Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Keeping your face straight
• Part 2 of 3: Improve your posture
• Part 3 of 3: Maintaining a neutral voice
• Tips
• Warnings

A good poker face means that you don't show any positive or negative reactions, keep your body in a relaxed position and interact with other players calmly when playing poker. This can become difficult when the tension is high, but is necessary when playing poker. However, by mastering and applying certain techniques, you can relax your face and avoid unwittingly revealing important information through your body language. After mastering the poker face, you will be winning at poker in no time!

To step

Part 1 of 3: Keeping your face straight

1. Relax your face. Your face is the first to reveal information that could cost you a game of poker. Controlling your emotions and reactions regarding the hands dealt to you is an important part of poker. Any form of expression costs you preponderance in situations with your opponents. Clear your mind, loosen the muscles of your face to loosen the muscles, take a deep breath and relax.
   • You want to be in control of the situation and if you are too stressed you can lose that control.
   • Hiding your reactions is power because no one knows what you are thinking or what you are going to do.
2. Make eye contact with others. You can gain the upper hand by showing people that you are confident and intimidate them by looking the other players straight in the eye. Looking at other people also shows that you have nothing to hide, so they don't know what to expect from you. Look at the bridge of their nose until they look away and stay focused.
3. Blink occasionally to avoid staring. Staring into space or focusing too hard on your cards is also a way to destroy your poker face. It either shows that you are not paying attention or that you are concerned about your hand and your odds. Don't forget to blink every now and then so your eyes don't dry out while you're concentrating.
   • Excessive blinking can also appear nervous, so don't overdo it. There's a balance between blinking enough not to stare and resting your eyes on something so they don't fly around.
   • Staring too tight can also cause your shoulders to rise and your posture to suffer.
   • Focusing too hard on one thing can also distract you visually, causing you to miss an important moment in the game.
4. Keep your lips together and relax your jaw. Your mouth is the main support for your facial muscles, and any tension, smile, frown, or grin affects the rest of your face. First relax your lower jaw by letting it hang loose, creating a space between your teeth. Open and close your mouth a few times to relax even more.
   • Avoid showing your teeth. Whether it's a small grin or a grimace, visible teeth mean your mouth is moving and movement can give you away.
   • Don't grind your teeth. Your jaw tells you whether you are tense.
5. Look straight ahead. Don't look up or to the left or right from the corners of your eyes. These are all small clues to your opponents that you have something to hide, be it a good or a bad hand. It's hard to do, but minimize your eye movement. Even strabismus or excessive eyebrow raises can give away your reaction.
6. Wear sunglasses to hide where you look. Wear sunglasses to protect yourself so you don't have to worry about giving something away through your eyes. Sunglasses won't be a problem indoors if you have enough lighting.

Part 2 of 3: Improve your posture

1. Relax your posture. Take a deep breath, lift your shoulders to your ears, then drop them again. Arch your back and then let it return to a natural upright position. Shake any tense limbs and roll your head around on your neck. All of this will help you return to proper posture and break the tension that you have built up that can reveal nervousness.
2. Avoid fidgeting or correcting your body or clothes. Whether you are excited or nervous, small tendencies clearly betray your emotions. Notice if you are exhibiting small movements resulting from nervous energy. Watch yourself to make sure you don't exhibit any of the following tics:
   • Crack your knuckles
   • Nail biting
   • Tap with your fingers
   • Pull on your collar or tie, or pull on the sleeves of your shirt
   • Rubbing your face or wringing your hands or rubbing your arms
3. Divert tension to something else. Hold a stress ball or curl your hand into a fist to absorb any tension your body is putting away. It can be difficult to relax your entire body, so if you have to exert yourself, try to focus on only one part of your body.
   • Hide any movement or tension you have. For example, hold your fist under the table or press your knees together to redirect any tension to a place where no one can notice.
   • Don't hold your cards too tight or you will get white knuckles from the tension in your tendons.

Part 3 of 3: Maintaining a neutral voice

1. Speak in an even and balanced tone. Your voice is also able to reveal your emotions. A vibration in your voice or jumping to another octave while speaking is an easy way for your opponents to see through you. Clear your throat or take a deep breath before speaking so that you have enough air to speak in a neutral register.
2. Keep your words limited and simple. Stick to the facts and you don't need too many words. Stumbling over your sentences, stuttering, or saying "eh" often shows that you are nervous or insecure. Short and sweet is how to talk when you are in a stressful situation.
   • One-word answers are acceptable, especially in high-stakes games such as poker. In any case, you should focus more on the game instead of setting up a tree with your opponents.
   • If you are playing a game with friends and there is no real money at stake, the atmosphere can be a bit more relaxed so it is no problem to have a chat. Just control yourself when you judge your hand.
3. If you don't want to talk, nod your head. When the dealer or someone else asks you a question, it is acceptable to simply answer "yes" or "no" by nodding or shaking your head.If you'd rather not say anything because you're afraid your voice will give you away, just use relaxed body language to convey your answer.
   • To distract yourself and not speak up, you can chew gum or keep snacks with you at the table.
   • It helps to think about what you want to say before speaking. This way you can avoid sounding excited or disappointed.
4. Confuse your opponents by talking constantly. To be completely counterintuitive, instead of remaining silent, you can comment on any hand or result treated. You can also weave in false reactions to throw off your opponents. Constant talking can also distract your opponents by diverting their attention from the game to what you are saying.
   • Bluff is an important part of poker. For example, you can receive a bad hand and pretend you just got a winning hand.
   • If you are consistently inconsistent with your responses, no one will be able to guess your true responses. This is much more difficult to do, but it can work to your advantage.

Tips

• Practice in front of a mirror.
• Practice keeping your responses to a minimum, then showing no responses at all.

Warnings

• You could think of everyday things like chores or a grocery list to distract yourself from the game and maintain a neutral expression. But don't get so distracted that you no longer pay attention to the game.