she was a bitch.

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haha good to know kaz [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Pinga · #5 03-31-2005, 12:41 PM

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Has anyone had a problem with constant blushing (poker or otherwise)?

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Yes. I have this same issue.

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Does it go away with spending more time the tables?

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Never been to a B&M so I don't know. I have thought about whether or not this will bust me.

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What kind of feelings/emotions cause being flush in the face in general?

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Stress in general but I suspect in my case it is when I am thinking hard. Several people have asked me about this tendency in business meetings. It is often read by others as anger, right or wrong.

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And finnaly is there ways to counter-act it?

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I don't think so, but I haven't really tried. I would say it's only productive to try if it had a negative impact on his game. If he blushes every time he gets a big pair or something that would be bad.

If it's a constant thing it's probably no big deal. People might think he's been drinking.

Johnny Richter · #6 03-31-2005, 12:56 PM

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Stress in general but I suspect in my case it is when I am thinking hard.

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I never thought about the thinking hard theory. That makes some sense to me.

Bodhi · #7 03-31-2005, 02:00 PM

People sometimes blush for no apparent reason, too. Maybe the temperature caused him to blush; maybe he had on a new shirt and the fibers irritated his skin; maybe he's taking some kind of mediciation... I don't know.

Of course, it's also likely that he was simply excited and the adrenaline was pumping.

I don't think it will hurt his table image, because if he's always blushing then it's not a tell. Better yet, like someone else said, others might think he's drunk.