Now with poker popping up around every corner, and new eager players just waiting to jump in ( a game they never played , but caught a couple  episodes of  on T.V. ) it’s time now more then ever to size up your competition and pay attention. You are not the only one who has seen all the fresh meat entering the coral,   all the sharks, lions and eagles have been praying for this day.

When a new player sits down at your local $4/8 game do you automatically discount them just because they are a new face?  If you haven’t seen them play before , well they must not be any good and nothing to really worry about. That sounds like a great way to lose your money.  If you are so arrogant with the “new guy” how observant have you really been with the other players . Can you really trust your judgment when it comes down to that one important call that either sends you home packing or lets the rest of the table know it’s only a matter of time before all their chips are coming your way?  For those of you that don’t know or have “forgotten” how or what tells to look for when the new guy comes to town here is a couple hints that might help you out .

Are you observing not only the people you’re playing with, but also those waiting in the wings? Small observations can help you in the long run. Do they wander around lost after standing by the door for 20minutes deciding if it’s ok for them to be in here? Or do they walk right up to the pit boss and sign up? Do people in the room know their name? This is always a big give away that they have been here on several occasions and may not be the pigeon you were hoping for. Then again, frequency is (thankfully!) not neccassarily a sign of a good player. How much do they buy in for ? The minimum or do they get a full rack? Are they intoxicated? These little observations give you lots of information even before the person sits down, that is assuming you were watching them, not the short skirted cocktail waitress or the game on the tube.

So they sit down, now is when you really should keep an eye out . Do they know about the blinds and the betting? I was in a game the other night and I actually heard a guy in the 7^th seat say to the man next to him” a full house beats a flush right? “ Now because I keep my ears open and my mouth shut for the most part I was able to hear this remarkable comment over the noise of the casino and store it in the proper place, primed for later use. By the way I helped to relieve the novice of the burden of cashing in his chips. Does his hands shake when he bets ? Does she string bet? How do they handle their chips? Do they clumsily stack their chips in awkward stacks or are they doing finger rolls while counting and stacking the chips like the dealer. If they tip the dealer or not may show they never ventured beyond their computer.

Take in all of the seemingly inoxious details, you never know what may help you down the line. Knowing how familiar your opponents are with the game, how comfortable they are, how loose, tight, or indifferent they are, how much/little money means to them, all of these factors can equal more money in your pocket if you just bother to pay attention.

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