It may sound obvious to some that playing any game with other people requires some basic sense of decency and poise. Well-designed software will usually bear the brunt of your aggression and impatience with saintly resignation and if your purpose for playing poker is to get rid of pent up emotion or to redirect frustration you had better stick to customized bot opponents. But it is surprising the amount of people who behave like bullies and hillbillies, sometimes in the belief that it is a manner of bluffing.

Behavior, obviously tells a lot about a player, and I think one may fairly depend that reserved, politely brisk behavior is characteristic of a focused, purposeful player who is there to stay for some decent, quality or at least honest games. The reverse is also true: the more purposeful and efficient learner a player is, the more they are likely to intuit basic etiquette.

Professionals are characterized both by mastery of the medium and impeccable manners. Good manners create a pleasant atmosphere which makes it easier to focus on winning. Experience and plain common sense dictate that you do not insult rookies, since they are a profitable source.

Why is that many serious players of the game of poker want to project a stoic persona? Could they be trying to hide their tells by emitting a somber, almost zombie-like presence? They come off as moody and sinister behind those dark glasses and hooded sweatshirts, like maybe they have holsters and a lightning draw ala Wyatt Earp. Do they know how they appear to others, do they care?

There has to be some reason for their intimidating, arrogant persona. They may be attempting to confuse and frighten their opponents, to keep them from challenging their play (and wallets). Or it may be they have taken on this image because they lack the wit to come up with any other. If you truly are a sinister intimidating bully, then this persona may work for you. Most who try to pull this off look like they themselves are scared and have gone into hiding.

You should think carefully about the image you project. The bully persona, even if done well, is probably not effective. It may work on some opponents, but mostly it works against you. It may also attract the type of opponents that you want to steer clear of – the experts. If you sit there looking like a hawk, your prey will run in the opposite direction.

Bluffing is one technique that if applied in the right manner can win you the pot regardless the type of hand you are holding. Bluffing is not very easy to master that every poker player can be trained to bluff successfully; it is a special skill that can be practiced and applied only by a few players. Bluffing is the art of lying and falsely convincing your opponents that you have hands contrary to the stakes you are placing.

Bluffing without giving a single clue of what hand you are actually holding would win you huge amounts turning the game favorable and easy for you to acquire the pot. In order to bluff without getting caught you should know when and how to bluff. Choosing the right time to bluff will help you win the pot even if you have a weak hand.

Bluffing quite often is not the way of a good and successful player. Frequent bluffing would reduce faith among your opponents and they would frequently check your hands to ensure that you are not bluffing; hence it is recommendable to bluff rarely so that you can benefit out of your bluff and win the pot.