Your Poker Persona – Suit of Armor?
Why is that many serious players of the game of poker want to project a stoic persona? Could they be trying to hide their tells by emitting a somber, almost zombie-like presence? They come off as moody and sinister behind those dark glasses and hooded sweatshirts, like maybe they have holsters and a lightning draw ala Wyatt Earp. Do they know how they appear to others, do they care?
There has to be some reason for their intimidating, arrogant persona. They may be attempting to confuse and frighten their opponents, to keep them from challenging their play (and wallets). Or it may be they have taken on this image because they lack the wit to come up with any other. If you truly are a sinister intimidating bully, then this persona may work for you. Most who try to pull this off look like they themselves are scared and have gone into hiding.
If you have not carefully considered the actual benefits of your image, I am not sure how effective the bully persona finally is. Even if somewhat an effective deterrent – and it is likely to work on somebody; which, however, is not a guarantee of overall effectiveness – in the end it is most likely to attract the kind of opponents you would rather have avoided in the first place. It is like setting a decoy vulture, instead of a decoy duck, and attracting more unwanted vultures rather than the desired game.
You may attract, though rarely, the kind of professional that really is sinister and intimidating. He may intimidate you out of your chips. This, of course, will make him impossible to get rid of. They are getting exactly what they wanted.
It may also prove untrue that behind that impassive faade you are concentrating on the game more intensely then the rest, since, as it were, you don’t have to do much except keep the shades on. The truth, however, is that for the mind – which is precisely what poker is about – there is no such thing as an impassive faade. If the sulky persona does not come naturally to you, but is the result of your inability or fear to try more conversational and cheery images, your mind is actually hard at work suppressing those reactions more essential to you.
Poker does require the ability to act at times, such as when bluffing. The good player will adopt an image that is closer to who they really are, though. If you are not naturally gregarious, you may want to practice becoming more so to better enjoy the game and keep focused on it rather than sprucing up your act.
Keeping up a persona radically antithetical to yourself won’t allow your full potential to unfold, since you are virtually playing poker in a straightjacket, while the effort saps even more of your concentration without contributing any vigor to your game.
While a costume of big shades, big hats, and big coats in a darkened poker den may appear to require less effort, for the professional player, it is better to show more of yourself. It takes less time and energy, but you just may become the poker player you always envisioned you could be.
The author is a full time online poker player and makes the majority of his income from his online play and rakeback at Fat Bet Poker. To sign up for a Rakeback account of your own visit Rakeback Solution.
categories: body language,poker tells,poker psychology,poker,gambling,card games,games,entertainment,recreation,sport,sports
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