| Posted: 08 Nov 2005 16:32 Last Edited By: shiraadmin | |
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WHY PLAYERS DO CHIP FLOURISHES AT THE POKER TABLE Definition: Chip Flourishes (Chip Tricks), handling chips in a fancy manner. Poker is fast becoming America's favorite form of entertainment. Hold 'em tournaments are broadcast daily on TV. You and I are able to peek into the pros hole cards, and we are able to see the way they handle their chips. Some don't flourish at all, but others, work with the chips in a manner that reveal their thousands of hours spent on the green felt. They riffle shuffle their chips. They delicately finger the chips...extracting one, turning it over, and replacing it. They bet their chips with a flair. The colorful flourishes include running a chip across the knuckles, spinning a chip on the table and making it return, and rolling out a stack of four chips so that a chip is gracefully placed between each finger. They impress us with their chip acrobatics. And it's second nature. They aren't even thinking about it. There are several reasons why players do chip flourishes. Here are a few. 1. TABLE IMAGE: I've heard talk that players should project an image that they are a "madman" or "unsure of themselves"....when in reality...they are not. This does have advantages, but I just can't get myself to do it. When I sit down at a table I want everyone to know that I grew up with a deck of cards in my hand, that I'm a "player", and that I know what I'm doing at the table...all the time. Flourishes help me stand out and increase my ability to control the table. I can opt to look like a poker veteran, and unleash my repetoire of chip handling techniques on those at my table. Or if I want to look like a beginner, I can simply choose not to flourish. 2. RELIEVE STRESS: Just as some people twiddle their thumbs, bounce their knee, or tap their fingers, flourishing can be a means to physically dissipate nervous energy. Poker can be a stressful game in several ways. One is the nervousness one feels at the beginning of a tournament. This is easily decreased by some chip shuffling. Poker is a sedentary game and there aren't many physical ways to "blow off" a bad beat or major chip loss. A player can get out of his seat and walk a few steps, he can verbalize, or pick up a drink. There's not much else to do. Golfers can walk off their frustration. Baseball players can fling their helmets and bats into the ground after striking out. One way to "let off steam" for a poker player, is to work the chips. Moving your fingers and handling the chips, is one physical means to lessen stress, and take your mind off the last hand. 3. INTIMIDATE OPPONENTS: I've seen beginners fold solid hands after being intimidated by players who perform a superior display of colorful chip twirls, rolls, flips, and other fancy fingering of chips. The psychological factor in poker is far more important than in other card games. If you look like you grew up playing poker, you will have your raises respected more. You will find opponents laying down hands because they think you have the winning hand. The confidence you display, and flourishes you exhibit, affects other people's decisions and play. 4. EARN RESPECT FROM DEALERS AND FLOORPERSONS: I don't look like a beginner, and I am more likely to be noticed and remembered. I'm looking to maximuze my comps and courtesies! Sometimes a dealer may get "testy" with a tourist or one who is new to the game. I'm not put in that category. Over the years, I've also seen a variety of borderline situations occur at the table, where the veteran player gets the better shake. My flourishing puts me in the"poker veteran" category. 5. STAY AWAKE: During long tournaments, keeping my fingers moving helps keep me awake and aware of what's going on. There are some boring stretches to poker, and flourishes help me stay alert. 6. FOCUS: Handling the chips keeps me focused on the game. My hands are physically on them, and I'm mentally attached to the cards at play. The purpose of the game is to gain chips, and there is no better way to remind me of this than to finger the chips. 7. HELPS TO WARD OFF CHEATS: Someone who flourishes his chips does not look like an easy mark. The flourisher is thought to be well versed in proper poker shuffling, cutting and dealing procedures. He is one who is more likely to be aware of card "mechanics", collusion, and other scams. I am less likely to be pegged "a sucker", and any cheat will think twice before trying to pull one on me. 8. OTHERS WOULD LIKE TO DO IT: Doing flourishes is like riding a bike...once you learn it, you learn it for life. I like to see others watching my moves, knowing that they would like to do what I'm doing. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. Buy an instructional video on Poker Chip Flourishes and practice along with it. Make sure you have them second nature before sitting down and gambling. If you have to concentrate on the flourishes, and take attention away from the cards at play, you'll be hurting your game. 9. THE PROS DO IT: No matter what sport or game, everybody wants to emulate the professionals. They are the stars, the successful. Do as the pros do! 10. IT'S COOL TO DO! Tom Golabek plays the poker tables of South Florida. He has produced an instructional DVD on performing poker chip flourishes. |
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| Posted: 08 Nov 2005 16:34 | |
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Posts: 27 Join Date: Nov 2005 |
Interesting. Especially the 10th reason 
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| Posted: 08 Nov 2005 16:35 | |
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mmmn. I oughtta learn how to do that. |
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| Posted: 08 Nov 2005 16:36 | |
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| Maybe he'll post "flourishing 101"? | |
| Posted: 08 Nov 2005 16:38 Last Edited By: shiraadmin | |
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Quote: Maybe he'll post "flourishing 101"? It is so much easier to watch flourishes and model what is being done, than to read instructions from a page. But I happen to have a piece on how to do the Chip Twirl, that I had published in Full Tilt Magazine. Again, this is the hard way to learn. I'm not computer sophisticated enough to transfer a video clip from my DVD to the forum. I hope you benefit from the piece. THE POKER CHIP TWIRL This is a favorite of most players and it takes some initial investment of time and practice. The Poker Chip Twirl is traditionally done with 3 chips held vertically, between the thumb and 1st finger, with some assistance of the 2nd and 3rd fingers. The move is to extract the middle chip from between the other two chips, twirl it (rotate), and reinsert it back between the other two. At the start of this flourish the three chips are held with the pads of the 1st finger and thumb. I measure almost ¾ inch from the tip of both my thumb and 1st finger, to the center of the middle chip. The pads hold the 3 chips vertically, by the edges, on the upper portion of the chips. Loosen the squeeze on the chips and you will find that the middle chip falls. Through trial and error you will find how much you need to “ease off” on the squeeze for the middle chip to fall, yet be able to maintain hold on the other two chips. It’s a feel you will develop. Once you get it, it’s like riding a bike. It may seem difficult at first but you’ll be amazed at how easy it gets. You can also try moving the chips either forward or back on the pads. Your fingers are contoured surfaces and an area a millimeter away may work better. Position the 3rd finger by the thumb, on the underside of the chips. The 2nd finger stays beside the 1st finger to block the middle chip from falling out that side. Once the middle chip falls, you trap it between the 3rd and 1st fingers. Apply a squeeze and swing the 3rd finger (and chip) out as the middle chip pivots against the 1st finger. The middle chip is now extracted from the other two chips. You will find your middle finger is in perfect position to catch the edge of the middle chip and rotate it 180 degrees. The middle chip can now be returned between the other two by swinging the 3rd finger back toward the thumb. The 2nd finger could follow up behind the chips closing them together. Many times beginners will find that the two outer chips fall as the middle chip is being extracted. REMEDY: This is the result of not keeping enough squeeze between the thumb and 1st finger. Your attention is being focused on the extracted chip and you need to remember to maintain a steady squeeze on the other chips as well. Another problem beginners find is that the middle chip travels up or down when rotated. This puts the chip in a different place and it is difficult to reinsert it back into the gap it just came out of. REMEDY: Either ease off, or tighten, the squeeze between the 1st and 3rd fingers when rotating the middle chip. Experiment. Find the pressure that minimizes the travel. The gap between the two chips closes when the middle chip is extracted and it cannot be reinserted between the other chips. REMEDY: When the gap closes you are basically dead in the water. Put the chips down and restart. You may be easing off too much on the squeeze of the two chips, allowing the front of the upper chip to fall, thus closing the gap.. Keep a constant pressure. Here again…it’s a “feel”. Work with it, and you’ll get it. It might seem hard at first but when you have it…its easy. The middle chip just won’t fall? REMEDY: Are your chips sticky? Got Coca Cola on it? That’s a real deterrent. Try cleaning the chips with warm water, mild soap, and dry quickly. No soaking. Try not to pack the three chips tightly together when held vertically. Allow some air to get in between them. You can do a “chip flip” (flipping the front chip over the other two becoming the inside chip) to accomplish this. I hope you are not using plastic chips. They weigh only 1 ½ grams and don’t have the weight needed for table acrobatics. You need clay or acrylic composite chips weighing 8 grams or more. If you don’t have any, take some home from your local casino or poker room. Use them, and return them anytime. If any break, the casino/poker room will either replace them or buy them back. Life is good. A variation of The Chip Twirl is The Double Chip Twirl. In this, you use 4 chips, and extract the two middle chips. The Chip Twirl also looks good when used in combination with The Chip Flip and The Back To Front. Any rotation works, but I personally like to Flip, Twirl, and Back to Front. Author: Tom Golabek is a long time poker player, and magician in South Florida. He has produced a step by step instructional DVD on how to perform a variety of poker chip tricks and flourishes. |
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| Posted: 08 Nov 2005 16:40 | |
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Posts: 27 Join Date: Nov 2005 |
There we go 
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