Reading Others at the Table
In gambling, as in most areas in life, if you have an idea of what the people around you are thinking you’re more likely to come out on top in any given situation. If you can make an educated guess as to what an opponent is likely to do then you’re can think of ways to counter their move. This is where learning to read body language comes in.
Being able to read body language of course comes in handiest in multiplayer card games like poker. Your body language reading skills here can be the difference between taking the pot or walking away with an empty wallet.
For example most people when they are lying find it hard to look others in the eye, while others may find themselves giving more detail to a story than necessary. The legs are the farthest away from the brain and thus are hardest to control unconsciously, someone with fidgety feet could be expressing nervousness, stress or general discomfort.
On the reverse you also need to be aware of your own body movements and the tells you may be giving away. A good way to become aware of this is to play in a room with a mirror so you can observe yourself or play with a friend who will afterwards tell you what they’ve observed about your tells. The term ‘Poker face’ comes from players of this game who always maintain a blank expression that tells their opponents nothing about the hand of cards they have been dealt. All poker players strive to perfect this sort of face.
If you wish to project confidence holding your head level both horizontally and vertically is a good way to start. Be sure not to cross your arms over your chest as this shows nervousness or can come across as protecting yourself. However if you wish to put up a false front then you can of course reverse all these positions to trick your opponents into thinking your hand is worse than it is. However be aware that this can become a tell on its own if used too frequently.
