What do you do at the tables?

[the machine]

[ QUOTE ]
I drink as much free alcohol as possible. Sometimes I use the IPOD if I don't fee like being social, but mostly not. Stacks of 20, pyramid tower. Constantly shuffling or doing other chip tricks simply out of habit. I don't use a card protector of any sort, and I've never had my hand accidentally mucked. Never wear sunglasses.

[/ QUOTE ]

QFT minus the drinking because i drive an hour to the woods each time i go and dont want a dui on rt 2, but AF hit it on hte nose IMO

[Reko Savinen]

Most people have said what I do already.

I play long sessions like Mr. Rick (10-14 hours at a time) usually, and I just stay focused the entire time - no sunglasses/hat/headphones/hoodie/anything stupid that I usually poke fun at people for if they have them. (i.e. - I gave you a bad beat? "Sorry, bro, couldn't read you through those glasses. . .thought I had you beat."

I'm talking for the entire session; it keeps me awake and gives me a lot of information that I can usually use to help me later. I'm overly friendly, even though I probably hate 90% of the people I usually play against, and that keeps them from getting into hands that are too big with me.

I also talk about how loose a player I am ("Here I am raising again! Uh-oh!"). FWIW, I play so tight it makes Dan Harrington look like Gus Hansen. My opponents are usually too stupid to pick up on this; so talk is probably the most important part of my game. . .also why I refuse to play online poker.

No sunglasses, etc. like I explained, I do try to dress up nicely when I play though - usually a button down shirt and a nice pair of pants, however this summer I wore a 'Team Finland' hockey jersey quite a few times to Foxwoods after people started calling me 'That Finnish guy'.

Stacks of 20, pyramid-formation, of course.

I tend not to go to the bathroom unless I'm going to take a short break. If sucks during those 10 hour sessions; but if I'm leaving the table, it's only to find a new/better game, I don't want to leave, miss information, and come back confused.

I never chop; I won't chop in a tournament either, so meh.

I have a card protector - a really old "One Dollar Gaming Token" from Binion's Horseshoe in Vegas (my buddy's father is. . .quite high up in the chain in charge of the casino, so I don't know if they even exist anymore. . .). Everyone always wants to see it - I charge them $5 just to look at it. People tend to oblige because I'm a nice guy.

[that_pope]

[ QUOTE ]
Just got an ipod and I love it.

No sunglasses.

Stacks of 20, or sometimes just keep them in the rack.

Drink lots of water. And I usually eat 2 meals while I'm there.

I try to talk the least amount as possibe because I really try to avoid making friends at the table. I do like to talk to the other 2p2ers that I play with, but those conversations are usually short because we are both trying to pay attention.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think making friends at the table is +EV. Obviously you aren't soft playing them, but they might do that to you. Especially if they are big losers in the game, keep them happy and having a good time, and they will stay longer or some back more often. I can't leave their fate up to other people, gotta look out for yourself. And I like making fun of you and Howard while at the tables, that is just pure fun.

[KurtSF]

Oh yeah, I also tailor my conversation to fit in with the table. This means I spend 15 minutes of every hour talking about either (a) who won the BBJ last, or (b) how cool it would be if we won the BBJ.

Recently I've been getting the feeling that I will have to start paying more attention to sports in order to more fully fit in.

[Dromar]

I'm pretty similar to you I guess.

I wear regular clothes, no sunglasses, no hood or anything.
No mp3 player.
I just use a table chip to protect my cards.
I try not to take bathroom breaks very often. I think it disturbs my flow. If I have to to, I'll take a 10 or 15 minute break, and usually play for 4 hours or so before I take another.
I don't drink anything while I play, except maybe I'll get a water a few hours in.
I make small talk and try to get everyone at the table talking and laughing. I never talk strategy or anything like that. IMO, getting the table talking is tremendously profitable.
I always pay attention. I also always show my bluffs that got called on the river, and act like I might win the pot (I play LHE). "Ten high."
I also always congratulate people who beat me in a pot, no matter how they played. "Nice hand." "Well played." "Good bet."

[pocketpared]

Fruit and pasta are good choices before playing for long, drawn out energy.

oh yeah..and some kind of "Natural Tears" type eyedrops. Standard Visine is no good. 5-6 hours into a session a drop in each eye every hour really relieves eye strain.

[Mr Rick]

I always talk strategy at the poker table. I do this because,
1) Everyone around me is doing it and I like to fit in
2) People at the 10/20 LHE where I play are remarkably candid (their play matches what they say).
3) I learn a lot about other people's observations of players at the other end of the table.
4) I enjoy telling grown men that they played a hand like a girl
5) I enjoy defending horrendous play (by others) with off the wall arguments and theories
6) I have no problem agreeing with other players that I suck at poker

To date I have not seen any appreciable difference in the play of others who are around the conversation. This may be in part because I try to wholeheartedly agree that bad luck is at the core of most people's misfortune. But mostly people who aren't following or are uninterested just "want to play poker, OK?".

[scott2130]

I enjoy a chat now and again but the ipod is the way to go for me. I put the volume at just the right level to kill the background noise and can realy concentrate on the action.

This works best when I am not in the hand because that is when most chit chat will happen. If you only pay attention when you are in a hand you will miss 2/3 of what is happening.

I did even better last weekend when I bought the bose headset that goes over your ears. Not only is it great sound but you can crank it up so you can't hear the drunk next to you or the childish banter at the table when AA is cracked by 63o for a big pot. I hate unwanted poker lessons.

For those really long cold streaks you can even listen to a comedy album or book on cd. This is how I get passed having 72o for two hours without killing the dealer.

[RarocASP]

[ QUOTE ]

oh yeah..and some kind of "Natural Tears" type eyedrops. Standard Visine is no good. 5-6 hours into a session a drop in each eye every hour really relieves eye strain.

[/ QUOTE ]

great advice. i like to wear my glasses instead of contacts while playing longer sessions.

[pocketpared]

Casinos use air scrubbing recirculators. Saves tons on heat and ac costs. Lots of health problems for workers.