Poker: The Importance of Bluffing
| This is the first entry in a series about poker. We’ll be talking about cards this week!
This entry is available as a Adobe Acrobat file for printing or use in a class. This entry includes a listening exercises. You can dowload the MP3 or play it using the button below. (MP3) |
|
 |
|
Today’s recording is—for a change—not with my voice. We’re going to hear a short part of a podcast from Full Tilt Poker. (If you’re interested in poker, they have a lot of recordings about poker that would be good listening practice.)
In the recording, you’re going to hear a few professional poker players talking about bluffing. They’re native English speakers talking to other native English speakers, so it might be a bit fast. Don’t worry if you have to listen to the recording twice to understand it.
After You’ve Heard the Recording
First, what did you learn from the recording? Did you learn anything? What was the most interesting thing you heard? I was really interested in the reasons they gave on why it can be good if someone calls a bluff you make. You lose money, but they think it can make it easier for you to play at that table. Do you remember why that is?
October 12th, 2009 at 21:38
Hello Toby!
Well, this is really difficult! But essentially, what I understood is that provided you know how to bluff, you can benefit from being caught because in the long run you can win more money. I’m not sure, but I think they mentioned 10 times more?
Beatriz
Mexico City
October 13th, 2009 at 12:15
I think the point was that, if you get caught bluffing, people will start to assume you’re bluffing. So, even if you have good cards, they’ll stay in a poker game and you’ll get their money. If you get caught bluffing once (and lose money) but win ten hands because people (wrongly) think you are bluffing, you come out ahead.
This is one of the most difficult recordings, yet. I really wish they weren’t playing with the poker chips in the background. . . but, I tell myself it’s ‘native English.’