P-P-P-Poker Face

The vast majority come to the tournament hold'em poker tables with inscrutable faces made of stone.  They bet then focus, unmoving and unblinking, at the center of the table...before and after the cards come.  They remain that way when the flop hits and, if they are still in the hand after, when the turn and river comes.  They can be mean looking when they go into freeze frame; Asian, Black, Latino and White...all of them.  Women and men, tattooed and bare, old and young.

Yet they have a common bond.  They all love to play, they understand there are rules to follow and all are generally considerate of one another.  Common actions; A gentle 'pat, pat' on the felt table to wish a fellow player good luck.  Veteran propensity to chop (split) the winnings, often when some have a considerable lead over others.  Most frequent phrases; "There is room here to move your chair if you want."  "Nice hand."  "Good luck," when opponents go all in with their remaining chips."  "There is room to share here," pointing to a side table that holds a player's refreshments.

And they all work on their poker faces.  For when a critical bet is made they don't want to give up a 'read' or 'tell' when an opponent is considering whether to call or fold.

Occasionally a player holding cards will freeze in 'staring at the middle' mode while the dealer and remaining players wait for them to bet or fold.  After a lengthy, pregnant pause, the player will say; "Oh, it's on me?" and everyone will laugh and think to themselves; 'Oh yeah, I have done that before.'

Between hands, it's sharing stories, most often of bad beats (when their strong hand is beaten by one stronger).  They laugh, joke, watch athletic events on televisions scattered throughout the poker room and greet pals old and new.

But when the cards hit the table......when the cards hit the table and a decision is made to play that hand it's time to have the poker face immediately available.  P-P-P-Poker face.  It's a fascinating nuance of the game.