Women poker players can be some of your toughest competition at the table. After many thousands of hours observing poker players and playing in games, I have seen many men completely underestimate how smart and serious a lot of women at the table can play. For some reason, a lot of them have more patience than the rest of us. Sometimes they are much better at hiding their bluffs. Overall, I think a good chunk of experienced women just play tighter and more solid than the average male player.

One key ingredient in poker that often goes overlooked is how well players are able to deceive their opponents. Poker is a game of deception and manipulation. Those players that do it the best are usually the most successful at it. What a lot of women are able to do is to take advantage of the male ego. Yes every time a beautiful women enters the poker room or walks by a table, every single male head turns in unison, even if only briefly, to get a better glimpse. I've heard the murmurings a thousands times, these players are wishfully hoping that the attractive beauty will get into their particular game. This is more than just ego, this is human nature, and this is power a lot of woman have and can use to level the playing field.

I may be scrutinized for even writing such observations, but here is an example I have seen a lot. A pretty lady sits besides you in a game. She chats you up, she be-friends you, and the worst part - the smile. Now your hooked. How many times has a lady at the table who has caught your eye said the words - "I just check". This is a classic example. What she really means by that is - "My hand is really weak, but if you let me see a free card I might be able to run you over and crush you like a bug, so please just check it with me". A similar request is - "Do you want to roll it"? This is basically the same tactic and is meant to save her a lot of money by not having to call you all the way with a mediocre hand if you choose to roll it with her.

It doesn't have to be a total stranger, or the sexiest woman on the planet for you to be stunned by this move. Even the regular woman players (good looking or not) have the ability to prey upon your soft side. A smile, a nice gesture, or a compliment, can all be part of their defensive tactics and the male players should be aware. Not every word is meant to deceive you, but it only takes a split second for one kindly soft word or possibly a wink to get to you stand down from a raise. Sometimes an aggressive bet or raise is the only way you can win a hand. Not making that strategic decision because your "playing nice" can end up costing you a lot of money over a short period of time. Be very careful!

There are other things to watch out for, but I think if what I have said so far helps even one person from making a disastrous error, then I think I did a good thing. Poker is not about being nice, or playing friendly, its about winning money. You can be nice, act friendly and still stick to you game plan without compromising your basic strategies or gut instincts. It's never wrong to win a pot when your heads up with a woman.

Don't Be A Sucker!

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