What it takes to be the Table Captain in poker

One of the most difficult things poker players struggle is when to be the Table Captain. Being the Table Captain involves a number of different things ranging from when to talk and when to shut up, to when to put the pedal to the metal and start running over the table and when to ease up and find the brake.

I call this balancing act “how to be the Table Captain, but avoid a mutiny,” and it’s a difficult line to walk; one that some players simply cannot even attempt given their personalities. While it’s always nice to be able to control the action you have to understand when it’s best to let another player take over this role, and when other players in the game are simply unwilling to let ANYONE be the Table Captain.

Now, being the Table Captain doesn’t mean you are simply the most aggressive player in the game, or the most talkative, what it means is that you control the pace of the game and the other players react to you. A good way to see if you are the Table Captain is to see how the other players react to your raises: Do they say, “Steve raised” and then fold their hand, or do you get 3-bet quite often? If you limp-in do the other players limp along? Are people willing to fold their blinds to you and/or give you a walk? Do your opponent’s say things like, “Haven’t you learned to not talk to him during a hand!” These are all signs that you might be the Table Captain.

One such scenario where it’s perfectly fine to relinquish the role of Table Captain is when you are dealing with a highly aggressive opponent, who happens to be a very poor poker player! In these instances this player’s sole goal is usually to control the action; winning and losing is not all that important to these players. So, if you are unwilling to relinquish the Table Captain you will likely find this player (who you absolutely WANT in your game) leaving for another table.

If someone wants to be full of bravado and try to win every pot, simply let them think this is precisely what they are doing! Sit back, shut your mouth, and play your usual poker game; don’t talk a lot or try to make moves in these situations, since this player is going to give you his money, you don’t have to force anything.

Another way to be the Table Captain is simply through your table talk. Think of a player like Phil Laak, who despite appearances is actually a very tight cash-game player, and how he uses table talk to manipulate opponents into what he wants them to do.

While this is a very difficult act to pull off, if you are an outgoing individual to begin with, these “antics” can be used quite effectively. But, you also have to be able to recognize when a players (or players) are using your own table talk against you -again it’s all a balancing act.