I recently returned from a driving trip through the Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina. They are a sight to behold-the low clouds resembling puffs of smoke, set against a backdrop of cliffs and trees. The vistas were made even more scenic by a heavy snow that had fallen the day prior to my drive.
I played at Harrah's Cherokee Casino, nestled in these beautiful smoky hills. It's a new room with nine Poker Pro tables and 'round-the-clock live no-limit hold 'em action. I prefer dealers, cards, and chips. But the poker here was lively and fun-as the room was populated by many casual players and gamblers-since this was the only place within hundreds of miles for legalized gambling.
On Tuesdays and Sundays they have sit and go tournaments in addition to their $1-$2 no-limit games. I arrived on a Tuesday night, promptly won a tournament (I was chip leader and agreed to a three way chop), and sat down in a live game.
The scenery got me to thinking about poker and smoke. It used to be that the connection between the two was that poker rooms were often filled with cigarette smoke. Fortunately, that's hardly ever the case anymore; as most poker rooms-just like this one-are smoke free.
But there's another definition of "smoke" that applies to poker. "Smoke" is a distraction, or barrier to clarity that can obscure the way something truly looks. In that sense, we throw up a puff of smoke when we bluff to obscure the true weakness of our hand. Similarly, a slow-play hides a strong hand behind the smoke of feigned weakness.
Players use all sorts of things to serve as smoke in poker. They change their betting, to be sure, but they also use conversation, facial expressions, and even props. I played with a guy who would look at his cards right when they were dealt to him, and then place his card protector on them if he was planning on playing the hand. If he had a bad hand, he'd just hold it until the action got to him, folding in turn. For six rounds he displayed this tell.
But then this guy faked me out. After everyone folded in front of me, and just this guy and the blinds remained, I noticed that he was holding on to his cards. So I raised, planning on stealing the blinds, only to see him place his cards down, put his card protector on them, and then re-raise me! Talk about smoke!
Good players need to see through the smoke. With poor players, this is relatively easy to do. Most bad players fall into the "weak means strong" and "strong means weak" category that is easy to figure out. For better players, it's rarely that easy. It may take you longer to see through the smoke screen they put up.
To be successful, you must be able to throw up your own smoke from time to time. I find that against most of the opponents in the typical $1-$2 game, a good reverse tell often succeeds. At the Harrah's Cherokee casino, for example, I raised before the flop from the cutoff to $10 with Ks-Js after a bunch of people had called the large blind of $2. Five players called my raise. The flop, which was Ac-9d-8c, didn't help me.
Three players checked. The fourth player, to my right, bet $30. I didn't have a hand I could call with. I thought of folding, but the $90 in the pot was a tempting target, especially since these players tended to be fairly timid and I was seen as very tight and aggressive. So I made a small head shake, said "You're probably ahead" and then raised him to $60. Yeah, my move was pretty hokey, looking back on it. But it had the desired effect. He rechecked his cards, showed me that he had an ace, and then folded. I guess my smoke got in his eyes.
I stayed that night, comped by Harrahs, and enriched by a large winning session. I drove home through the Great Smoky Mountains the following day, appreciating how beautiful "smoke" could be.
Ashley Adams is the author of Winning 7-Card Stud and Winning No Limit Low Limit Hold'em. He hosts the radio show House of Cards, broadcast Mondays at 5 - 6 p.m. in Boston, MA, on 1510 AM, and on the Internet at www.houseofcardsradio.com. Contact Ashley at asha34@aol.com.
