Caught Despite the Pokerface

It’s been a while. Let’s talk poker.

Anyone not familiar with the game will say it’s a lure into the ruthless jaws of a gambling addiction. Ask any seasoned pro, or even avid player, and they’ll say it’s the art of trickery. The act of fooling someone into thinking something else seems to be its biggest appeal.

As easy as it sounds, it’s a difficult task to master. Amateurs will often overlook your slight tells. More talented plays will analyze everything. And those that have potential will fervently examine their game as objectively as possible and make the effort to improve. But the only constance in poker is the tell. It can be concealed to a certain extent but never truly eliminated.

I’m still trying to identify each and every one of my tells, like any ambitious poker player would. It’s hard to bluff, let alone concealing it once you’ve been discovered. All of the typical symptoms manifest themselves, all the more betraying any crumbling defenses.

Perhaps the most effective in recent games has been flattery and comedy. Not the most likely choice of weapons, but nonetheless deadly. Also a more unique quality to Filipino games is the ‘kantyawan’ aspect. Subject yourself to this battery round after round and you’ll find that it’s the psychological equivalent of fire arrows — small and seemingly harmless, but deadly in large numbers.

The best practice is always conversation, as I’ve found out the hard way earlier today. The table had called my bluff regarding a matter and I was trying my best, feigning embarrassment, to avoid admission. But they could tell, nevertheless. Perhaps it was my cheeky smile, or maybe because I took too long to put the chips on the table.