Learn Texas Holdem

We've all seen him at the poker table: The braggart. He arrives at the table letting you know that he'll soon have all your chips. He'll remind you every time you bet that he's not afraid to go all-in with you. Maybe he'll win big, maybe not, but he'll leave the table the same way he came in, making sure you know that, at least in his mind, he's the best there is.

Poker Bragging: Art? Or Just Noise?

Many poker players find this kind of behavior annoying and even a little inappropriate. However, is there any merit to it? Is there an art to bragging in poker? Are there advantages to bragging? There can be. There is good poker bragging and bad poker bragging.

Bad Poker Bragging

Bragging about your poker results to others at the table doesn't make any sense. It makes even less sense to answer, "I'm a professional poker player," when someone asks you what you do. Telling people you are a pro or that you make X big bets an hour is like saying, "I'm really good at taking your money; stay away from me or play especially well when you are up against me." This is the last impression most true pros want to give. In general, a pro would be very happy if everyone at the table thought they were a rank amateur who had no idea what they were doing.

An even worse example of bad bragging is telling people how much better you would have played a hand than they did. This is bad whether you are correct or not because you are telling people how you play. This is information you definitely do not want your opponents to have

.

Good Poker Bragging

While it's not for everyone, bragging can be a good way to needle or deceive opponents, as long as you know that's what you are doing. For example, if you try a bluff with ten-deuce, get caught, but then get lucky and catch running deuces to win, it can be a great bragging opportunity. If you proudly announce, "Yeah, I always play ten-deuce because I'm just like my hero, Doyle Brunson. It always works for him and always works for me," you have a great opportunity not only to put the opponent you beat on tilt, but suggest to other players that you have no idea what you are doing. As they lick their chops, you go back to playing solid poker. If a particular player is getting unlucky against you, bragging that they can never beat you is another good way to put them on tilt and get them to throw more money at you. This style is not for everybody, as some may find it distasteful or unethical. However, there are no rules against bragging, and if it is an effective tactic for you, well, poker is all about getting edges.