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It seems that many serious players in poker, in trying perhaps to project a minimum of tells, project a kind of moody, somber, or even sinister effect, sunglasses and sun-visors sealing off unshaven faces as if they had a pair of six-shooters under the table. One wonders whether they know what exactly they are trying to gain or whether they simply underestimate the influence of appearance on their own game and on the players around them.

There must certainly be some idea lurking behind their Halloween masks. Very likely they are trying to confuse and discompose opponents by putting on an intimidating show, discouraging players from meeting their bets and challenging their banks. A kind of sulky bully persona which, I think, in many cases stems at least partly from the simple inability to create any other image of oneself. As with the actual sulky street bully type, it betokens a somewhat anxious lack of imagination. Some persons may certainly be actually comfortable with and good at precisely such impersonation. But with many there is a feeling that they hide, rather than project a well thought-out image.

If you have not carefully considered the actual benefits of your image, I am not sure how effective the bully persona finally is. Even if somewhat an effective deterrent – and it is likely to work on somebody; which, however, is not a guarantee of overall effectiveness – in the end it is most likely to attract the kind of opponents you would rather have avoided in the first place. It is like setting a decoy vulture, instead of a decoy duck, and attracting more unwanted vultures rather than the desired game.

You may attract, though rarely, the kind of professional that really is sinister and intimidating. He may intimidate you out of your chips. This, of course, will make him impossible to get rid of. They are getting exactly what they wanted.

You may be putting on that stern impassive face to make you appear like a more serious and focused professional, more concentrated than the rest of the players at the table. The problem is, though, that anyone who plays poker, whether rookie or expert, is not going to be able to hang on to an impassive demeanor. If your image is not projecting any of what is really you, it may quash your ability to be conversational and enjoy the game. And, in fact, your energy may be expended on maintaining that phony image rather than on winning at poker.

Though one is not advised to be fully natural in poker, one had better create an image which is the most natural to impersonate. A more “openly” social image may take some practice to maintain, but it will result in your greater enjoyment of the game and greater focus, since your mind will be busy doing what it more or less enjoys.

Don’t even try to keep up an image that is totally at odds with who you really are. You will not reach your full potential this way, since you are locked into an uncomfortable position. Save your energy for the cards and observation of those personae around you and how they play the game.

So, big shades and big hats and appearing like a bandit with a fast draw only seems to require less effort than developing a persona that is closer to the true you. If you are a professional player, you will spend time observing yourself and envision the player you wish to become. In time you will be this player and have more luck at the table.

The author is a full time online poker player and makes the majority of his income from his online play and rakeback at Cake Poker. To sign up for a Rakeback account of your own visit Rakeback Solution.