- How To Keep A Poker Face All The Time
- Poker Face Song
- How To Keep A Poker Face When Angry
- How To Get Better At Poker
- How To Keep A Poker Face
- Poker Face App
- How To Keep A Poker Face Reddit
Chapter 115 of the book Self-Help Stuff That Works
by Adam Khan
RONALD RIGGIO, PHD, HAS BEEN doing research at the California State University at Fullerton for over seventeen years. He's been trying to find out what makes a person attractive to other people. He officially studies charisma. One important factor Riggio has discovered is the importance of 'emotional expressivity': the ability to show your emotions on your face so people can easily read how you feel. People who don't show much emotion on their faces don't attract us very much. That's one of his findings
that seems pretty obvious.
Dec 12, 2017 Have you ever worried that your face gives away your thoughts every time? Putting on a poker face is always a good skill to have, but especially with performance reviews (and bonus season) coming up, now is a great time to ponder how to get a poker face at work.
But Riggio found something that's not so obvious: Charisma also requires the ability to not show emotions. He calls it 'emotional control.' It's what I'm calling a 'poker face' because when you play poker and you get an exceptionally good hand, you don't want anyone else to know. Likewise, if you get a poor hand, you don't want them to know - it gives your opponents an advantage in betting against you. While you're playing poker, the basic rule of thumb is to not ever register your feelings overtly. The only thing that might give you away is the look on your face, so you have to show as little emotion on your face as you can.
Improving your ability to have a poker face when you need it (and only when you need it) can increase your effectiveness with people. Why? Because emotions are contagious when they can be seen. When you look at someone who is laughing, it tends to make you feel like laughing, doesn't it? Sure. And when you see someone crying, it can make you feel a little sad. Naturally. That's why good actors are so highly valued. They can make us feel emotions. We all have a tendency to experience the emotion we see on someone's face.
But, you may ask, what's wrong with that?
How To Keep A Poker Face All The Time
Nothing really, except sometimes. The problem is that there are some emotions you wouldn't want another to have. Two examples are anger and social awkwardness. When you're angry and you show it, the other person will probably become angry or defensive or afraid to some degree - they can see on your face your blood pressure is up, and their body will respond by increasing their own blood pressure. This rising intensity tends to interfere with communication.
Something similar happens when a person feels socially awkward. When you talk with someone who feels awkward because they don't quite know what to do and it shows, you feel somewhat awkward, too, don't you? Or how about when someone giving a speech feels uncomfortable up there in front of the group? Don't you also squirm in your seat a little just watching?
In these kinds of circumstances, the people would be better off and the people they're talking to would be better off if they would learn to conceal those particular emotions when they feel them.
We have all learned there are times when it is not appropriate to say certain things. You don't say to a widow at the funeral 'the dude owed me money.' At certain times and for certain situations, we all know some things are better left unsaid. Well, the emotion on your face is nonverbal, but it is still communication, and sometimes it is counterproductive to say nonverbally 'I'm angry' or 'I feel awkward.'
The good news is that you can learn to put on a poker face when you need it. I'm not suggesting phoniness or pretending you're happy when you're angry. But there are times it helps to show no emotion on your face. It's a skill like any other, and it can be improved with practice.
Practice having a 'poker face' when you feel negative emotions.
Self-Help Stuff That Works makes an excellent gift. It's a classy hardbound with a sewn binding that says practical stuff in a way that's easy to hear. You can now order it from any of twelve online bookstores. These are the most popular:
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APA Reference
Staff, H. (2008, October 20). The Power of a Poker Face, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2020, January 18 from https://www.healthyplace.com/self-help/self-help-stuff-that-works/power-of-a-poker-face
Online poker is great but sometimes you just need to take your game to the next level. You want to play on the stage in front of people; you want to get the chance to win big in a casino resort’s poker room or, perhaps, show off your skills in the poker room of a cruise ship.
Live poker is exciting, and can potentially be lucrative. But, as an veteran poker player will tell you, when you are playing a live poker game, keeping an unreadable poker face is crucial. Beginners often do not fully consider what it means to have a poker face – and the fact that they need to maintain it for the duration of the session. Beginners often consider game play and hands, but they don’t necessarily practice their body language or their facial expressions. From personal experience, I can tell you that many a hand can be won or lost on the strength of your poker face. Here’s how to keep yours strong even when you feel nervous and excited.
Poker Face Song
1. Don’t Think About Your Stresses
If you are dwelling on the bills you have to pay or your poor performance at work, it will be reflected in your posture and on your face, even if you don’t realize it, and it will betray the fact that you are nervous and unsure. Try to relax yourself before a game. Put other problems aside and focus on enjoying the game.
It’s best to try and put some distance between yourself and your other worries. If you are too concerned about other aspects of your life it will not only show on your face, but it will also make it more difficult to focus on your game.
2. Control Your Eyes
How To Keep A Poker Face When Angry
Even the smallest eye movements can potentially give you away. Unfortunately, many eye movements are completely involuntary, but they give your opponents a clear view of what you are really thinking. Before a session, practice keeping your eyes level, not flickering. Practice not looking from side to side without good reason during the game. On the other hand, you also shouldn’t stare fixedly into space or at an opponent – this never gives the impression that you are neutral, but instead that you are crazy.
It used to be the case that many players would wear sunglasses while playing live poker, as this helps keep eyes hidden and gives a more mysterious appearance. Nowadays, though, you’re better off just practicing away from the table, as wearing sunglasses to the table is often a dead giveaway that you’re a newbie.
3. Don’t Twitch
No, we’re not talking about Twitch, the online streaming platform. There are separate issues with streaming poker on Twitch.
We’re talking about actually making physical movements.
Your eyes are not the only body parts that can give you away. Your other body movements, as Joe Navarro, Mike Caro, and Zach Elwood would probably attest, are quite telling. Tapping your feet, scratching your head, biting your nails, picking your skin… all those sorts of behaviors typically belong to players who don’t tend to fare so well when playing live poker.
4. Have a Steady Voice
How To Get Better At Poker
Even if you manage to keep your eyes and body still, and not reveal anything, your voice might still be an Achilles Heel at the poker table.
How so? Well, frankly, if you’re unable to keep the tone of your voice steady and neutral when you place your bets or avoid making changes in the tone of your voice, your opponents will take notice.
The best advice would be to try and keep calm and, especially if you’re nervous, speak only when needed in a steady tone of voice.
How To Keep A Poker Face
Aside from those four tips, we’re sure you could think of some other ones that’ll help you improve your poker face when playing live poker. Let us know some of them in the comments below.
Poker Face App
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