Reading others at the table and online is a key skill. Reading people in “real life” follows suit. Perhaps as a reaction to this time of political correctness in speaking, we love to say that we never judge others based on looks alone. Saying that we’d never judge a book by its cover is a sweet sentiment, but it is totally inaccurate. In fact, psychology will tell us that we instantly judge everyone and everything that we encounter. Learning how we read others, and the common mistakes that we make when reading, is sure to provide for financial dividends in poker.

The Initial Read & Passing Judgment

It is innate and natural to project expectations on whatever (and whoever) we come across. For instance, we will always judge the plate of food that we are served on looks alone. We are often thinking, “That looks tasty.” Taste could be a sensation that is completely separate from sight, but our past experiences have melded expectations in our mind to allow us to instantly judge food by seeing it. Likewise, while walking down the street a young couple saw a dog running across a neighbor’s lawn toward them. A dog person, the husband judged the dog to be friendly (based on looks and demeanor) and leaned over to greet the pooch. The wife judged differently, and she pulled away while being visibly guarded. Although they had the same basic information in front of them to catch a read on the animal, their reactions were exactly opposing.

In live casinos, every player is actively trying to read his/her opponents at the table within the first moments that they are seated. When playing online, reading others becomes even more difficult as many of the social and appearance cues that we use are masked. Still, the mind endeavors to label each opponent with an initial read as early as possible.

The Self-Serving Slant

After we pass initial judgment, we then begin to look for evidence to support our judgment. Our minds usually lead us to a self-bias slant, meaning that we have an internal drive to be correct. It is a powerful, self-boosting feeling to feel right and justified. This biased outlook causes us to inadvertently ignore many things that may be proof of a different reality to the read. Proving yourself wrong leads towards cognitive dissonance, an uncomforting feeling where your mind re-hashes what you assumed was a truth. In other words, if you expect the food to be tasty, you are more likely to pick out characteristics that justify labeling it as good in your mind. If the food is terrible and your mistaken read cannot be rationalized, you are forced to begin re-thinking your initial evaluation. This disheartening exercise may affect your next judgment on a plate of served food.

Reading and Poker

The reading cycle has big ramifications during online and live play. While online, your mind is screaming with desperation to pass judgment on the other players on the table. It is an automatic exercise, but the mind has difficulty due to the lack of information available. You cannot see the players and grasp their demeanor, which is where we often gain key insights. This leads many players to allow themselves to make foolhardy initial evaluations based on those very limited bits of info – the opposition’s screen name, the amount they bought-in for, the avatar they chose, the chat they type, or their play after only a few hands. This is dangerous and costly if you allow it to occur.

On the other hand, you can use it to your advantage if you know that others will inevitably allow this sort of information to seep into their thinking. It is apparent that a screen name of wild_turkey or bluffman may get perceived with prejudice. If you would like to get many callers, keenly present information that makes you appear to be loose and wild. Know that your opponents will allow themselves to mindlessly balloon inconsequential bits of information. It takes a cognitive effort to combat the automatic judgment and self-serving bias, and most people online (and in life) are simply on cruise control with their cognitions. Understand and monitor your reads, while taking advantage of those who incorrectly read you. Now go make it happen.

In addition to being a poker enthusiast, John is a certified Counselor in the state of Pennsylvania and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). He has a Master of Arts degree in Counseling from West Virginia University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Lock Haven University. You can find out more about the psychology of poker from “the Poker Counselor” at carlisle14@hotmail.com.