Poker: Tells between streets

I'd be really bad at bluffing, but I wouldn't even try. If I played poker, I'd just fold if I had a weak hand.

I do understand that I wouldn't make nearly as much money that way as I'd make by successfully bluffing. But since I'd be really bad at bluffing, "not even trying to bluff" is the best option for me. Success comes from working within the limits of what you are capable of doing.

On the other hand, I don't play poker to begin with. And if I did play poker, I wouldn't play for money. So I guess it doesn't matter too much.

Actually... Saying you never bluff in poker is like a football team saying they will never throw the ball. Bluffing is a key part of the game of poker.

Poker is about deception. When I raise I want people to never be sure if I jave a good hand or not. If you dont want to learn to bluff, you really shpuldnt be playing poker.

But you understand that already.

I personally suck at poker but I have a couple friends that play somewhat seriously.

They will practice different things at different tournaments and this is a couple things they do:
1> Bet the same exact way every hand.
2> Bet completely random every hand.
3> Play the best odds and do the math for each hand.
4> Play the players regardless of hand.

These different techniques allow them to get a better fel for how people play and how they play themselves.

It is interesting to listen to them talk.

I got a new gig that won't start for a few weeks. So I am playing poker 40 hours a week just to see how I do.

So far so good. I am making just over $20/hr. I make a lot more in my real job.

what's a street? How does the house come out in a Texas Holdem? Or is the entrance fee the only profit? Casinos dont have you play the house do they??

I watched TH a few times and was never caught up because Im not a good bluffer .(When I was a kid, I used to play card games with my older cousin who, today, would have been called a bit autistic. He was the only person I could outbluff.

A "Street" is when the dealer puts cards onto the table during a hand. You bet on each street. In Texas Holdem it is

- Dealer gives each player two face down cards. Then betting.
- Dealer puts three cards face up in the center (the "flop"). Then betting.
- Dealer puts one card face up... the "turn" or fourth street. Then betting.
- Dealer puts one last card face up... the "river" or fifth street. Then betting.


Most casinos take a "rake". This is a percentage of each pot.

At the new Boston casino there is a 10% rake up to $5 a pot taken each hand. After each round of betting the dealer will grab 10% and put it off to the side (there is a box with a little lever). At the end of the hand the dealer pulls the lever and the money falls into the box. There are roughly 30 hands dealt an hour, most of them will reach the $5 limit. I estimate that each low limit table nets about $120/hour.

Once the casino takes its rake, any money I win is coming directly from other players. I am not playing against the house.

Have you ever considered subtly faking a tell, to lead someone to believe that they are able to read you, and then deliberately using the fake tell to feed them misleading information about your hand when it really counts?

Yes. That is called a "reverse tell". It is a fairly well known strategy. Generally you only would try this on a big pot when there is a lot of money at stake.

This can be successful. However, you have to do it right (and it has to be successful). There is a risk that if someone catches on that you are doing a reverse tell... they can use that information against you.