10 Ways to Lose at Poker (3)

In parts 1 and 2 of this series of articles on 10 ways to lose at poker, we indicated that failing to take due account of the personalities of our opponents and failing to take due regard of poker statistics are two of the major ways to lose at poker.

We alluded to the ideal academic qualifications for a poker player and indicated that it wasn't a bad idea to study either psychology or particle physics; preferably both. At the same time we acknowledge that this isn't possible for everyone and is not a requirement (unless of course our opponents are so qualified, in which case we might have a tough time of it.)

The third way to lose (and this has nothing to do with New Labour) is to wear our heart too close to our sleeve. As we pointed out previously, it is very important to find out as much about our opponent as possible. Contrarily, what we do not want is for our opponent to find out too much about us. In fact it will most likely benefit us if our opponents have a completely incorrect view of what makes us tick. Here we are not talking about putting on a totally false persona, pretending we are extrovert when we are shy, or shy when we are truly outgoing. Over-acting is both terribly irritating and utterly transparent. We do not want to wind our opponents up the wrong way as it might make them even more determined to separate us from our bankroll.

Good quality acting tends to be very subtle. Method film actors and actresses often spend months deeply immersed in the characters they intend to portray long before shooting begins; take Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman as two fine examples of this. It is the subtle art of disguise that we should attempt to master. Metaphorically speaking, we should learn to keep our cards close to our chest.

This is probably the reason that so many actors and actresses are attracted to the game, and also why they tens to be so good at it. Many poker pros started out on the stage.

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