Can Socializing With Other Players  Hurt You At The Table?

Poker players obviously have a lot in common with each other. It's natural that they would sit around and talk about tilts, "bad beats," or the river card that went the other way on them. There is always going to be banter at the table, and among some players, that kind of talk might gravitate over to another, more casual, surrounding. face it - poker is a very social game - you experience it in your weekly games at home and the homes of others; you see it on television when the best poker pros in the world face off against each other. Of course, when the game is online, there are chat rooms available which allow the players to communicate with each other - whether it's just to say hello or to trash-talk - and that adds something to the overall experience in cyberspace.

There's a natural camaraderie that often develops between players, probably because they can all identify with what the others go through in the process of trying to beat the odds and each other.

It goes without saying that poker holdem betting is a highly competitive game - one of psychological maneuvers, quick calculations, and mental manipulation. And for many players, that game doesn't stop after they leave the table. What many people may find interesting, and perhaps even instructive, is that some pros actually go out of their way to avoid social situations with other players.

That's because in relaxed, "real world" settings, players are often in the most vulnerable position to give off behavior traits, which can potentially be translated into "tells" at the table.

If he's let his guard down, a player might be showing a tendency of some kind - whether it be a reaction to something positive or unsavory, whether it's surprise or disgust - that a sharp, observant prospective opponent could very well put to use when the game is "on."