1. Systemization and Blandness

To prevent opponents from reading his hand or sensing his strategy, the good player systemizes his—

• procedures for observing opponents
• physical movements
• verbal expressions
• vocal tones.

While playing his hand, the good player is seldom an actor. Instead he practices a bland behavior that—

• minimizes his readable patterns or tells
• frustrates and confuses his opponents
• allows greater concentration.

A good player never loses interest in his hand until the moment he folds. If opponents can sense his intention to fold before his turn, they will become more defensive when he does hold a playable hand, thus decreasing his edge odds.

Improvised acting while playing a hand is usually ineffective because the act does not develop from a well-planned basis. Yet when not involved in the action, the good player has many opportunities to act effectively on a carefully planned basis. Occasionally while playing in a hand, he deviates from his systemized behavior when he knows a certain behavior will cause an opponent to make a desired move (call, drop, bet, or raise).

“What’s John doing now?” Scotty Nichols whines. He rubs his whiskered face while wondering if he should call John’s $50 raise. “Can’t ever read him.”

“That’s ‘cause he sits like a tree stump,” Quintin Merck says. “Gives you nothing to grab. You guys that act are easy to read.”

John Finn will act, however, when he is reasonably certain of his opponents’ reactions. Consider that hand in which he is supposedly sitting like the tree stump:

Wanting Scotty to call, John lets his fingers creep into the pot and spread out the money. He pulls out the big bills and lays them on top. Scotty stares at the money; he is a loser, and winning that pot would make him even… he licks his lips and calls.

Poor Scotty never should have called. His kings-up two pair were no match for John’s full house. Was John acting? Yes, because Scotty was undecided and John varied his own behavior to make him call. John also did some long-range acting toward Quintin Merck. How was that? Quintin observed John’s maneuver to make Scotty call. John heard Quintin snort when Scotty fell into the trap.

The following week, John and Quintin are battling for a large pot. John raises… Quintin scratches his head and then starts to call. John’s fingers creep into the pot and spread out the money. He pulls out the big bills and lays them on top. Quintin snorts, shows his three deuces to everyone, and then folds with a prissy smile. His smile snaps into a frown when John throws his hand face up on the table. His hand this time? A four flush.

Why did Quintin fall into that trap? He forgot that John would not apply the same tactic toward a poor player like Scotty as he would toward a sound player like Quintin. John plays against the individual as well as the situation.