When you sit down at a poker table, you immediately need to start collecting and collating information on your opponents. This might start before the cards have been dealt, indicating which personality types are more likely to adopt a certain style of play. But it is after the cards get dealt that you get to really get to work.
All poker players know the value of reading people. It helps you to know when to call a bluff, or when to run one yourself. You are watching your fellow players when they look at their cards, the size of their bet, the speed of their actions when doing this- anything that can help you get a future read on the strength of their hand. You need to become a people-reading expert, a skill which is valuable across life in general. Here are a few pointers on what you might be looking for.
Let’s start with the eyes. They are a great source of information during hands. This is why you see players wearing sunglasses at the table. What might the eyes be telling you at the table or in the office?
Holding eye contact - This is often a sign of confidence, a player is more likely to have a strong hand. You might want to try this approach in your next negotiation.
Staring - A player usually stares at another player to intimidate & try to make the other person crack and reveal micro tells/nonverbal cues. Think of an angry boss when he or she wants to know who’s messed up with a big client and nobody is fessing up! You might be trying to avoid his or her stare if you feel uncomfortable.
Where they look - if they are looking at the chips when the cards are being dealt at the table, they are more likely to make a bet. It’s an intention cue. You can adjust your strategy accordingly. In an office environment, if you are on a Zoom call and someone keeps glancing down, they are probably looking at their phone, are either distracted or disinterested in the subject, or perhaps need a break. It’s information either way.
Blinking - Our blink rate increases when we are nervous. Our blink rate returns to normal when we are relaxed. Average 12/15 blinks per minute.
Pupil dilation - When we see something we like, our eyes widen, and pupils dilate. At the poker tables, if you watch a player closely when they are looking at their cards, you sometimes can spot this micro reaction revealing the strength of their hand. And if you don’t have a strong hand, you might want to consider your steps carefully.
Eye blocking - Non-verbal cue that protects the eyes from seeing something undesirable. Perhaps the player will rub his arm across his face. In a business environment, this could be a brief touch of the eyes during a conversation or someone taking their glasses off to rub their eyes. We all know people who do this more frequently than others, and perhaps they are telling you more than they want when they do.
We hope this provides some insight into a small part of just one of the themes we love to cover with our Fifty-Two seminars and keynote speeches. We’ll be adding more non-verbal skills to this article in the future, but we don’t want to give away all our secrets…