Some guys at the poker table just love to stare down other guys. It can be a sign of weakness, in that trying to look strong they are actually weak, as goes the old adage. But there can also be other ways the staredown gets used. It can be a method of gathering more info than just a scare tactic, and one that is common among successful poker pros.

Essentially when you stare at a person, you are opening up as many channels as you can to bring in information about them. Experienced poker online players, who have seen countless of hours of other players reacting physically during play, can develop patterns to their opponents based on physical information that will lead them to the right decision on a hand.

Players like WSOP champion Greg Raymer prefer to watch their opponents’ reaction to the flop when it comes down rather than the flop itself. If they can notice little jolts or facial creases in relation to what cards come down in the line of vision, they can then glean how much or how little the flop helped that player’s hand. The staredown, then, works as a spotlight to the opponent’s weakness, rather than just another peacock move in casino online.