Keeping your body in a relaxed position and communicating with other players calmly are all examples of having a good poker face. When things are tense, this can be challenging, but it’s essential for playing the game. A decent poker face conceals both your intentions and the potency of your hand, keeping your opponent in the dark and unsure of what to do next.
Most people think they have a great poker face. Do you?
Reveal nothing
A poker face might seem less important now as more people than ever choose to play online. This is partly down to accessibility, but also due to value. With promotions like daily free spins on Wonder Wheel providing the chance to win free slot spins, real cash, bonuses, or scratch cards, you might think that you’ll always play online and therefore have no use for a poker face. Yet, as live casino gaming allows you to see a live dealer, online casinos could go one step further and enable players to see each other, where a convincing poker face could be essential. This is speculation, but it is possible.
There are many pointers away from gambling that could indicate your ability to maintain a poker face.
Keeping your thoughts a mystery to other players is a key sign of someone with a respectable poker face. Do people try to read your mind and get it completely wrong? Are people often unsure if you’re joking or being serious? Are people regularly second-guessing your compliments? Do your sarcastic comments get taken seriously once too often? These are key indicators that you have a killer poker face.
Other skills
A poker face isn’t a necessity for success in the game. Consider Phil Hellmuth, who is well known for his exaggerated responses during a poker game. Even if some might disagree with his strategy, Hellmuth is one of the most well-known poker players in the entire world thanks to his iconic blowups. Just to be clear, Hellmuth plays terrific poker; he simply takes a different approach than the emotionless, poker-faced players we’re used to seeing.
Daniel Negreanu is among the greatest in the business, but in contrast to a stoic demeanour, Negreanu has superb reading skills, which have given him an edge over his rivals. Negreanu has great table talk and his comments can occasionally be more effective than a severe gaze. He can trick his opponents into feeling secure, get them to spill details and then strike.
We must recommend Phil Ivey if you’re looking for the pinnacle of poker faces. Phil Ivey missed the 2021 World Season of Poker last fall, but he’s already won his first cash of the 2022 WSOP series in exciting Las Vegas since returning to play.
Even the best and most seasoned players would feel uncomfortable seated next to Ivey. Many skilled poker players have tried in vain to decipher Phil Ivey’s jumbled facial expressions. He is the one to watch if you want to develop a skilled poker face since he makes it incredibly difficult to predict whether his hand is excellent or bad.
Fear not if you don’t have the skill of Ivey; a poker face can still be learned. A little self-awareness to recognize your tells is the first step. Watching Ivey in action can help and you’ll find great poker faces outside of the game. Teller from the magical entertainment act Penn & Teller has a superb poker face and is considered one of the great comedic straight men. Practising dissociation to calm your emotions and focus your mind can also be beneficial.
If you do struggle to maintain a poker face, just lead an honest life and stick to playing poker online where no one can see you squirming and fidgeting.
