Requires constant vigilance which is mentally exhausting.Repressing emotions can contribute to anxiety, depression, and health issues.

Loved ones may feel shut out by your inexpressive 'stone wall' nature.

Indicates avoidance of emotional intimacy in relationships.

Can come across as cold, detached, aloof, arrogant, or untrustworthy.

While some capacity for emotional masking is adaptive, having an overly rigid, unchanging poker face brings risks: But relying on it constantly has downsides as well. There are certainly situations where being able to project an inscrutable, unflappable veneer confers an advantage.

Nonreactive image – Signals strength, self-sufficiency, and ability to handle adversity.

Avoids manipulation – A poker face helps protect you from being emotionally exploited.

Social control – Withholding reactions gives you more influence in negotiations and confrontations.

Conceals emotions – Allows one to mask reactions like anger, disgust, or fear from others.

It prevents opponents from gaining valuable insights into the strength of your hand based on involuntary facial reactions or mannerisms known as 'tells.' A clenched jaw, smile, or frown can betray information that loses you money.īut even beyond the poker table, having the ability to cultivate a poker face has advantages: In high-stakes poker, having an impenetrable poker face is considered an essential weapon in one‘s strategic arsenal. It is as much about projecting tranquil confidence as hiding reactions. Maintaining a poker face under pressure requires tremendous focus, discipline, and emotional regulation.

Head and gaze movements controlled and limited.

No obvious smiles, frowns, or eyebrow raises.

Eyes appear observant but not revealing.

Minimal facial movement or microexpressions.

Some key characteristics of a poker face: It‘s a metaphorical 'mask' used to prevent others from reading one‘s reactions. While originally used in context of the card game, a 'poker face' simply refers to a blank and emotionless facial expression that reveals little or nothing about the person‘s internal state or thoughts. In this comprehensive guide, we will unpack the meaning, advantages, risks, and techniques behind cultivating a poker face personality. But there is a lot more nuance and depth to the poker face concept when explored more closely. A 'poker face' is one of those phrases that has entered our cultural lexicon, conjuring up images of inscrutable gamblers concealing their intentions.

What does keep poker face mean