Poker Tips for Couples: Dumb and Dumber
by Bodog Poker | Apr 19 2010
When you're in a relationship and you like to
play poker, one of two things usually has to be in place for things to run smoothly for you. You either have to be with someone who understands your love for the game and doesn't mind you playing it all the time, or you have to be with someone who likes to play the game with you.
If your significant other is starting to feel that they're competing with poker for your time, the best thing you can do is to bring them into your world. Couples are grinding together more than ever, and a night on the tables can make for an exciting date night that pits the two of you against a group of opponents. Even in failure the experience helps to bond couples and unify them towards a common goal.
As nice as all that sounds, let's not forget that we play poker to win money. So even if you're going to go out with the girlfriend (or boyfriend) you want to have a plan. Two players with a common goal can work a table in a way that can create small edges for themselves, and at times these edges can play off in a big way. One of the best ways to do this is the old "Dumb and Dumber" table image act that a couple can portray when they sit at a new table. If you're playing at a
casino or in a new home game, the two of you can pretend to know nothing about poker. Everyone in the game will have a great deal of difficulty putting you and your partner on hands for the entire session.
It's not hard to portray yourselves as new players that have no clue what's going on. You don't want to be obvious and announce that you don't know how to play the game; no novice player would say that to a table, so if you overdo it someone will pick up on what's going on in a hurry. You want to implant subtle images of a novice player that an experienced player will believe to be flaws that they're discovering about you and your partner's
poker skills. The best way to get things started is for one of you to ask for a hand ranking list next to your chips because you can never remember if a straight beats a flush. That will plant the seed you need.
After a while your skills will slowly squeak through the false persona you and your date are portraying. Making odd bets when you have the goods will maintain your weak image while still allowing you to get good value on your winning hands. Getting overexcited when winning hands will also help to maintain your weak table image.
Misusing table talk also helps to maintain the illusion. Saying "I will raise it $50" when there have been no other bets made in the betting round will convince opponents that you have no clue what you're doing, even if you're winning their chips. One ruse that works well with the ladies is for them to turn over their cards at showdown and wait until someone else tells them that they won the hand.
