Are You Listening, Are You Listening, Poker John?

It's the new year, and like most, I have made many New Year's resolutions. This year, I vow to listen. Would you like to join me?

As I was growing up, I was a mischievous kid and was constantly reprimanded. My mom or dad would tell me what I did wrong, and then I'd hear those infamous words, "Are you listening?"

During my school years, I was a daydreamer. I was constantly off in some dreamworld instead of paying attention. All of a sudden the teacher would ask me a question, and having no clue what she was talking about, I'd again hear those words, "Are you listening?" Now, I'm a grown man with all of the responsibilities of being an adult. At night when I'm watching TV with my wife and she's talking, I am totally zoned out to her and hear those same words, "Are you listening?"

We often find ourselves off in a dreamworld or concentrating on things other that what we are supposed to be concentrating on, but when it comes to poker, concentration is key, and it's the one thing for which I put my daydreaming and other thoughts out of my mind.

So, I ask, when you are playing poker, are you listening?

You ask, what is there to listen to? I'm here with my headphones, listening to my favorite music or sports. I pay attention only when I'm in a hand.

Well, there's a lot to listen to. First and foremost is table chatter. People ofttimes don't realize how much they give away while they're at the table. Sometimes you'll find that one guy who says, "I hate betting heads up even though I've got you beat," or, "You checked the turn and let me get there," or, "Every time I go for a flush, I miss," or, in the middle of a hand, "Change the deck, dealer," before he folds.

These valuable tidbits, along with many others, may save you bets or enable you to make bets to steal a pot.

But just as important are the things you can't hear. How can you listen to things you can't hear? It's easy, because during the game, the game itself is talking! You just may not have been listening.

Betting: Every bet that's made is telling you something, which is also true about every check. Ask yourself these questions:

Who made the bet or check and, in your opinion, why?

What position is he in, and what should he have in that position?

Who raised or check-raised? What is the purpose of the raise?

Who made it three bets, and does this player do it often?

What has a player done in the past or on other betting rounds?

Is the player solid? Can he tilt? Is he tilting now?

All of these things and more are telling you something. So, the question is: Are you listening?

Mannerisms: Every player has mannerisms, and listening and watching for these mannerisms can uncover a tell:

Does a player usually lean back in his chair, but now he has nudged up to the table?

Has a player who usually wears headphones taken them off for this hand?

Has a player who was eating put his fork down?

Has a player who was talking now stopped?

Will a player look you in the eyes, or is he staring blankly at the middle of the table?

All of these things and more are telling you something. Are you listening?

The Cards: At the moment that you see your cards, you know if you want to play a hand, and at every stage of a hand, the cards themselves are telling you something:

Is this a hand I want to play? What has to happen in the betting for me to play or not play the hand?

What has the flop done for my hand? What has it done for the other players' hands?

What did the original bettor do? What card do you think he needed?

What cards are out there, and how do they affect my possibilities?

The same type of "listening" applies to the turn and river:

How have those cards affected the betting?

What did the original bettor do?

Outside of a particular hand, you should listen to how you're running:

Am I on a rush, or are my cards cold?

Am I making my draws, or getting drawn out on?

Should I rebuy, or take my losses and come back another day?

Is there another table that's better suited to me?

I think it's important to remember that not all things heard are verbal, and that the things you learn from nonverbal sources are at least as important as the things you learn from verbal sources.

So, I ask you, are you listening?