Table Demeanor

[SellingtheDrama]

[ QUOTE ]
That's why I try to act the same way every time. If you keep your head down for so many seconds, they cannot see your eyes, etc., and it is tougher to get a read. I count out the seconds every time, no matter if I am going to fold, raise or call.

I like to be able to watch everyone, and I don't want to have to take a quick peek. I used to do that, and I'd sometimes end up having to look again or even getting a card/suit wrong. Not fun.

I never re-check my cards.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't stall the game - if you're gonna muck 42o, just muck it.

I always recheck my cards (habit from starting out playing Omaha8b) as the flop is being dealt - that second when the dealer is burning and then dealing face down the three cards. I do it every single hand.

Oh and eyes suck for tells, I almost never get a read from someone's eyes. There are far better ways to read someone.

[darksideofthewal]

Doesn't that make you miss the reaction of the other players when they see the flop?

[pfapfap]

There's no way I'd be able to stick to a specific routine.

I play mostly home games, but I try to mix it up. I have so many tics and mannerisms, I try to mimic them all in various situations. I also try to think about what I did when I got a certain result, and factor that into the next time I want to control the result (and this varies depending on how deep my opponents think).

I do, however, try to hold my cards preflop in similar ways. I tend to look at them immediately and then nervously swish them back and forth. This is bad, as I'm too fidgety, and there's the risk of exposing one of them. But I also do this when I haven't looked at them yet. Regarding giving off tells if I'm going to play or muck, I'm positive that I telegraph a lot in these drunken home games, but I do try to mix it up, sometimes just basing it on the last time I did something and doing the opposite. ie, if I folded last time when holding them a certain way, do it that way when I'm going to raise.

Different people also respond to different things. By and large people tend to expect others to share their motivations, so I sometimes try to act how they act as a way to control the action. But basically I just listen to what they're saying and adjust. I love when people ask me questions or theorize about my hand, because I'm usually detached from the actual result and respond with detached bemusement whether I'm bluffing or have the nuts. I almost never confirm or deny anyone's read after the hand. They're usually wrong, and they usually take my neglecting to prove them wrong as proof that they're right. So much information, right there for me to use. It's glorious.

[SellingtheDrama]

[ QUOTE ]
Doesn't that make you miss the reaction of the other players when they see the flop?

[/ QUOTE ]

no, I'm looking down while the dealer is pulling in the bets and dealing the cards face down. I'm looking at them while the dealer is revealing the cards.

Its not like it takes a whole second for someone to recheck...

[Jimbo]

[ QUOTE ]
I look at my cards immediately and swiftly as soon as they're dealt.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto, plus I always place a chip on my cards whether I am going to fold, call or raise. I ocassionally recheck my cars, at random, whether I need to or not and hope to elicit tells from others as to what they do when I take a 2nd peek at my hole cards.

Jimbo

[KurtSF]

[ QUOTE ]

I never re-check my cards.

[/ QUOTE ]

I always recheck them. When the preflop action is over, if I'm in the hand, I give them a second look. I built this routing in to cover for the times I have rags and forget my cards when I look at the flop, so now I do it with AA too.

[Hatless]

One thing that I like to do is to try to pause for the same amount of time before I make each call or raise. Often, one of the easiest tells to pick up is when someone is on a draw, and makes a quick call.

[Mazzinger]

I don't have a set routine for the tables. I try to look at my cards when is my turn to act but that's not always the case. I do pay attention at betting patters, shaking hands, etc. Also, I always try to change gears often.

[uminga]

I always try to put my cards back in the same spot on the table whether I'm going to bet, check or raise them. (I don't have a card protector - I fidget too much - don't need extra stuff to play with!)

There are so many players who telegraph their move by where they place their cards after looking at them. It's nice info to have when you're near the button and the table has folded around to you. Very nice pot-stealing opportunity if the button & blinds pre-indicate fold.

[Javanewt]

[ QUOTE ]
I always recheck them. When the preflop action is over, if I'm in the hand, I give them a second look. I built this routing in to cover for the times I have rags and forget my cards when I look at the flop, so now I do it with AA too.

[/ QUOTE ]
I think this is fine, too. I'm one of those who believe that doing everything the same every time is better than trying to mix things up. Routine is good, because then nobody knows what you are going to do (if you are successful with your routine). Unfortunately, I'm not very good at it -- I'm too talkative and social. Getting better, though.

I'm one of the quicker players I know to act in a hand. If my taking 2 full seconds to look at my cards pre-flop holds up the game, I make up for it tenfold when I act.