THE WORLD'S #1 POKER MANUAL - Card Games

Poker Book, Club Poker
betting strength from him. After catching his full house, John had to change his strategy in order
to build a larger pot for himself. So he used his abnormal behavior to elicit bluffing and betting
action from his opponents: With a jerk, John rose from his seat and faced the player on his left.
Lifting his upper lip to expose his teeth, he bowed and whispered, "Thank you, sir, for my straight
flush." Turning clockwise, John bowed and uttered his thanks to every player. With each bow, he
flashed the jack of hearts and the four of clubs in his carefully arranged hand that concealed his
other three cards. He then slumped into his seat, closed his eyes, lowered his head to the table, and
continued muttering words of thanks.
The first player snorted and bet the maximum. The second player raised. And the third player
called. Without lifting his face from the table, John shoved all his chips toward the pot and said in
a muffled voice. "Reraise the maximum." After long pauses, each player called. Still pressing his
forehead against the table, John spread his full house face-up against the table. All three players
threw down their cards and promptly left the table. Another player stood up and left. The game
had been broken. John grabbed the $110 pot, picked up his chips, and left.
Perhaps John Finn overacted in that last hand, causing the players to flee. But so what? Unlike
private games, each public game is a one-shot combination of opponents. What they think, feel, or
experience has little bearing on future games. So by acting abnormally, John rattled his opponents
and won an extra-large pot on top of the $100 he had won earlier--all while learning to play club
poker in Gardena. If John had not rattled his opponents, he probably would have lost money in
that game--$100 or more. A little planned acting made at least a $300 difference. John exchanged
his initial weakness for a bizarre aggressiveness that intimidated and confused his experienced
opponents into making multiple errors. With careful planning and unorthodox action, he beat his
opponents while learning their game.
2. Casino Poker
Casino poker is easier to learn (especially in the major casinos) than club poker because the nonplaying
casino dealer controls the game and protects the new player by guiding him through unfamiliar rules and
customs. That help from the dealer reduces the new player's technical errors and allows him more
thinking room to analyze the game and execute strategy. The good player makes a wise investment by
toking (tipping) dealers who provide him with pressure-relieving protection and helpful information.
With the dealer's protection and help, the new player can win pots that he might otherwise have lost or
forfeited because of his inexperience. But, in the faster-moving higher-stake games, dealers are more
reluctant to help or protect the newcomer. Yet even here, the inexperienced good player can beat
experienced professionals by rattling them with unorthodox actions.
When he first moved up to higher-scale casino poker, John Finn twice assumed the role of a mute
in order to play in peace and to gain the thinking time necessary to turn certain high-pressure
situations into winning hands. On another occasion, he faked a severe tic to successfully bluff a
professional player out of a $240 lowball pot.
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