Forget the Poker Face: Your Body is Telling the Table Everything
A poker face is a look that provides no emotional depth. For those who want to read a person’s thoughts, looking at other parts of the body may be the key.
The poker face is a common term for a blank expression that provides no information about a person’s thoughts, feelings, reactions, or emotions. While primarily stemming from the famous gambling game, it has become a term synonymous with everyday life. Yet the blank poker face can be a distraction in itself, and other parts of the body can give better clues about what a person is thinking and planning.
The Unique Game of Poker
Over the past few years, casino games have changed tact. They have become faster, with quicker turnarounds, swifter results and rules that are easy to pick up and play off the bat. This has made poker more unique than ever. Where other games have you playing against a dealer, or in the case of crash gaming, all betting on the same event, poker is one of the few games that pits you against each other. It requires a high level of skill to play well, and understanding both probability and psychology is key. Poker has set itself apart, with global competitions becoming more competitive and prize pots growing ever larger.
In essence, poker has become a game for the casino connoisseur, those who have moved through crash gaming or slots and want something to sink their teeth into. These early casino skills are invaluable. Even watching other casino titles played live can help those wanting to engage with poker. If you want to sharpen your read on human behaviour under pressure without needing a full poker table, live dealer platforms like VoltRush are a decent low-stakes way to practice as you’re watching a real person react in real time.
In the past few years, this sales funnel, going from the provision of easy-to-play titles to more complex ones like poker, has helped the market flourish. The table below shows just how much growth is predicted. Expansion has come from several unique areas, including smartphone adoption, more people using mobile devices as a primary entertainment source, and improvements in systems like payments, customer service, and UX. Operators have worked hard to deliver on this, holding casino entertainment to the same high standard you would expect when you log onto Netflix, Spotify, or the PlayStation Store.
| Year | Australian Market Size in USD Billions |
| 2026 | 2.5 |
| 2027 | 2.7 |
| 2028 | 2.8 |
| 2029 | 3.2 |
| 2030 | 3.5 |
This growth isn’t isolated to one region. The shift toward mobile-first, easy-to-learn casino games is a global pattern, with US and UK operators reporting similar upticks in slots and crash-style games as newer players enter the market. Poker’s position within this broader landscape is worth noting. While quick-play games have captured the casual audience, poker has held its ground as the format serious players return to, precisely because it rewards skill and read over pure chance.
The Motor Cortex vs the Limbic System
Being successful at poker involves being able to read other people, their emotions and reactions. Broadcasting emotions is a very human trait. We have evolved to do this as a form of communication and trust-building in our societies, and even further back, in our tribes. When we create a poker face, we put up a defence against this. Yet behind the scenes, the body can still give away secrets.
The first part which does this is the motor cortex, which controls our body. It helps plan our movements before they actually happen. Central to our signalling pathways, it regulates everything we do, from the delicate picking up of cards using our hands and fingers, to the facial tics we may demonstrate when we are forced to fold.
Second is the limbic system. It nestles deep inside the brain, and is a connected system that regulates and controls our emotions, memory, sense of smell, but crucially, our basic drives. The thalamus passes sensory messages to other areas, the amygdala controls our emotions, and the cingulate gyrus manages mood and behaviour.
When we try to use a poker face, all these systems are fighting one another. Within the limbic system itself, the aforementioned emotions, behaviour, and sensory messages all conflict. Any information that does pass quickly goes to the motor cortex, which can lead to other clues if we are solely concentrating on keeping a blank poker face.
Traits That Are Hard to Ignore
Some key behavioural indicators are hard to ignore, as they slip out of these systems. Often involuntary, some are easier to note than others. Microexpressions are the most obvious; they are involuntary facial expressions that occur only briefly as the limbic system and motor cortex begin to sync. These are:
- Compression of the lips – A sign of stress or internal conflict
- Smile – A signal of confidence
- Eyebrow movements – Surprise or alarm
- Nostril flare – Often linked to a sudden intake of breath, signalling a spike in adrenaline as a big decision approaches.
Of course, these don’t tell the whole story. An eyebrow movement could signal alarm at a poorly dealt hand, or could show surprise at a full house arriving. Yet when combined with other signals, and even better, with probability based on cards already dealt, it can give poker players a formidable advantage.
Several involuntary responses can occur in the body and may be visible externally. Primarily, these come from breathing and blood flow. Holding your breath or shifting to rapid breathing can signal emotional stress. In terms of blood flow, pupils dilate when people see something they want, but constrict when they don’t like what they see. Blood rushing to the cheeks and neck can signal excitement, while draining can signal fear.
Can You Read People?
Phil Ivey is one person who should know how to read a poker face. He has won eleven World Series of Poker bracelets, one World Poker Tour title and has been touted as the best all-round player in the world. In a 2023 interview with AOL, he discussed what makes a good poker face and how to read people.
His advice was that “Everybody’s different, right? So it’s not like, Oh, this person is doing this, this and that. People do different things at different times in different situations. Everybody’s individualized. You know, it’s really important in poker to break Everybody down as an individual and not just make generalizations. Generalizations can get you broke. You got this one wrong, then guess what? You lost all your money.”
If anything, this reinforces the idea that a poker face is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Not everyone will have a blank expression, and even when they do, it doesn’t mean they are hiding something or doing anything different. Instead, it is more successful to watch other players and see how each of them reacts to stimuli around the table.
Reading individuals can take time. Those in poker games may watch videos of their opponents beforehand. In a new game, with people you have never met before, this is much harder. Yet by knowing these stimuli, beyond that of the blank expression, you may be able to divulge some information. Combined with knowledge of probability and strategy, it can give players a decisive edge. This blend of instinct and skill keeps players coming back to classic table gaming on sites like VoltRush, rather than the lower-skill games that dominate much of the market.
Responsible Gambling – Gambling in all its forms is only available to those who are 18+. Gambling is a form of entertainment. You should never view it as a way to make money. If you feel gambling beyond your financial means is starting to become a problem, then get assistance. Use the limits and exclusions scheme in place at your operators, and seek third-party help.
