Jamie
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a poker face as follows:
‘An inscrutable face that reveals no hint of a person’s thoughts or feelings.’
The poker face is widely considered a prerequisite for a successful poker career. Those who can successfully hold a poker face perform better during ring games, cash games, Sit & Go tournaments (SNGs), and Multi-Table Tournaments (MTTs).
A poker face is a mask that hides the true strength of a player’s hand. Players who master the art of maintaining a poker face can bluff their way through to monster pots in head-to-head showdowns.
Skilled poker players can convincingly bluff their way to victory by concealing their reactions, which provokes errors from opponents. Emotionally based play in poker is referred to as playing on tilt. Nothing good comes from showing your proverbial cards, a.k.a. wearing your heart on your sleeve.
By keeping your feelings in check and your emotions hidden, you can make informed decisions based solely on the actions at the table. But what happens when the action at the table becomes the action at the virtual table, like the Zynga Poker platform? That’s today’s topic; we are ready to tackle it with gusto!
Is a Poker Face Possible in the Digital Age?
Traditional poker games feature two or more poker players seated at a table. The objective is to beat the competition and win the pot. While enjoyment of the game is a noble objective, winning truly resonates with players. Poker players openly acknowledge they will use every legal means to help them win a game.
All available poker resources should be employed to help players gain the advantage. These include a thorough understanding of the following poker elements:
- Poker rules
- Poker bluffs
- Poker variance
- Poker psychology
- Poker hand management
- Poker bankroll management
When players are seated opposite one another, it’s pretty easy to gauge the emotions at the table. With high-stakes action, the tension is palpable. All the human emotions are either out on full display or hidden behind a poker face. True, great poker players reveal nothing about their feelings or the strength of their hands. But how do players read a poker face in the digital age?
Firstly, we must expand our definition of a poker face to encompass additional elements for online park games. In online poker, players are unlikely to see their opponents. Often, it’s a poker avatar or an in-game virtual character seated at a table, waiting to act.
Rarely do poker rooms provide face-to-face poker action with a live streaming cam. This version is as realistic as live casino games, where players can see dealers in real time.
However, most online card games don’t have the advanced software capabilities, bandwidth, or set-up to showcase thousands of players via face-to-face live-streaming action.
How Does a Poker Face in the Digital Age Work?
The world’s premier online poker rooms offer players easy-to-operate user interfaces featuring tables, poker, chips, and characters/avatars. The action moves around the table in a clockwise fashion. Players typically act within a specific time before the action moves to the next player at the table.
Seasoned poker players understand the mechanics of these games. More importantly, they have come to appreciate the nuanced gameplay of online poker players. After multiple rounds competing alongside players in online poker rooms, it’s possible to start understanding the idiosyncrasies of specific players.
While the traditional definition of a poker face does not apply in this instance, behavioral trends are telling. Savvy poker players learn to appreciate behavior patterns and conduct themselves at the poker table. For example, if a poker player plays a tight game and only calls, raises, and re-raises with premium hands, it can be assumed that the player’s participation indicates that he or she is holding the nuts.
A wild player who typically goes all in can be read easily. These players often try to outmuscle the competition by big betting. Unfortunately, they routinely don’t have the cards to back it up. The advantage that a poker face may offer evaporates in this instance.
Be Mindful of Unpredictable Poker Players
It’s always important to be mindful of unpredictable players. Those who intentionally obfuscate the action and try to confuse other players are the people to watch out for. Only experience can teach a poker player what to look for. Time spent in the middle, whether in person or virtually, makes a world of difference.
For a novice, it can be intimidating. It’s tough to understand what a poker face looks like – but the countdown timer and bet sizing are good places to start. Players who take too long to act in poker may be deliberating about the strength of their hand and whether the risk-reward ratio is worth it. Or, they could intentionally confuse online players into thinking they are uncertain.
That is the new definition of poker face for the virtual poker arena.
