Small talk can be a downfall
Many people play poker to try to win money. Others simply enjoy the competition, mental stimulation and social interaction that the game provides. There’s no denying that sitting at a poker table, consuming a cold beverage and chatting up your neighbor is an enjoyable experience.
But beware, players: Whatever you say at the table can and will be used against you. Poker is a game of information, and you may be giving away valuable info whenever you open your mouth.
One man who excels at taking advantage of such information is poker pro Mark Kroon, who is known as a chatterbox.
“I love to talk at the table, find out what they do for a living,” says Kroon. “I think that’s the most important thing — talking at the table to get the information, especially from the people two to my left and two to my right, the people I’m going to play the most against. Also, I feel when players think I’m their friend, they’re not going to try to steal from me. If I feel like I’m their friend, I tell them I’m not going to steal from them, especially on the break. Of course, that’s just part of the game that we play.”
In a recent tournament Kroon was up to his usual antics when action folded to him on the button, a prime spot from which to steal the blinds and antes.
Kroon held 4d 8h, a pretty terrible hand, but after telling the blinds that he’d never steal, Kroon tried doing just that by putting in a raise. The player in the big blind didn’t believe him and defended to see an Ac Qd 5s flop.
The big blind checked and Kroon bet again, continuing with the story that he held a legitimate hand and wouldn’t try to steal without one. The big blind called once again, the 2d appeared on the turn, and Kroon fired out another big bet. This time, the bluff worked and the opponent folded.
Kroon has an affable personality, so it’s hard not to fall into his trap. It starts with innocent conversation, but before long the information you reveal may be used against you.
“I love finding out who is going to re-enter (rebuy tournaments) and who’s not going to re-enter,” Kroon says. “If I’m sitting at your table, the first thing I’m going to ask is if you’ve rebought. You can pick up a lot of chips near the end of the rebuy period with that information.”
If Kroon knows you’re not planning to rebuy, he’ll increase the pressure on you simply because you’ll be less likely to play back and gamble than someone who is prepared to pony up another entry fee.
“In the World Series of Poker,” Kroon says, “one of the things I like to do to players I’ve never seen before in my life, I love to sit there and say, ‘Hey, you again. I can’t believe we’re playing together again.’ They’ll look at me and I’ll say, ‘Didn’t I play with you last WSOP?’ They’ll say, ‘No, I’ve never played before. This is my first World Series event.’ You get so much information if they’ve never played before. You can automatically peg them as a weaker player.”
I don’t mean to suggest that you should be a mute statue at the table (though some players are). But you should be guarded in what you reveal in your social interactions. Chad Holloway is a 2013 World Series of Poker bracelet winner and media director for the Mid-States Poker Tour.