The Most Important Two Seconds In Poker

You're heads-up in a hand with the player across the table from you, a solid player who isn't afraid to move his chips. Both of you are staring down at the table as the dealer burns one and turns three cards over in the middle. You study the board and see that you have a middle pair and a backdoor flush draw. You look up just as your opponent makes a pot-sized bet. Does he have you beaten, or is he just trying to buy it? You stare at him, hoping to spot something.

But you are already too late.

You're not going to get anything from him except his best poker face. You may have seen him bet and got something from the way he put his chips in. You may remember that last time he made that bet in that situation, he had top pair. But more likely, you missed your best chance to put him on a hand. Why? Because you were staring down at the table, that's why.

The best way to know whether your opponent likes the flop is to see his first reaction to it. And to do that, you need to be looking at his face when the cards are turned over.

But you weren't, were you? You were staring at the board, hoping that your pair would turn into a set, or your suited ace would make some suited friends. And you missed your best chance to spot something on your opponent.

Why do you need to see the cards right when they come out? Are they going to change? No, they're just going to sit there in the middle of the table for the rest of the hand. The cards won't change, but your opponent will. He will go from his first reaction to the one that he wants you to see - his poker face.

Make a promise to yourself that you when you are in this situation, you will be watching the player instead of the flop. Try to pick up his reaction -- his first reaction -- to the cards that come out. And without even looking at the cards themselves, ask yourself whether he likes what he sees or doesn't. After a two or three seconds, you can look down at the flop yourself. If the first action is his, then you can keep watching him until after he bets or checks. Then, you can let your eyes drift down to the cards on the table. They will still be waiting.

Get in the habit of doing this the next time you sit down at the table, and the habit will stay with you throughout your poker career. It's a good habit to pick up, and one that will help you read your opponents immeasurably.

What happens when you have two opponents seeing the flop with you? No problem, just pick one out and watch him. Pick out the one that you are afraid of the most, the one who is capable of betting and raising on any hand. Or pick out the one in last position. He will have the benefit of seeing your bet before he has to make his. Why shouldn't you have the benefit of seeing his reaction to the flop before you make yours? It's only fair, right?

What are you looking for? Anything. A furrowing of the brow. A roll of the eyes. An exhale. Not so much a tell; more like a reaction. But you are looking for a reaction at a time when your opponent doesn't know you are looking. That is why you have to watch him right at the exact instant that he sees the flop. Two seconds later and he's got his guard back up.

Can you do that? Can you live without seeing the flop for two seconds? If you can, you will have a much better read on your opponent. But watching him when you're in the hand with him is not enough.

You should also watch him when you are not in the hand. After all, he will still have the same reaction as he does against you. He'll just be up against other players. Again, pick out one of the players still in the hand and fix your eyes on him when the flop comes out. Try to tell whether he likes his hand or not. When you get a good read on one player, move onto another. It will take awhile for you to learn which expressions signify strength and which reveal weakness. But you won't have to worry about manufactured tells, since the player won't know that you're looking. Eventually, all that staring will pay off, and you'll know what your opponent has even before he bets.

Occasionally, when you are staring at another player while the flop cards are revealed, you will catch them staring back at you. These players are dangerous, and cannot be exploited in the same way. With these players, you should understand that they are keeping their eye on you at all times, so be sure not to give anything away to them. But don't feel like you have to stare them down until they blink or look away. Poker is not a staring contest; you will not lose the hand if you look down first. If you are aware that you are being watched, you will already have your guard up when you look down at the flop. And so will he.

The first two seconds after the flop comes out can be the most useful moment to get a read on your opponent. Don't waste it looking down at the cards.

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