Psychology and Body Language When Playing Poker
Psychology and Body Language When Playing Poker
Popular perception says poker is a combination of skill and luck. Yet some experts say the contrary, poker is not a game of luck, odds or even if you have the best hand at the table. They suggest it is all about psychology and the ability to push your opponents to submission via intimidation and strong play. Having the ability to play like you are holding the nuts (the strongest hand possible) when in actual fact you are drawing dead (lose even if you hit on the draw). This means knowing the right time to bet strongly and show no weakness.
In order to play good poker it is important to have your own technique, but it is also important to be aware of what your opponents are doing, and their strategies and gambling styles. You sometimes have to adapt your style to combat the style of your opponent. Mixing your play is also good, the last thing you want to do is become predictable as other players will exploit this. Keep check of your body language and watch out for the body language of others. When playing try to memorise what cards you have rather than keep looking at them, by continually picking up your cards it will appear to your opponents that you have nothing and they may use this to their advantage.
One way to improve your game is to get your camcorder out and record yourself playing, it may sound a bit wacky and probably best to record yourself with a few good friends, explain why you are doing it and when you start beating them every time they will soon want to record themselves too. Playback the video the next day or so and critically examine your game play. You will be amazed at the things you notice about your play and body language. Once you establish your weaknesses you can work to improve them, creating that expressionless poker face many of us seek.
Once you are happy you are controlling your body language the next step it to pick up the body language of others, the sooner the better and ideally at the beginning of the game. You want to get used to observing other players movements and associate the movements to the strength of certain hands. For example if your opponent sits very still during hands which they fold, and then start moving around with another hand, you can assume the player may have a strong hand, meaning it is unwise to bluff. The more you monitor body language the better you will become.
Popular perception says poker is a combination of skill and luck. Yet some experts say the contrary, poker is not a game of luck, odds or even if you have the best hand at the table. They suggest it is all about psychology and the ability to push your opponents to submission via intimidation and strong play. Having the ability to play like you are holding the nuts (the strongest hand possible) when in actual fact you are drawing dead (lose even if you hit on the draw). This means knowing the right time to bet strongly and show no weakness.
In order to play good poker it is important to have your own technique, but it is also important to be aware of what your opponents are doing, and their strategies and gambling styles. You sometimes have to adapt your style to combat the style of your opponent. Mixing your play is also good, the last thing you want to do is become predictable as other players will exploit this. Keep check of your body language and watch out for the body language of others. When playing try to memorise what cards you have rather than keep looking at them, by continually picking up your cards it will appear to your opponents that you have nothing and they may use this to their advantage.
One way to improve your game is to get your camcorder out and record yourself playing, it may sound a bit wacky and probably best to record yourself with a few good friends, explain why you are doing it and when you start beating them every time they will soon want to record themselves too. Playback the video the next day or so and critically examine your game play. You will be amazed at the things you notice about your play and body language. Once you establish your weaknesses you can work to improve them, creating that expressionless poker face many of us seek.
Once you are happy you are controlling your body language the next step it to pick up the body language of others, the sooner the better and ideally at the beginning of the game. You want to get used to observing other players movements and associate the movements to the strength of certain hands. For example if your opponent sits very still during hands which they fold, and then start moving around with another hand, you can assume the player may have a strong hand, meaning it is unwise to bluff. The more you monitor body language the better you will become.
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