How exactly does one put on a "poker face"?

Question

Iv read other responses to this question on yahoo most of which say that you should "show no emotion" " have an expressionless face"... but surely it's more complicated than giving someone a deathly stare? people can decipher others emotions through intuition can they not?

Answer 1

not true... poker is not about bluffing, and is not all about winning with an inferior hand... the goal in poker is:

"to obtain the highest rate of return on every descision you make, making assumptions about your opponents actions represent, and finding the best line given those assumptions"

-the bryce: stoxpoker.com

edit: whats up with the thumbs down people?  it shouldnt be a concern or scare you to have people starring into you, it doesnt matter what they decide you are FEELING,  if you make good descisions consistently, you will win anyways.  poker face is overrated and shouldnt be a concern to an aspiring player. good luck,

Dylan

Answer 2

Having a poker face, is merely the art of having a dead pan expressionless face during a game of poker.

The whole idea of poker is that there will be times when you must win the game with an inferior hand.  You need to be able to conceal the fact you are lying by not doing anything to convey to your opponent that you are bluffing.

So it's not so much as a 'deathly stare' which in and of itself could give away information.  It's more just a case of expressing no emotion on your face, or with your body language.

Answer 3

You are correct that the typical definition of a "poker face" is to stare your opponent down with a deadpan, unflinching expression. But that's not really necessary. You just need to avoid changing your expression, actions, and body language based on the cards in your hand.

The key to avoiding giving off tells is to find out your natural tendencies, and do whatever you need to do to stop anything that is giving away your hand. I found out a long time ago that I had a hard time looking people in the eyes when I was bluffing, so now I stare at my opponent's hands or the community cards (depending on where they are sitting) while they are making a decision, regardless of what I'm holding.

I suggest you pick up some books on tells (such as Caro's Book of Tells) and see if any of them are things you are doing. Then you can do what you need to do to avoid giving off tells. If you really want to go hardcore, watch Chris Ferguson and copy him. His posture, movements, and speed of play are exactly the same on every single play of every single hand.