How To Be The Table Captain In Poker

One of the things good poker players are able to do is balance the contradictory aspects of the game, and one of the most important, and difficult, balancing acts is the age-old Machiavellian question of whether it’s better to be feared or loved. The answer of course is that you strive to be both, which is the most difficult thing to do, and only people able to walk a razor’s edge can pull this off.

Being loved as a poker player is definitely not a good thing: The only time your opponents will really be “in love you” is when they are reliving you from vast amounts of your money -at which point you’ll likely be the most loved person at the table.

Players who are feared are definitely doing better than loved players, but being feared at the poker tables basically means you will get very little action, so fearsome, while better than loveable, is not the ideal way to be viewed by your opponents.

So, like everything in this crazy game you need to be somewhere in the middle; in poker this is known as being the Table Captain. Table Captains are a rare breed; they control the action at the table, but not to the point where they are overbearing or “feared”. And while Table Captains are not loved, they do create a good atmosphere; an atmosphere where gambling is fun regardless of whether you win or lose.

It’s the ability to combine these two aspects that the best poker players are able to do. Think about the best players in the world -Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, Tom Dwan, Phil Ivey, and so on-what all these players have in common is that despite their great skills, they still get action! The reason is because they don’t complain, they will engage in varying degrees of table talk, and they don’t disrespect their opponents. All of these reasons make it easier on a players psyche to lose money to these players, than to players like Mike Matusow, Shawn Sheikahn, and some of the other more obnoxious players. Sometimes it’s all about creating the right atmosphere.

Additionally, you must also be in control of the action; somehow being aggressive without coming of as a bully. This means that in addition to playing a solid aggressive game, you also have to be willing to gamble it up on occasion, so you can be certain that you’ll still get action.

The easiest way to be the Table Captain is to be aggressive, and affable. You don’t have to be anyone’s best friend, but you should at least be cordial to the other players in the game, helpful to simple questions, take part in the banter occurring at the table, and most importantly never, ever, criticize or make fun of your opponents. You also shouldn’t tolerate any other player attacking another player in the game; not only is it bad for the game because it could cause the fish to leave for friendlier ponds, but anytime a bad player leaves the game, it’s your wallet that takes the hit.