I Wish I Knew Then What I Know Now: The Art of Live Poker

The art of live poker came naturally to me, rooted, I’m sure, in my charisma and years of experience working as a guide for people in various forms before poker ever became a profession to me. For years I used poker as an enabler for my nomadic tendencies that often landed me in seasonal employment. Since then, I’ve put in thousands of hours sitting at a poker table surrounded by people and have learned a few things about what works and what doesn’t.

First and foremost, we all must remember that live poker is a social game. It’s a game of people. If you are an amateur at the game, then you should be playing poker to have fun. If you’re not having fun, then you probably have a gambling problem and should do something else with your money that you will enjoy. If you are a professional poker player, then you are a facilitator to the fun, you are an entertainer. If you aren’t enhancing the experience of the amateurs around you, then eventually you will lose your customers.

Don’t wear sunglasses. Eye contact is important to interaction, and if you’re hiding behind sunglasses then you’re probably an idiot and not very much fun to play poker with. If you want to wear sunglasses to conceal information, fine, just do it when you’re in a hand and need to conceal information, not whenever you’re inside a poker room.

A talkative table is a good table. If conversation is happening, then people are being social and probably enjoying themselves. Games that are social and jovial are the best games. Action is looser, moods are lighter, and everybody has more fun. If you are naturally charismatic, then use that skill. Talk to your neighbors, smile, and do whatever you can to make the game enjoyable. If chatting it up is not a natural trait of yours, that’s okay, and like any muscle, it can be strengthened. Ask questions, and, then you don’t have to talk anymore. They talk, and conversation is started.

I’m cool with headphones, but I’m not cool with them being automatic. Some tables aren’t talkative, sometimes your neighbors are awfully annoying, sometimes you just really aren’t in the mood to talk. This is a good time to use your headphones. It’s awfully difficult to have a conversation with somebody wearing headphones.

Don’t talk about strategy if you are a professional player. You want your opponents to continue to happily make mistakes. If your amateur opponents want to talk about strategy, that’s fantastic, because knowing your enemy and how they think is good for you. You certainly don’t want to correct them though.

Never, ever, ever, under any circumstance, criticize a player at a poker table no matter who you are. If somebody makes a bad play, great. Yup, that beats me, throw your cards in the muck, and move on to the next hand. If you are a professional, then you never have any excuse for being critical with an amateur opponent. Just because somebody is bad at poker doesn’t make them an idiot or bad at life. Often at the higher stakes the amateurs are the true winners, being so smart and good at what they do away from the poker table that they can afford to play a high stakes game that they are losers at.

I admire Cary Katz. The man is hugely successful in the real world, and willingly spends his time playing poker. For the longest time I thought he was simply a West coast professional poker player with a perfect disposition. He’s always pleasant, always cordial, respectful, and great to be around. He plays poker good and hard every time he plays, because he loves it. The world would be a better place with more Carys in it. I can only imagine that his involvement in poker has limits though. If poker is no longer enjoyable to him, then he’s done.

Some of the best games in the country run regularly in North Carolina. Gatherings of good ol’ boys sprinkled with professional poker players happen in the backwoods daily. These are guys that have money, time, and like to hang out and play cards. My friend who plays in these games regularly, after complaining to me that these boys’ desire to go dig worms is killing his poker game, mentioned that the social aspect of the game is the number one thing that keeps it together. They know he’s a professional poker player, but they like him, and they like his competition, so he gets to keep playing.

All poker games have regulars. This community is key to the longevity of your game. If people can afford the stakes and like the company, then they will keep coming back, and the game will always be good. When new money stops coming into the game, then eventually professionals are playing against professionals and the game will be bad and die.

As ambassadors of the game of poker, we don’t have to do much. The game itself is already captivating, gambling is a natural draw, and playing cards is a pastime. Never forget that your job as a professional poker player is to entertain. If everybody wants to hang out, play silly, drink beer, and have a good time, then join them. Order a beer. You don’t have to get wasted, because you’re there to work and make money, but being a part of the party makes the game better and improves your action. Don’t be the guy that nobody likes to play with.

Tip staff when you should. Don’t tip because you should, but tip because you were served well. If you do this properly, then you will reap the benefits. When I was grinding regularly in Vegas, I would often get phone calls from floormen where I was a regular and whom I had tipped telling me about good games forming. I had an in to get seats in the best games without having to always be at the poker room, and I realized massive profits on well timed tips.

Smile. Don’t be a jerk. Remember that we’re playing a game. Have fun playing the game and you will be contagious to others around you, and they’ll have more fun too. If people continue to have fun playing poker with you then they will continue to play poker with you, and if they don’t then they will find a new game. ♠

Bryan Devonshire has been a professional poker player for nearly a decade. With over $2 million in tournament earnings, he also plays high-stakes mixed games against the best players in the world. Follow him on Twitter @devopoker.