[Brewster]

Poker is a bit of a head game. If I can get a fellow player off his game it is to my advantage. Lately I have been doing some chip tricks at the table and have found they distract the other players just enough to take their minds off the game if just for a minute or two. When I start shuffling a stack within about 5 minutes at least half of the players at the table are trying to mimic my actions. I find this helps my focus and puts my opponents off gaurd.

Do you employ any tricks or mind games at the table to take you opponents off their game?

[99%evil]

I like bringing a kitten to the game and right before we start I rip it's head off to use as a card protector, that seems to get into their heads.

Seriously, my goal is to get to be like Phil Ivey, no emotion--unreadable. I don't want to give off anything, no talking, no nothing, act the same when I've got the nuts as when I'm bluffing. This is what I'm shooting for, so far not so much luck, our game is very social, in casinos though, I can keep up the front pretty well. On a recent trip I bluffed out some actual pros and sucked them into some good hands. So I feel onto a good start. I don't want to be Mike Matasow, that's for sure.

[Brewster]

Originally Posted by 99%evil

I like bringing a kitten to the game and right before we start I rip it's head off to use as a card protector, that seems to get into their heads.

That is classic!



I do the chip tricks for my benefit (good or bad hand) but noticed it was starting to get some of my buddies off their game. I would like to be as unreadable as the Devilfish (and maybe have a cool name like that too).

[austin5string]

Originally Posted by 99%evil

I like bringing a kitten to the game and right before we start I rip it's head off to use as a card protector, that seems to get into their heads.

That made me laugh out loud.. haha..

I'm kinda the same as you - I pretty much try for the "no emotion whatsoever" angle.. Although, I occasionally get a little talkative if get down to heads up.. Depends on who I'm up against, though..

[babujit1]

If the flop hits and is good for me I do the wave.

If its bad I boo.
I just try not to let anyone on to what I have

[Pavel6969]

I will sometimes do some trash talking (How do you like those nuts?) but tend to keep it friendly. I do do some chip tricks, and no one else I play with can seem to do them. I have literally seen 3 people sit for HOURS after a game is done trying to do a single trick. And it just pisses them off that I can do it really easily, without looking at the chips or anything. So sometimes I'll start up in the middle of the game to get them distracted.

[Daniel]

i employ some tactics....

one of my favorite tactics is to talk! (not like the mouth)....

but i constantly keep yapping to my opponents....asking difficult questions, forcing them to "think" or "focus" on the question at hand...
like talking about angelina jolie's "phallic sucking" lips......
or vida guerrera's rear end .....

i read somewher the other day, i can find out more about a person playing 1 hour of poker with them, than 3 hours of casual convo.....

people are people....take advantage of that.

D

[SpeakEasy]

Unless you are very experienced at this, when you are jabbering, doing tricks, etc., you are also not focusing on your game, or the other players' hand strength. You are paying attention to information that is usually of little use to your game (Is he watching me doing tricks? If I do a different trick, will he be more distracted? Is he doing trick because I am? Can I get him to talk more? What topics will he talk about? Is he nervous yet? Is he tilting yet? Why is he still so quiet?).

All this distracts from the basic information that you need:
(1) What is his hand?
(2) Do I have him beat?
(3) If he is ahead, will he fold to a bluff?

Keep it simple, people.

[Double Eagle]

Just let your game do the talking. If you think it is distracting to the other players, then it has to be distracting to you as well. Just concentrate on your game. Leave the angle shooting to the others.

[Daniel]

i guess this is where i differ from the 2 previous posts...

i utilize my talking skills fairly well, and can give myriad forms of appearances to others....(it really depends on the table)....

here is one example:

I'll mention the current state of the war in IRAQ (an easily brought up and maintained topic these days)...

depending on how people react to my comments, or just their own initiation of comments, i can get a decent view on their opinions in life, war and politics....

from there, i make very simple basic assumptions as to their personality and stance on instinctive issues....
like Left or Right, Cons. or Lib, Half Full or Half Empty,...

for me, these are great starting points....and you build from there....

the key to maintaining the convo is to keep it about subjects that are "current" or "easily spoke on" and then have your opponent react "instinctively" (this is the key word....)
you have to get an instinctive reaction out of your opponent in order to subject him to possible manipulation later...

am i making any sense?

sorry....

in ref. to chip tricks, i just do them to keep me busy while i'm thinking (yea, some say its a tell)...but i believe its just like fiddling with my pen at the office, just keeps something steady in my head (like a metronome) when i'm thinking...

my nickel,
d