Profit from Being Friendly In Texas Hold'em
You will meet all different personality types at the poker table. Some players will be friendly, others will be mean. Some will be quiet and others loud. Most players will fall somewhere along this spectrum. Few players give much thought to the benefit of their poker table demeanor. Most are there to have fun and they will act however they choose to act. However, if you are a more thoughtful player, you may want to tailor your behavior to the poker table situation. In fact, there are many benefits to being friendly in your Texas Hold'em games.
Losing Money is Fun!
Most poker players come to the table to gamble and have fun, which is great for a player looking for an edge. If you are friendly and promote a convivial atmosphere at the table, bad players hopefully won't mind losing to you as much. When they draw at a flush at ridiculous odds and miss, commiserate over their bad luck. When they hit it, congratulate them on their bravery. Encourage your opponents to play badly. The worst thing you can do is berate an opponent who has made a mistake, embarrassing him or her into leaving or playing better.
You Wouldn't Bluff Me, Would You?
Once you have exchanged names and stories with your poker table neighbor and established that you are a nice guy, a non-pro will often be reluctant to bluff you. He won't want to take advantage of your good nature, even though he should. On the other side, since people expect you to behave as they behave, he may give you credit for a good hand when you bet against him, figuring you wouldn't do something so nasty as to bluff your new pal.
Come Back Real Soon!
People like to see familiar faces. Even if you took pot after pot from a certain player, if you did it contritely and played the rest of the game with a smile, even when you took a bad beat, that player may want to sit down with you again. If you're a losing player, it's much more desirable to sit down with someone nice and pleasant then someone who you know is going to taunt you when they win and berate your bad play when they lose. While those mean players are sending the fish away, you'll be welcoming them with open arms.
Besides the reasons mentioned above, the fact is that Texas Hold'em is more pleasant when you're having a good time. If you sit down at the table in a good, positive mood, you are likely to be more focused and in control. This can help you to win more when you win, and to recognize when today is not your day and get up before you get in too stressful a situation.
- Date posted Apr 23, 2008
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Clark Jensen
The world of poker
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