Your Poker Persona – Suit Of Armor?

Why is that many serious players of the game of poker want to project a stoic persona? Could they be trying to hide their tells by emitting a somber, almost zombie-like presence? They come off as moody and sinister behind those dark glasses and hooded sweatshirts, like maybe they have holsters and a lightning draw ala Wyatt Earp. Do they know how they appear to others, do they care? There has got to be some kind of method to their madness. Undoubtedly some of them think they can confuse and deflate opponents by their intimidation and arrogance, thereby, discouraging them from any sound play against them. Theirs is a sullen, bullying persona, which may be the only one they have the imagination to pull off. Some of them may actually be that dark, insolent person, but I rather think that they are hiding behind a lack of creativity. The player should consider the image they are actually projecting around a poker table. If they were to seriously look at the schoolyard bully persona they choose to project, they would see that while it may work on some of their victims, most of the really ripe ones will be totally deterred from playing with such a dour, frightening type. In other words instead of attracting valid prey that could actually add to their coffers, they are encouraging them to run the other way. It may have exactly the opposite effect and attract the more secure, professional players who are looking for such an atmosphere so they can practice intimidation and arrogance on you. These guys may be difficult to get rid of because they may sense you to be the weaker player and proceed to empty your wallet. This will keep them coming back for more. If the sullen, serious type isn't really you, you are spending way too much time on your phony image and not enough on your cards. It is almost impossible to play several rounds of poker with an impassive faade. While you do need a special poker persona to strategically manipulate situations to your advantage, it should be one that is comfortable for you, not one which takes a lot of concentration to maintain. Your concentration should be focused on reading your opponents personae and the cards that are dealt. Though one is not advised to be fully natural in poker, one had better create an image which is the most natural to impersonate. A more "openly" social image may take some practice to maintain, but it will result in your greater enjoyment of the game and greater focus, since your mind will be busy doing what it more or less enjoys. Keeping up a persona radically antithetical to yourself won't allow your full potential to unfold, since you are virtually playing poker in a straightjacket, while the effort saps even more of your concentration without contributing any vigor to your game. While a costume of big shades, big hats, and big coats in a darkened poker den may appear to require less effort, for the professional player, it is better to show more of yourself. It takes less time and energy, but you just may become the poker player you always envisioned you could be. The author is a full time online poker player and makes the majority of his income from his online play and rakeback at PKR Poker. To sign up for a Rakeback account of your own visit Rakeback Solution.