In a game of poker it is not uncommon for players to wear dark sunglasses to hide their eyes. Why, because the eyes can speak volumes about a player’s confidence. It is the same in boxing. Have you ever watched a stare down at a boxing match? The two combatants will intensely stare each other in the eye with such ferocity that it seems like the fight has already begun. Indeed it has. A slight turning down of the eyes or look away is a sure sign of fear or doubt. Seemingly one guy has already won the bout without even throwing a punch.

The next time you’re watching Rocky III, take note of the stair down between Rocky and Mr. T. In their first encounter, Rocky looks down and clearly shows weakness and doubt. Soon after, he was blasted by Mr. T in three rounds. In their next match, however, Rocky has regained his “eye of the tiger” and beams at Mr. T with unbridled confidence, looking Mr. T squarely in the eyes. It is Mr. T this time that looks down, revealing his own self doubt. Rocky goes on to win that bout and regain the championship.

What we learn from this is that a competition can actually be won or lost before the bell even sounds. The same can be said in the relatively passive world of billiards. Unconsciously the two opponents will be sizing each other up, watching how the other reacts to certain situations in a game. It is these reactions, the facial expressions, body language and the things you say that will reveal everything to your opponent. So what can you do about this? Think Vegas…and put on your poker face.

When you “air dirty laundry” you in effect give your opponent way too much information about yourself and this can become a huge advantage for them. For example, if they notice that you get upset when they hook you, if they’re a smart player, they’ll do it again and again until you break down. Any discriminating player will look for the weak points in their opponent’s game. It is common knowledge in martial arts that you can defeat your opponent by simply focusing on their weak point. Even Archimedes once said: “Give me a place to stand and with a lever I will move the whole world.” The “place to stand” in our context is the weak point in our opponent’s game.

So if you want to keep your opponent on the back foot and always guessing, then don’t give free information. Keeping your inner game to yourself and not revealing your game plan or your discomfort over a given situation is just plain smart. There is nothing more frustrating than to not know what your opponent is thinking or for them to appear completely unflustered even though you are dominating. When a player keeps their cool and remains focused, not revealing any weaknesses or concerns, it sends a message loud and clear that this player is in control and therefore still a very real threat.

If you keep your opponent guessing you have at least achieved one thing: you have them focusing on you and not their own game and this can only lead to them making a mistake. A game that seems to be lost can quickly turn around and all of a sudden you are making a comeback as your opponent’s confidence starts to dwindle and doubts start to creep in. Your “poker face” style of play will fuel the situation even more as your opponent completely loses focus.

So never underestimate the power and influence you can have with your body language and your face. When times get tough, just refocus and remind yourself that you are a winner and conduct yourself like a winner. Very soon, you will be winning more often and no one will be the wiser.

(c) 2008 The Billiards Training Company