Fake Think

1. Pretending to think about a poker decision when, in fact, the decision has already been made.

People Who Dislike Fake Thinkers

Probably THE most vocal opponent of fake thinkers is stevesbets. The following is Steve's description of the reason for fake thinkers:

People like to seem smart and therefore they like to pretend to think. They usually have their decision made up right away, we all play by our knowledge and our gut. By pretending to think, if by chance our opponents hand is at the very top of their possible range and they are ahead of us, we save face by thinking long showing that "I might have folded". I find this pretend thinking really annoying and out and out bad for poker. (Source)

When Is Fake Thinking Okay?

You might be asking yourself: why is fake thinking bad? Aren't you supposed to confuse your opponent in poker?

Yes and no. If there are still other streets to be played or if your opponent hasn't put themselves all-in, then it's okay to pretend to be thinking sometimes - just don't overdo it. Often you can confuse opponents into making bad plays if you're experienced at giving off the proper table demeanor. Part of that skill-set is the ability to convince your opponent that you're actually thinking hard about what to do.

So when is it not okay to fake think? Well, let's say you're in the World Series of Poker Main Event and you bet the river with a nut flush and your opponent moves all-in. There's a paired board so a full house is possible, but you are getting a great price in the pot. You know from the second your opponent says "all in" that you're going to call. In that instance, it is generally not good poker etiquette to sit and think solely for the purpose of looking a little smarter if your opponent does have a full house. It's better manners to just call quickly when you already have your mind made up.

Related Terms

Slowroll, Hollywooding, JC Tran, old guys in high buyin live events