At its core, poker isn’t a game of cards, but a game of information. When the OGs say, “It’s not about the cards, it’s about the man,” this is what they mean. What is my opponent doing and why? How aggressive or passive are they? How typical or creative is their play? What are all the hands they are likely to play this way (aka their ‘range’)?
When you realize this, you suddenly recognize how important it is to be fully locked in at all times when you’re sitting at the poker table. If information is the game, you need to take advantage of everything that might come in handy in a future pot. Regardless if you’re playing a WSOP event or ACR Poker circuit event, the goal is always to maximize your edge at the table—and table-talk is one of the most underrated ways to do it.
Observing showdowns is the obvious way to learn about your opponent, but you can also use your words as tools to gain more information. Said at the right moment, a short question can cause your opponents to reveal a lot more than they intended, or more than is good for them. Sometimes a single piece of information can bring a disproportionate advantage over the player sitting across the table from you, and it’s your duty as a lover of the game to squeeze it for all its worth.
With that in mind, here are four things you can say at the poker table, and one thing you won’t even have to, that will siphon money out of your opponents.
- “Will you show me if I fold?”
A classic poker line often used by pros to gain information from their opponents. Most casual players can’t help but automatically give the answer that they think will get them what they want. If they’re betting for value and want a call, they’ll say “No,” or some variation of it, usually forcibly, almost as if they’re insulted by the question. And if they’re bluffing and praying for a fold, you’re likely to get a much softer response. Not every time, but more often than not.
- “I show, you show.”
In moments where you could really benefit from seeing your opponent’s hand after you fold, you can try a little psychology trick known as reciprocal (equal) response – a social norm where people react to actions with similar actions, especially ones they deem as positive. So, rather than folding your hand into the muck, you can flip it face-up and invite a reciprocal reveal by smiling and saying “I show, you show.” The trick with this one is not to frame it as a question, but an invitation to connect. You surrender information by showing when you don’t have to, and offer them the opportunity to return the favor if they’re open to it.
- “How much do you have behind?”
Another classic poker line, this one can be used when deciding whether to 3-bet, call an open, or attack the blinds. Paying close attention to the ease, or discomfort, with which your opponents deliver their response, rather than the words they say, is the way to go with this one.
- When they muck after you fold: “Did you want me to call?”
Once the chips are pushed toward your opponent and their hand hits the muck, any information you gain is a bonus. So why not take advantage of the freeroll and try to squeeze out whatever value you can?
You can always ask about their hand directly, “You had the flush, right?” But I’ve found that players react much more openly when they don’t have to reveal their exact holding. Asking a general question like “Did you want me to call?” or “I got bluffed, didn’t I?” will often get a more honest answer and let you extract a little something from the chips you just sent your opponent’s way.
- Watch for a moment
Finally, for all the introverts reading this, you can use this next tip without even saying a word.
Once you decide to call your opponent’s bet on the river, rather than flicking your chips in, take a short moment to pause and observe them closely. How are they acting? How comfortable do they seem? Gather whatever data you can before you pay for the right to see their hand. That way, regardless if you win or lose the hand, you’ll have valuable information the next time you need it.
These tips won’t always get you the result you want, but over the course of a session – and definitely over the course of a few – your ability to collect information and read your opponents will improve, saving you chips when you’re behind and helping add more of them to your stack when you’re ahead.
