Think you’ve
got your poker face nailed? What about your eye movements? As it
turns out, keeping a straight face isn’t all you need to worry
about when you play high strategy games. If you want to up your odds
and compete in the big leagues, you need to brush up on body language
strategies. In fact, studies have shown that learning to identify
certain movements could mean the difference between winning and
losing, particularly when it comes to giving the game away and
nailing the art of bluffing other players.
So, how do you
start controlling all those unconscious movements while
simultaneously picking up on your competitors’?
A study
published in the Psychonomic
Bulletin and Review found that eye movements, in particular, are
a giveaway when it comes to playing blackjack. Researchers from the
Colorado College and Emory University observed 58 participants as
they played a computerized
version of the classic of blackjack and required players to
complete mental arithmetic to achieve the card value of 21 as a
computer system tracked their eye movements and the sum of the cards.
The study revealed that impulsive glances to the right indicate that
a player could hold higher-value cards, while a look to the left
means that the player is much more likely to be holding lower-value
cards. Amateur players who think they have a strong hand also tend to
quickly glance at their chips, perhaps subconsciously weighing up how
much they could stand to win. While this technique won’t help you
to read a competitor wearing sunglasses, if you can remember to
control your eyes, it might help you to avoid giving your own hand
away next time you hit the casino.
Although the
eyes might seem like an obvious way of giving away your hand, did you
know that arm and hand movements are equally as revealing? Research
has revealed that the arm movements of poker players with a strong
hand were much more confident than those with poorer cards. In that
study, participants were asked to watch videos of professional poker
players and rate their cards based on either their facial or arm
movements. The results indicated that judgements based on facial
movements were far worse than random guesses, while judgements based
on arm movements were significantly better.
This research
confirms the theory that controlling your face is only the first step
in winning and bluffing in high-strategy tournaments as our body
reflexive actions can easily betray what is really going on in our
heads. As a result, it’s always important to remember to pay
attention to the way you place a bet or throw the dice as you can be
sure that other players are paying attention as well. Tossing chips
in a nonchalant way may indicate to other players than you have a
poor hand and are demonstrating a false display of confidence, so try
to maintain a calm and controlled manner with each bet, regardless of
your hand.
Posture is also
a huge indicator of what kind of hand you or your competitors might
be holding. If you notice a player suddenly straightening their backs
while playing a hand or placing a bet, it usually means they are
feeling a wave of confidence about the move they have made.
Additionally, slumping in your chair could let other players know
that you have a poor hand or are attempting to bluff confidence, so
try to maintain a good posture at all times to avoid giving your game
away. The posture technique is also helpful as studies have found
that sitting up straight not only affects what others think about us,
but also how
we think about ourselves. A good posture gives you more
confidence in your abilities and could end up bagging you the win
you’re after.
While this might
sound like a lot to be mindful of, once you have full control over
your body language, you can start using these strategies to your
advantage. Reading
other players and controlling your own involuntary signals is one
way of winning the game, but using those tells to bluff your
competitors will take your game to the next level. It’ll also make
you a true master of strategy-based tournaments!