Poker Talk 101 - Powered by Steem Poker League - "HeartFelt"
Poker Talk
How well do you control your emotions at the table during a "big" hand?
The first time I sat down at @tuck-fheman 's home game about 11 years ago, I was given the best piece of advice I would ever receive at a poker table.
You see after our 1/2 NL cash game would wrap up, a few of us would sit back to discuss poker strategy. In my very first session, Tuck said to me, "when you get a big hand, we can hear you breathing rapidly." I was shocked. Not that I was doing so...because I knew damn well that I was doing it, I just did not know others were aware. In my mind, I had proper control over it.
My problem was when I would involve myself in a monster hand. When I play cash games, I tend to play for broke, meaning, if I see a monster draw that will yield me a monster pot, you better be prepared to shove. Because you better believe I will be. It was the rush I would get when I was involved in those hands that would cause me to get overexcited. My heart rate would increase, my hands would start to slightly shake, and my breathing would turn rapid. Lol, not very 'poker faced'.
Now as poker players, we all know letting someone know their 'tell' is a cardinal sin, but Tuck being a good friend, wanted to let me in on the secret. From that day on, I make a conscious effort to control my breathing, and try to resist being consumed by the moment. I am not 100% void of it yet, but it is a farrrrr cry better than it was back when I was first made aware of the issue.
Thank you for joining us in our poker discussion this evening.
How Well Do You Control Your Emotions In Big Situations On The Felt??
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I know the feeling. When I get in big hands the heart rate jumps and my hands start getting sweaty. Good poker players read me like a freaking book. I used to be harder to read if I was half drunk. Or totally drunk. I used to drink a lot when I played. Of course my decision making skills go right into the toilet and they aren't that good to start with.
Great advice, such a difficult tell to hide. I suffer from it as well. Wish I had ability to maintain even heart rate and expression regardless of hand status. Got some players in home game that really look for it. As a tell its important to observe if the player shows it on the draw for the hand or if they already have a made hand. In my home game its mostly the people on the draw more often than the made hand. But there are exceptions.
Whoever reads this will know my future tell when @spl is bigger than wsop, but I do not raise anything except pocket aces preflop.. I also use negative progressive when playing blackjack. I was also a blackjack dealer for a few years after I was a poker dealer.
i hate betting type games
I hate people who hate betting type games.
This is why I prefer playing online. :)
I can tell how fast your heart's beating by looking at the unbuttoned cuff on your shirt sleeve. It waves like a little flag on every beat. I start by taking your resting heart rate. If there's less than half a second between beats after I know your resting rate, I pretty much know you're on to something. My brain's facial recognition software is best of breed as well. At the end of the day I don't care much about your heart or your face. I watch for patterns in how you bet and where you do it from, then I exploit them. Unless I feel like gambling. Then I'll go hard on any kind of hand and laugh my ass off when I crack your aces holding 7s full of 2s. :-)