Let’s face it. The idea of bluffing isn’t restricted only to poker, as most people would have us believe. Think about it; deceiving those around us, whether good or bad, always has been a trait of humanity. Thus, for better or worse, the ability to bluff and recognise a bluff can be a vital skill to know. Who knows, it might be the reason we win with the latest odds at Casumo.
How Often Do Professional Players Bluff?
When we think about how often professional players bluff, it comes down to the context of the situation. As with any game, there are many variables. Still, most serious poker players will often tell us that poker is played with strategy. So, the question becomes, what are these strategies and can we learn them?
Body Language
Anyone who has ever called out someone on a bluff has observed an individual’s social cues. Based on these cues, it’s possible to ‘read’ someone’s intentions and, therefore, tell what they’re thinking. At least, this is what it comes down to when we oversimplify things. Let’s dive in.
Eyes
It has been said that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Some common tells to identify are when pupils contract or expand, depending on the emotion. They expand for the person is having feelings of joy, affection or bliss. On the other side of the coin, pupils will close for emotions of the opposite nature: Anger, fear and hatred.
Feet
Joe Navarro, former FBI agent and author of the book, What Every Body Is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People, shares a wealth of knowledge on the subject. Drawing from decades of real-life experience of reading people from all walks of life, Navarro said one of the most prominent signs to look out for is what a person’s feet are doing.
Navarro shares that when people experience feelings of happiness, their feet usually point upwards. This is due to the brain’s limbic system, which makes our body want to represent things in an upwards movement of sorts. Pay attention to your own feet and you’ll notice your toes and or feet tend to point upwards when you’re feeling happy.
This behaviour is the result of the limbic system part of the brain. Our brain system is responsible for regulating and automating our emotional behaviour, amongst other things. Thus, this type of behaviour is universal and a strong marker for identifying a truth or a lie.
Closing Thoughts
The ability to recognise a bluff isn’t a simple skill to learn. Moreover, even when recognising a sign of deception, it’s still not enough for us to determine anything conclusive because signs of lying are usually presented in a cluster of other signs. As a result, there are differences between poker players and non-poker-playing gamblers, so always be vigilant when playing.
Additionally, for those of us that would like to test our skills of reading other people, we might also want to head over to view the gambling states to increase our chances. It’s just one click away.
