Understanding and analysing your opponents is a crucial part of winning in poker. Your opponents know that and will be closely watching your face and body language to try and guess your hand.<\/p>\n
A simple tic, small expression or unconscious movement can betray your hand, letting others at the table device how to beat you.<\/p>\n
Having a good poker face prevents your opponents from taking advantage of you and helps you make a good bluff, when you need to. So how to keep a poker face<\/em>?<\/p>\n Whether you are new to poker or just want to improve your game, here are helpful tips on how to keep a poker face.<\/p>\n Most people don\u2019t even realise they have a tell. It happens unconsciously in reaction to either a good or a bad hand.<\/p>\n The first step to maintaining a poker face is improving your internal and external awareness. Don\u2019t wait until you are seated at the poker table to practice this; do it as you go through your normal day.<\/p>\n Take note of external triggers such as someone telling you good news or a co-worker putting you down. Now, note the feeling it triggers inside you and the physical action that follows.<\/p>\n Do your eyes widen? Do your fingers start twitching? Do you wrinkle your brow?<\/p>\n Once you are aware of the trigger and the reactions, practice cutting out the last part. You can\u2019t stop how you feel towards a situation but you can stop your body from displaying that emotion.<\/p>\n Once you identify the feeling inside you, try to compose yourself and not show any external reaction. This will be difficult and will require lots of practice.<\/p>\n Talking only gives your opponent an additional opportunity to read you. Unless you are really good at maintaining even speech no matter your emotions, keeping quiet is the best option.<\/p>\n Good poker players can note changes in inflection, volume and pitch when you talk. After some time, someone will identify a tell associated with a winning or losing hand.<\/p>\n This is the same deal as staying silent. It\u2019s hard to keep your face devoid of any expression when you are looking directly at someone especially if you are an amateur.<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to get nervous or overly confident depending on the hand you have.<\/p>\n Find a point on the table to fix your eyes and keep them there no matter what kind of hand you have. Of course, as you get better at keeping a poker face, you can look directly at other players to try and read their emotions.<\/p>\n Your reactions will be more acute and easily noticeable if you are anxious about losing the game. When you are playing, forget the possible outcome and have fun.<\/p>\n Remember that loosing is part of poker and it\u2019s going to happen many times. You are also going to win a lot as you get better. Don\u2019t fret about the outcome, it\u2019ll help you keep a poker face.<\/p>\nHow To Improve My Poker Game<\/h2>\n
1. Maintain Internal and External Awareness<\/h3>\n
2. Stay Silent<\/h3>\n
3. Avoid Eye Contact<\/h3>\n
4. Relax and Have Fun<\/h3>\n
Other Tips to Improve Your Poker Game<\/h2>\n