Top Psychological Tricks in Poker

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Best Psychological Tricks in Poker

Hello there, tough fella or a tough lady, welcome to the most useful lesson you will ever learn!

How to become a poker pro who can withstand tilt without the Tilt Breaker tool, bluff like Felix in the Bluff movie by Sergio Corbucci, and show excellent skills at the table?

We can’t promise you that a little theoretical insight will turn you into an always-winning poker monster, but it will undeniably provide you with psychological online poker tips and tricks to make you a more confident player. Oh, and we called you tough for a reason because being tough is essentially rule number one. So, here your path to poker wisdom begins.

Mental strength is a trait that you need to learn to develop. Do you already have mental fortitude? Excellent, because improving your emotional intelligence alongside mental toughness is an essential part of the whole professional poker playing experience. Are you an online poker fan? Then what are you still doing here? Don`t get us wrong; we`re beyond flattered and thankful that you`re hanging out with us, but you do realize that psychological poker tricks only work during live performances? So in case an eye-to-eye, side-by-side action is not your mojo, you can stick with online poker, and this is probably even a better choice.

Now, let’s get back to those daredevils who want to play poker as masterfully as “Casino Royale” characters. You must have watched a couple more movies or TV-shows portraying the art of bluffing and playing poker with elegance and intricacy. However, how many times cinematography has sacrificed authenticity to provide viewers with a great show? So does all that bluffing even exist? Can you trick your opponents into thinking that you have worse or better combination of cards? Let’s figure it out together!

Poker Player Level: A Hunter

We`re going to start with the basics here. Hopefully, you`re already familiar with the basics of playing poker so let’s dive right in. We won’t teach you how to bluff; we’ll instead tell you how to know if somebody is bluffing. Furthermore, you can use this helpful knowledge to build your own bluffing strategy. Because if a collection of bluffing tips existed, then poker game would have lost its unpredictability, thrill, and all other aspects that you love so much. So why would you need to become a hunter?

If you`ve ever watched a documentary about wildlife, about predators, in particular, you`ll get this allusion for sure. Before carnivores take down prey, they stalk it attentively and carefully; they notice every move, they analyze and come up with an attack plan. Yep, that’s something that you need to learn how to pull off.

• Don’t look at your cards the moment you get them. It’s not about showing that you don’t really care and it’s not about patience. While you’ll be examining your own catch, you can miss some significant face expressions and gestures of your opponents. When players see their cards, they may lose control over their emotions for a second or two and give out the strength or lack of it of their cards. So watch others first, glance at your hand later.
• Pay close attention to the way players bet and how their chip stacks look. If it’s a messy pile, then a gambler is more likely to be an adventurous player who wants to have fun and enjoy a game more than actually win some money. If it’s a neatly organized tower, then this person is most definitely more nervous: such type of players are less likely to bluff or cheat.
• Try to remember a style of betting of every gambler at a table. Yes, each player is very different and with time, you’ll learn how to distinguish all of the opponents. For example, if a player throws a bet in the middle of a table carelessly and messily but then organizes it in one stack, it’s a very bright indicator of bluffing. Experienced players will be applying different betting styles every time to confuse others.

Poker Player Level: A Mind Reader

So you avoided that strong temptation to look at your cards first, and you chose to analyze your opponents instead. Congratulations, it’s the best decision of your life! Now, let’s decode the behavior of other players. How much time does it usually take you to look at your cards, figure out the odds, and remember those cards? Undeniably, the key word here is `remember` because if you forget your combination and keep looking at it from time to time, then you have a more significant chance to give yourself away.

• A long stare at cards usually indicates a weak combination. By contrast, when a person has strong cards, they look at it quickly and then put them down. Looking through them longer is a way a body copes with negative stress; you need to give it some time to process new data and create the best possible solution. Attentiveness and a good memory will earn your way to success.
• A long stare into your eyes is a reliable indicator of bluffing. However, psychologists claim that such people aren’t likely to raise bets. Can you do it though? Well, you can give yourself away with that long stare, and it’s just creepy, don’t you think? Stop intimidating people who are playing with you!

Poker Player Level: Charismatic Devil

It may be hiding deep inside, shout out to it because you`re so going to need it while playing poker. Don`t play poker in a mysterious antisocial way because it’s just going to cause harm to the whole game. It’s widely known that poker is about socializing, having a couple of glasses of good alcohol, and testing your ability to play mind games. Is it about winning money though? If you`re playing in a circle of friends or at least with people that you find pleasant and worthy of respect, stakes usually don’t go very high. Betting chips or money in those cases look more like symbolic gestures and players neither win big nor lose big. Huge casinos though are a different story.

• Sounds and gestures may be the signs of a big hand. If players are going strong in a game, they’re supposed to feel more confident and relaxed. Moreover, it never works this way! Some players just naturally can’t handle the pressure of such good luck, and they are getting all nervous. They’ve almost caught money and glory by the tail, and now, they need to concentrate and stay extremely focused so that they won’t let a great opportunity slip right through their fingers. Wouldn’t you be nervous in such a situation? Professional poker players, however, can’t let anybody guess what combination they have so they start playing a neat mind game. When they take a look at their cards the first time, they usually sigh in disappointment in the most subtle way possible. You can see how their face is turning into a sad and slightly desperate grimace. That’s just a bluff!

• Talk to your poker buddies during a game. A pin-drop silence during a game is never an all right option. Just don’t make things too awkward and engage in a conversation even if you’re not that interested. It’s alright if you act like an introversion champion in most daily situations but when it comes to poker, drop it. In case you suspect one of your opponents of bluffing, just start talking to them! They will most likely not be very enthusiastic about an active conversation, they may mumble some short phrases and won’t look into your eyes. Why? Because bluffing requires some real concentration and you can interrupt their dishonest intentions. Would it be just great? Firstly, you’ll see who’s bluffing, and secondly, you’ll be able to block that bluff with a friendly conversation.

Every poker player, even if just starting dipping their toes into the poker water, knows that you can’t show your weakness to opponents. Did you get a weak hand? Maybe. Will you let anybody find out about this? Good Lord, no! You`ll immediately put on a mask of emotionless facial expression. At least, you’ll do your best to pull it off. Learning to do so is the best way to get better at poker.

When it comes to bluffing, there is merely no complete guide that will help master this art. It all begins with experience, and you’ll probably have to lose more than once before you learn how to read your opponents. At the same time, don’t forget that many of them are aware of you as well.