by Al Sousa (site owner)
Each poker player has their own method of handling themselves at
a table. In this article I will go over several ideas of table behavior,
their advantages, and disadvantages.
A general notion is that you want yourself confident, focused,
and fearless at the table. You want your opponents doubting themselves,
fearing you, weak, and predictable. Find what makes you play your
best and exploit it.
Superstition and Good Luck Charms: Many players
bring some sort of item that they feel brings them good luck or
a sense of well being. This item can be anything from family pictures
to a lucky card holder. Does it work? Well positive focus is a good
thing a player can have at a table. If an item brings you this focus
then by all means bring it. If it makes you feel confident use it.
Anything that makes you feel comfortable at a table is an advantage.
Silence: This is a very easy style to control
at a table. It reveals less information to your opponents and allows
you to stay calm and focusing on what others are doing. It is easy
to use silence to establish a single pattern of play so your opponents
do not pick up on any tells. When you bet a big hand or a bluff
it is in the same way and motion. I suggest this style for newer
players.
Chris Ferguson and Hoyt Corkins are players who exhibit this behavior.
Their silence reveals little about their state of mind and play.
In fact Hoyt wears earplugs to shut out noise from his environment.
Antagonizing: This behavior requires a very strong
ego and self confidence to do well. A player uses their mouth and
body language to attack other players. They insult them, tease them,
belittle them, dare them to make mistakes. The best players do this
without crossing the fine line that can get them in serious trouble.
The general idea to this behavior is to make your opponents mad,
frustrated, or "out to get you". This increases the chance
that they will make a serious mistake or a serious of smaller mistakes.
Each mistake escalates the next having the opponents lose their
mind and money at the same time. One set back to this method, I
feel, is that it makes you more prone to tilt. Since you are exhibiting
negative behavior you are more prone to it. Some players using this
tactic are otherwise very nice people away from the table, others
do it because it is in their personality to be a bully and take
personal enjoyment out of it.
Mike Matusow is an example of a player who exhibits this type
of behavior and does it very well. Even though he is always shooting
off his mouth at the table I feel he never goes beyond the line
that gets him in trouble. He does walk the line though.
Expressive: This behavior uses your emotions as
a tool to make others think you are giving off a different sign
then you are. Using this tactic takes extreme confidence in yourself,
time, and opponents who are observant. A player might give off a
tell combined with a betting pattern for a while then use it in
the opposite sense to steal a pot or trap with a huge hand. They
can give off so many confusing signs that other players don't know
what to do increasing their chance of a mistake. This behavior is
very difficult to perform since it requires concentration and observation
of your actions and other's responses. But if using this tactic
confuses your opponents to the point of frustration it can be very
beneficial. Opponents will bluff or pay off a hand when they shouldn't.
Scotty Nguyen is an excellent example of a player who can use his
expressive personality to make other players do what he wants. He
can make players fold a hand with just a few words by either saying
the truth or a lie. Note that his actions are neither antagonizing
or friendly.
Friendly: This behavior is similar to the expressive
behavior but it is much more in a positive way. This player uses
their charm to lull opponents into mistakes. They compliment others
on good play and basically gets the table to like him or her. Why
is this behavior a good tactic? It establishes itself on a deep
psychological level within your opponents. A player using this positive
and friendly tactic is less prone to tilt because it keeps a positive
attitude within themselves. A good nature makes one feel good and
it returns good feeling from others that are exposed to your positive
ways. This tactic establishes a likeable image at the table. Other
players will be less likely to bluff, trick, or go up against you.
It allows you to bluff more since players don't want to go up against
"the nice guy". Other players will show you their hands
since you are the table buddy. Poker is a social game and many players
enjoy this aspect. It makes other players calm but at the same time
more passive and willing to share information or fold winning hands.
Annie Duke and Daniel Negreanu are players who use this tactic
to its best effect. Both are real friendly at a table. How can anyone
not like either player. They diffuse hostile situations and calm
others down. Their friendly attitude draws out behavior from other
players that give away the strength of their hand.
EXAMPLE: In an interview with Annie Duke I saw,
she detailed how another player told her to fold her hand in a pot
because he already had a flush and was beating her. He showed her
the hand and she folded saving her chips in the WSOP. Her flirtation
and friendly style made this opponent like her so much he made a
major mistake.
Which Style is Best?: Each player must decide
which tactic is best for themselves based on their personality.
None are wrong and each have their advantages.
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