Real Casinos> Gambling Articles > The Art of the Poker Face The Art of the Poker Face - Keeping Your Emotions in Check
Competition and emotion gohand-in-hand. When a person wantssomething badly enough, every part of their being is involved in gettingit. The spirit of competition can bringout greed, jealousy, pride, and anger, which can either fuel the fire ofdetermination, or be detrimental to achieving the desired effect in any game:winning. And when the game you’replaying is poker, emotions left unchecked are bad news. After all, there’s a reason that the term“poker face” was coined; the ability to be – or at least, appear to be – unfazed by your circumstances is a desirabletrait. Not only does it make thespecifics of your situation less obvious to the other players, but it helps tokeep your decision-making skills sharp.
Even the slightest bit ofirritation can cloud your judgment, leading you to make decisions based more onfeeling than on rational thought. In hispoker dictionary, Daniel Kimberg, author of SeriousPoker, says, “… even good players are often tempted to do things they knoware bad ideas when they get frustrated, angry, or upset for any reason. They go‘on tilt.’ Sort of like a pinballmachine, except with pinball it only costs you a quarter. Typical tilt play ismuch too looseand often very aggressive,because a player on tilt wants very badly to win a pot, and isn't rationalenough to wait for cards that are worth playing or situations that are worthattacking.” Of course,it’s ridiculous to assume that we can do anythingwe are passionate about and be completely devoid of emotion. But it’s important to learn how to keep thosefeelings under tight control rather than letting them spill over and have apotentially negative effect on how we play. This is an art form that takes practice, but once you master it, youwill notice a marked improvement in your game. Firstthings first: you must accept that you aren’t going to win every hand, and thatin fact, you’ll probably lose more hands than you win. Setting unrealistic standards for yourselfcan lead to major disappointments, and eventually, a drastically decreasedsense of self-confidence. Learn to keepthings in perspective, and look at the big picture rather than analyzing eachloss or victory independently; you’ll likely see a much better overall image.
The ability to keep a positiveattitude, and not let losses and setbacks drag you down, is an essential partof being a successful poker player. Ifyou do happen to take a beating – which, inevitably, you will – do your best tobrush it off. Dwelling on it will onlytake much-needed focus away from the next hand. Don’t concentrate on things that have already happened, especiallyduring a game; it’s a waste of energy to worry about things that can’t bechanged, so simply accept the defeat and keep looking ahead. Visualization can be a goodtechnique to use. Though it may sound abit silly, it’s worth a try; you may actually respond very well to such amethod. If you’re having trouble shakingoff a bad beat, take a second to visualize yourself in a boat sailing smoothlythrough rough waters, passing through turbulent waves (i.e., problems) ascalmly as if you’re floating above them. Or mentally put your frustration or anger into a bubble and “watch” asit blows away. It may take a few triesto find an image that works for you, but overcoming disappointments might justbe easier with a visual aid. While the focus of these tips isprimarily on dealing with and concealing negative emotions, it’s worthmentioning that you should be equally careful about handling your positiveemotions as well. The definition of“poker face” is “A face lacking any interpretable expression” – not just “a face lacking any negative expression.” Always keep in mind that your opponents arewatching you for the slightest signs that could inadvertently reveal what kindof hand you’re holding. If you’re reallyconcerned that your facial expressions could betray you, try the popular methodof sporting a hat and/or a pair of dark shades. A player’s eyes can reveal a lot, and the reverse psychological aspectof poker is tricky; if someone avoids your eyes, the universal symbol of lowconfidence, he probably actually has a good hand and is trying to set atrap. If someone stares you down, it’slikely that he’s worried about his own hand and is trying to intimidate youinto folding. These subtle, seeminglycontradictory gestures are obvious to astute poker players, and if you can’tkeep yourself from doing them, wearing sunglasses may help alleviate theproblem. The importance of reigning inyour emotions is summed up nicely by Mike Sexton, professional poker player andauthor of the book Shuffle Up and Deal:“You can’t control luck, but you can control how you react to it. That’s askill in and of itself. Maintaining your composure at the table is a skill youhave to learn.” |
