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As many of you that read my stuff will know, I am more than a little reluctant to write mainstream poker articles. I figure there is a proliferation of strategy advice out there and with the growth of the game world wide there is an ever increasing supply of “how to” opinions. I make no apology for my niche approach to instruction and hope that it represents some value that will set you apart in some way, because book players are a dime a dozen these days.

If you happen to consider yourself a book player then you will know how simple this game can be. What may have escaped you, however, is the subtle adjustments even a good book player will make in their thinking and timing depending on the environment and context. If you cannot make those adjustments, then as a book player you will plateau at a certain level of the game never to improve beyond the types of players that don’t care enough to pay close attention. I see it as my job to explicate some of the more subtle and less understood aspects of the game (read human psychology and physiology) and make them conscious and applicable to the average player such that this player can rise to the next level. That is not to say that these ideas cannot be applied at the very top level of the game, although I cannot be so bold as to suggest that because that is not where I live either. However, human beings are somewhat predictable when you know what you’re looking for, and since live poker is all about human interaction I see no reason why a solid understanding of these interactions would not give you a significant advantage.

When I say stop a moment and think about this and that what I really mean to say is step outside of the square for a period of time and think of the game from a completely different perspective, for this is what is required if you are to improve beyond anything you may glean from repetition. One of the greatest tools for personal growth and improvement is self analysis and critiquing, for there is nobody on Earth that understands your decisions and motivations better than you. The proviso to this statement is if and only if you are in touch with yourself and are already cognisant of how much you cheat, lie and pretend with yourself each and every day. If you are in denial about this perhaps that is the greatest lie of all; that you know yourself and are always honest at a conscious and unconscious level.

In my article, Congruency Signals, I wrote about intuition and a possible means to get in touch with your own decision-making based upon the accurate interpretation of a gut reaction. This article is more about improving your interpretations of the activities of yourself and others from the behavioural inputs you can discern. These two mechanisms are closely linked and it should be obvious to you that one mechanism is the interpretation of information gathered via the other. So let’s take the next step right now, shall we? I am not going to be able to interact with you directly so cannot get any feedback for us to proceed. This will rely heavily on your willingness to be honest with yourself, and if you cannot then this will be a thorough wake up call for you going forward.

Imagine yourself sitting across the felt from your poker idol. I am not even going to suggest who this could be but whomever it is, let it be someone whose game you totally admire and someone you perhaps even admire on a personal level. If you do not have a poker idol then pick someone from another context for this particular exercise. If you don’t have an idol then pick your best friend. I just want it to be someone you would be comfortable becoming for a few moments at some point in the exercise; someone with whom you identify.

Now if you look directly at that person opposite you on a poker table notice the level of their eyes compared to yours. To your right and equidistant between you and your idol is the dealer. For the sake of the exercise make sure the dealer is seated and at the same eye level as you. The dealer is an impartial and passive observer completely devoid of expression. If the person across from you (the idol) is at a different eye level it is now time to ensure you are both at the same eye level. This is a vital step because for many of you it may have been that you had your idol on a pedestal and this simply won’t serve you on the felt. A conversation should now ensue between you and you will be able to hear your idol’s input in stereo ie. in through both ears. As you respond your voice will emanate directly from your voice box in your throat. As obvious as that may seem it is not uncommon for people to imagine their voices emanating from other places and this will not serve our purposes. Humour me if you must. Now you will begin to notice a loop between you, the idol and the dealer, all at eye level. Get a very clear and concise version of events from your position because I am going to ask you to do something a little unusual which requires a strong focus on who you are. I am now going to ask you to assume the position of dealer, keeping you in the original position ie. now you are the dealer looking at YOU and your idol alternately. From this position take an inventory and notice any subtle changes that may have occurred. If no changes have occurred this is also perfectly fine. Return to your original position again and look across at your idol and subsequently at the dealer. Notice any subtle changes or not. Repeat the shift to dealer and back 4 more times, each time noticing any macro or micro changes at each juncture before returning to your original position across from your idol. This should take a few minutes and you can take as long as required. Please do not take short cuts as the next step will presume you have done this step thoroughly and properly. Now, from your first position move to the position as the dealer and after a few seconds accommodating that role move carefully and gently to the position of the idol, seeing the person directly across from him or her and the dealer to the left. Stay there for no more than 15 seconds and return to the position as dealer for around 15 seconds before finally returning to first position (as yourself). You may initially find you feel a little “out of body.” This is perfectly normal and won’t last. Make sure you get thoroughly comfortable with first position again. Shift around in the chair until you feel like “yourself” again. If you find you are still feeling a little weird go and do something uniquely “you” until you feel completely normal again. This may be listening to your favourite song or some such thing.

Now what was the point of all that you may ask. Well, it’s quite simple really. The effect of this is threefold. Firstly, how you view things on the poker table may take on a different and more enriched perspective. Secondly, you may discern some interesting observations about the interaction between two players and hone your ability to pick up fine details. Thirdly, you may begin to identify with your idol more readily and this may assist some of your poker habits. You may even get a different perspective on you and how you behave such that you can make some helpful adjustments to improve your results on the felt.

I should point out that this can apply to online games but its main purpose is as a first step to modelling and is designed primarily as an assistance to live play and for better reading of opponents. As you practice this you will notice vast improvements in your reading of others, not just on the felt but elsewhere. This technique is often used in conflict resolution by enabling multiple perspectives on a given situation by all involved parties. In the poker context, multiple perspectives can enrich your experience and render certain matters far more visible and predictable. You can create this triangulation with any player in any position and the more you practice what is called “perceptual position shifting” the greater your ability to pre-empt and read the actions of others will become. I am sure you will agree, a solid grasp of this concept can significantly assist you in the poker context and I trust you will find a way to apply this to your future games. It is well worth your while to practice.

May luck not be the reason you win or lose. Let it only be a companion along for the ride.

Crazy Snake is a professional sports handicapper and amateur poker player. He has made a profit year after year through his knowledge of Aussie Rules Football, NFL, tennis, and golf. He is a senior writer for PokerPlasm.com.