Do you ever get that itch? The itch to gamble, to head to the nearest betting house, to uncover a great stakes casino game of Texas hold em, to sit at a Blackjack table for hours on end. I like that itch. And I really like to scratch it.
I also like to watch individuals wager. No two poker faces seem equal. When I bet I like to feel I put on a poker face which is impenetrable. Except I know I have particular personal habits. For one, the only time I smoke cigarettes is when I wager on poker or Black-jack. And then I smoke. But I smoke regardless of whether I am succeeding or losing, whether I’ve a good hand or bad.
I once bet in the weekly poker game. The game was always five card draw. There was a player who bet with us every single week who constantly wore a hat. When he was dealt a excellent hand, subconsciously, he would begin touching and betting with his hat. Pointless to say, he in no way won.
The greatest poker gambler I ever saw was a player who manufactured much more movements and gestures at a poker table than anyone I had ever met. He was impressive in the way he dressed. Always an expensive suit and tie, boots shined and nails manicured. He was meticulous in this manner. And he was often brushing his pants or rubbings his hands or stacking his chips in tidy little piles.
I use to study him for hours. I’d attempt to see if I could spot his tell. Selecting fuzz off his vest- did this imply he was bluffing? Stacking his chips in a short pile – did this mean he had a beneficial hand?
Years later I ran into him in a bar in Vegas and we had a beverage. I asked him if he had been aware of all those movements he created or if they were subconscious. He told me that every single little thing he did at a poker table was intentional. He said that everybody is generally checking out everyone else’s poker face. They are trying to detect the the tell.
So his system was to provide them lots to believe about. His thinking was if they have been thinking about him selecting a piece of lint off his jacket and what it meant they sure weren’t pondering about their cards.
His system was distraction. And it worked for him. Never give up a program that operates for you.