The Actors among Us

There are very few poker players who are not actors.

William Shakespeare was right when he observed that 'all the world is a stage and we are all actors on that stage.' While I may be paraphrasing Shakespeare's actual words, you get the meaning. A policeman is an ordinary human being who puts on a uniform and who acts like a policeman. The Pope is a citizen who dons the Papal robes and says and does things a Pope would do.

At a poker table, appearances are often deceiving. That very mild-appearing elderly woman who reminds you of Aunt Bea in 'Mayberry R.F.D.' may truthfully turn out to be a ruthless, conniving player who would check-raise her own mother.

The man who dresses in bib overalls and looks like a farmer, the clean-cut young person who appears to be a college student, and the well-dressed individual who looks like an insurance salesman or banker may be a poker thief without a conscience. It is up to you to ferret out the truth of who that person is.

All poker players wear masks. Some are more skillfully masked than others, but the face you see sitting across from you is not what it appears to be.

The best way to discover just who it is you are playing against is to get a conversation going at the table. I have often asked a person what he or she does for a living. In most cases, you will receive a straight answer. Some will joke, of course, and some will tell you an outright lie. But more often than not, the answer will give a revealing portrait of the identity of the player.

When a player tries to pump me for information about my hand or something else, my standard reply is, 'I'm sure glad I left my hearing aid at home.'

And while most poker games are social events, they can turn to poker for blood. If the bets are big enough, tempers can shorten and players will give a serious study before deciding whether to fold, call or raise.

That is when the true spirit of poker kicks in.

When you play poker, be sure to put on your own poker mask. Be an actor. Spot the other actors and learn their strengths and weaknesses.

Don't slow-play a monster flop. If there have been raises and re-raises and the flop hits your hand, come out betting. Don't expect the other players to bet for you. Hesitation can be dangerous in a game where everybody is an actor.

Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.

(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).