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Maryann Guberman has been a writer and editor with many gaming publications, including Sports Form, Card Player, Poker World, Player's Panorama and Systems and Methods. She also has written and edited numerous books on gambling.

Jan 31, 2009

Silence is Golden

Over the past few years, we've observed a lot of jabbering at the poker tournament table. We have the loudmouth, hyperactive player who just can't pass up the chance to sing, dance and rub his success in the face of his opponent. We have the seeker of truth who uses tactful banter to try to elicit information in any form from his opponent. We have the sultry beauty whose voice could charm a snake charmer attempting to throw off her gullible target. We have the tantrums from the guys who forgot to grow up. We have the guys who think that conversation with the railbirds and fans is more important than the action at the table, but that's a different story altogether.

True, not everyone gets into this pattern of patter, but so many players engage in some kind of what I think of as verbal excess at the table that I'm beginning to wonder just how strong any of this is.

Let's say you are up against Phil Hellmuth. You bet and he raises. You call after a brief hesitation and all of a sudden Phil is beginning to interrogate you. He wants to know how you, a lowly club player, could challenge him, the top-of-the-heap pro. What could you possible have to beat me? Don't you know I don't bluff? You're bluffing, aren't you? You think I can fold this hand?

Eventually Phil calls or raises. It doesn't matter which at this point, and play continues. What's important is that the same kind of testy talk ensues, not just after the flop and turn, but on to the river where it intensifies.

You can't possibly think you have the best hand. Can you beat aces up? I'll give you a grand to show one card. If I fold, will you show me your hand? I'll give you two grand.

On and on and on until finally, after all the theatrics are finished, Phil calls and both players reveal their cards. It doesn't matter who has the better hand, at least not as far as our point is concerned. Who takes the money is secondary to the real question and that question, surprisingly, doesn't have anything to do with how much information Phil received because of his poker talk.

The real question is: How much did Phil reveal, not just to the amateur on this hand but to all the players at the table who will likely get into action with him sometime soon?

Now I can't answer the question but it's a theory I have and I'm planning to pick two or three players of note and study the play that's shown on TV. Since none of the players will get full attention, we all know that as soon as a verbal battle accompanies a crucial hand, the cameras are on top of it. I also plan to watch videos from previous tournaments, both World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour. The only drawback I can see is that I'll already know what each player holds.

But as we all know, it's not the cards you play, it's not even how you play the cards. Here, it's the people you play and how you play the people.