IPods can be great for your game but they can be a distraction as well. Don’t fool around with a playlist or try to find a certain song in the middle of a hand. Your mp3 player is there to compliment your game and shouldn’t pull your focus away from the money.
It’s a bad idea to let your girlfriend or another player sweat you (look at your hole cards). While you’re trying hard to disguise your hand, your opponents are getting TWO faces to read, not just one.
If you’re facing a tough call on the river with only one pair (and you think it’s good), show your opponent the card you think beats him. Watch the corners of his mouth. If one of them raises up slightly, like a brief smile, you’ve probably got the best of it.
If you notice a player stacking chips on top of his original buy-in, that player is trying to keep an eye on their win/loss total for the night. You can often get this type to fold a hand by betting slightly more than they are up for the night (i.e. the amount on top of their stack).
When running a house game consider who you allow to play in your game. If the player is under 18, his parents may take issue with him losing a lot of money. That can cause problems for you if they decide to go to the authorities (don’t scoff, it’s happened!).
