Poker Strategy: Preparing Your Poker Face for Prosperity
When practicing for your poker face there are a few pertinent preparations that you should implement. An unprepared poker face usually precedes peril when speaking of poker. The following prescription for an unparalleled poker face will lead you down the path to present prosperity, all you have to do is perform these four preparations and you will appall your opponents with your plastic-like face and your pile of poker chips.
Step 1: Learn To Control Your Smile
Most people have not found the skills necessary to control their smile. When you are trying to perfect a winning poker face you have to focus on your ability to control your smile. There are times during the course of a poker game that your hand will make you want to grin uncontrollably when you see what people are betting. You will know that they have no chance of winning and that they are just throwing their money away. In this situation you have to be able to control your smile. Smile too much and people will start to feel a sense of urgency when it comes to folding out of the hand. The more people fold when you have a winning hand, the less money you will walk away with.
Step 2: Learn To Control Your Frown
Frowns can also ruin a hand. It may be that you don’t have much but the players across from you don’t have much in their hands either. If you let them know with your frown that you have nothing, they will be more likely to stick the hand out and see what comes of it. Don’t give a bad hand away, ever, just ride it out and fold if it seems wise. Even when you fold, however, do not frown and let everyone know that you had a terrible hand. It doesn’t take a terrible hand to lose; it just takes slightly better hand to win. Maybe you had a great hand but thought that the other player had something a little better. Don’t let any information out by frowning. If you do then the next time you frown, everyone will know that you have nothing and are bluffing. They will keep raising the pot and you will inevitably lose more money.
Step 3: Don’t Fidget
Most players have a telltale sign that they have a great hand or that they are bluffing. These signs will sometimes be in the form of smiling or frowning, as was discussed earlier, but most often they will be something physical that you will do. One of the common things that people will do is scratch their faces when they have a great hand. They will often wring their hands or fidget with jewelry when they are trying to bluff. Don’t do these or any other giveaways; it will ruin your chance of winning.
Step 4: Don’t Sit Too Still
A lot of times, in an effort to rid themselves of any signs that they have a good hand, people will sit like statues at the poker table. Sitting rigid and stiff, not talking, and staring at your cards is also a great way to let everyone at the table know that something is up. Now granted, sitting suspiciously still doesn’t necessarily give away what you have in your hand as easily as laughing or scratching your face, but it does tip everyone off that something is going on. Stay loose, stay normal, and you will be fine.
Step 5: Just Relax
Relaxing is the key to controlling your body language. Simply being able to sit still or not sit too still will still look unnatural. You have to be able to act normal, as though this is the regular routine and nothing is out of the ordinary. Looking anxious, nervous, excited, or thrilled will only end in people not doing what you would like them to do, that is, give you their poker chips. Take deep breaths, get comfortable, and calm down. When you are calm and relaxed you will be an unreadable enigma, not one single person will be able to crack your code. When that happens, you can consider yourself a winner.
Summary
Poker is a challenging game that is mastered by very few individuals. It is not that it is so hard to understand how the game works; rather, it is actually playing the game that is so tough. Being able to keep secret the contents of your hand until you throw them on the table in victory is the only way to find success in the game of poker. Being able to control your emotions and actions enough so that people are enticed to throw more money when they shouldn’t or fold when they have the winning hand is what separates the masters from the amateurs. If you want to wallow in mediocrity, by all means, disregard these five steps. If you plan on retiring soon and setting off on the World Poker Tour, these five simple steps are your ticket to freedom!