Quote:
Originally Posted by apokerplayer
I agree the neck pulse is over-rated for general reads, for the reasons stated (players can get excited by betting big hands and bluffs).
Having said that, I do think they have their use. Strong, experienced players still get their blood pumping on big bluffs (I've talked to quite a few well-known pros who have told me that) while their big hands they no longer get excited about. That's why at the high-stakes games they wear scarves; because these guys are immune to big hand reactions but still can sweat a bit when pulling a big tourney bluff.
Also, it can be a player-specific thing; if you play with a guy a lot, you might start to notice he has this imbalance.
But yeah, I've never used a neck pulse read myself. Part of this is that I don't play tournaments, and I think it's mainly vs strong players in high-stakes tournaments where you're likely to get in a spot where you felt good acting on such a read. More rec players (like we said) are more all over the place.
So I went to your profile to check you out. Saw your Twitter profile and went to it. I recognized your name and was like, how the hell do I know this guys name?
Your book "Reading Poker Tells" is one of my favorite poker books in print. Truly a well thought out, well researched, well written easy read!
I have taught golf and boxing in my lifetime and often discussed with other teachers and coaches how the mark of a truly good coach, is one who is able to communicate complex ideas simply.
He/she is able to take years of painstaking trial and error experience, condense it and then communicate it to someone all the while recognizing their lack of ( or potential) experience and have it make sense.
Often teachers forget that at certain points in their respective careers certain advanced ideas may have only reached them through years of doing and perhaps introspective thinking. ( I am getting to my final point, I swear)
Your book can communicate to people of ALL poker skill levels and it did so eloquently. I am honored to be involved in a back and forth and I hope you continue to do well with the sales. I recommend it to anyone I meet who wants to get better at poker. In fact your book and Jared Tendlers are my two favorites of all time.
I would love to chat with you about a premise I hatched up about speaking tells and using 2 or 3 canned responses or statements on big river bluffs and big river bets.
ex- I flop a massive draw ( royal draw for sake of argument) in a big pot. I fire all streets only to be left with a big decision at the end, bluff or give up.
I say " Just fold, I got it" or something to that effect. I wonder if the results of that statement could be studied over the course of years?
Inversely if I DO have the nuts in a similar river bet situation and say the same "Just fold, I got it" and what the results are?
I know its always going to be different with different players styles cards settings but I think there is something to be said for my premise. Reason being...
In golf ( I played at a high level) all successful players have a pre shot routine. A series of events repeated over and over and over. A way to lull the brain to sleep to allow the subsconcious to take the wheel during times of pressure and duress.
Why not have a couple canned and rehearsed statements for when you got it and when you dont. So during a bluff you will look calm and cool because your statement has been rehearsed over and over and there will be no flight or flight response and thus look "calm."
Why cant a preshot ( or pre bluff) routine be established? Make the uncomfortable- comfortable by making it commonplace through practice?
( granted this happens with experience but I feel experience can be sped up exponentially if you know what you're going to do/say in big river bet/bluff situations.
respect,
Dan