Poker Face

A good poker face is often the difference between getting a lot of chips and very few. If people don't know whether or not you are bluffing, and your expression doesn't give away your hand, it is them in the predicament. If they can tell that you are bluffing, based on your facial expression, they could call your high bets and end up taking lots of your money. If you watch a World Series of Poker, it is very obvious that the players have taken time to create a good poker face, because their faces are always completely expressionless (at least until they win big).

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An easy way to make a good poker face is to find some sunglasses that do not allow other people to see your eyes. The picture on the link is an example of this. Often people's eyes can tell a lot about what they are thinking. Perhaps I have a 7 and 10 in my hand. This could result in two different straights: 10 high and jack high. To see if I have one of these straights, I would have to scan the community cards a few times over (maybe someone else would only scan once, but I know that I would forget half the cards by the time I'm done scanning). If someone saw me doing this, they would know that I have, or have close to, a straight, full house, or some other somewhat complicated hand. All of these hands are good, so they may fold, and give me less of a pot when (or if) I get the straight. Sunglasses would have influenced this situation, and the beauty of it is that they require no practice or skill to use.

A simple, yet often very hard, way to create a good poker face is to not smile. Smiling is the first reaction people have to getting good hands, or seeing people stay in when they know they shouldn't. If someone with a keen eye sees someone merely hold back a smile, the resulting decision could be changed. A strategy I sometimes use to not smile is to figure out what I am going to do, then think about something totally off the subject. Usually the thing I think about is also very complex or disgusting. This averts my mind until it is my turn to call, check, or raise, and also keeps any emotion I had off of my face.

Having a good poker face can always helps to keep other players from knowing what cards you have, but providing fake expressions could also be very effective. If you know that you are a poker player who often smiles at a good hand, and then quickly creates a straight face, you might want to smile in the same fashion at a time when most, or all, people are looking at you. This could make them think that you have a good hand, and bluffing would then be easier for you.

Though very closely related to the previous strategy, random expressions can create a good poker face. This is a strategy that I love to use when playing poker. If I get a bad hand, I will think about something funny, and laugh. I still play smart, but this randomness not only confuses opponents, but also helps the player, who might have trouble holding back their true emotions. The other players would simply think that you are faking, and disregard your expression(s).

Ultimately, you have to decide which strategy to use. This is done through examining your opponents, trying out different strategies, and having experience playing the game.