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

I got my start as a professional poker player early in 2003 as a proposition player in Cripple Creek, Colorado. A prop is a player paid an hourly wage by the house to start games and keep games going. Located nearly two miles above sea level, Cripple Creek is a former boomtown one hour west of Colorado Springs hidden behind Pike’s Peak. It’s close enough that there’s always people there, but far enough away that there usually aren’t many people there. The purpose of a prop is to fill in those dead times.

I would show up for work at noon along with another prop. If anybody was there already then they were expecting us, because we always arrived at noon looking for a game. We wore street clothes and didn’t identify with the casino unless asked, as required by law. Eventually a pair of guys would walk in looking for a poker game, see the pair of us, and then we’re golden. Let’s play poker. If we weren’t there, then they might leave and go somewhere else. The toughest part about keeping a live poker game together is dealing that first hand. Once you get the cards into the air, the rest takes care of itself. As the day wanes, more cowboys stroll in, the game fills up, and my shift is over at 10pm, so I head home.

Many times I would want to stay and keep playing because the game was so good by that point at 10pm, but I couldn’t because that was against the law. I could play in the game if the casino I worked for was paying me to do so, but I could not play in that same game if I was off duty, because I worked at that casino. Since my job description was to start games earlier in the day and keep games going later in the evening, I learned better how to be a host of a live poker game before I mastered any technical aspect of poker.

If you’re the pro, then you’re the one responsible for the game. You’ll often be there first. Make sure the table is neat, the chairs are squared, and things are ready to go as soon as possible. Get to know the names of the regulars. Don’t just get to know their names, get to know who they are. You’ll be amazed by the people that you come across in a poker game and the doors that will be opened to you by simply being a gracious host. Just be yourself and pretend like you’re having buddies over to your garage to play cards.

Getting the cards into the air is the hardest part about starting a game. Poker is a game that can be played by any amount of people, but most people do not like playing poker shorthanded, especially live. Most live poker players are there for the social aspect, an activity to do outside of the house. The game and the gamble is simply the backdrop for the entertainment. They have very little experience playing poker shorthanded and it makes them uncomfortable. Therefore, when you’re in this spot and it’s you and your wizard colleague versus two friendly novices, it’s imperative to coax them into the game. Bring your C-game at best until the table starts filling up or you realize that your opponents are gamers. Play hardest against your colleague when shorthanded, so they know you’re not in cahoots. If you are in cahoots, then stop and strongly consider your morals and ethics.

So many times over the years I’ve seen this done wrong and watched a guy with no chance of going home with money get fleeced for it all in the first hour after starting the game. I’m like, great, you got him, but we missed on the six others that we would have seen tonight had the game run for six hours. Now the game’s over because you two guys don’t want to play three-handed. This is bad for your game regardless if you’re in Las Vegas or Little Rock. If your game isn’t regular then you won’t have regulars, and regulars are the lifeblood of any game or casino. You want the game to run long and get really good, not last an hour.

Make the game fun. Play honorably and professionally and others will follow your example. Play quickly because people are there to gamble and if you don’t let them gamble then they won’t gamble with you anymore. Do not talk about strategy at the table unless put on the spot, in which case answer truthfully because y’all are friendly people hanging out playing cards. This is in an important distinction. If regulars in a game know you’re the regular pro, when they ask you a question about strategy they are serious and want an answer. They know you know the answer and they’re done talking about it amongst themselves and they’re finally giving up and seeking resolution. Answer truthfully. If you do not, then they will know it and you will be that jerk pro that doesn’t care about anything but taking their money, and that will cost you money in the long term. If asked a question about strategy in a game of irregulars who likely won’t play again, politely defer, ideally answering questions with questions to get them to keep talking.

Make friends. Most of the amazing people that I’ve met in my life started at the poker table and continued at dinner or the bar after playing cards. Poker is the ultimate equal opportunity game I know of, bringing people of all demographics into an equal opportunity, and then throwing in variance that represents real life so well. Sometimes good people get in car wrecks and bad people win the lottery, but that’s poker. Be good and good things will happen to you in the long run. ♠

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