The Five Tells That Mean You Should Pass on Hiring an Influencer

The Five Tells That Mean You Should Pass on Hiring an Influencer Jason Falls 16:53

Does the name Sam Farha mean anything to you? If it does, you’re probably a fan of poker. Farha is a rather famous professional poker player. He is most know, however, for a hand he lost.

In 2003 Farha was on the verge of elimination from the World Series of Poker Texas Hold ‘Em Main Event … the one you typically see on ESPN. In fact the 2003 tournament, and Sam Farha’s role in it, helped make televised Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments a ratings boon for the network.

Farha found himself down early after losing a big hand and almost dropped out voluntarily. Friends encouraged him to keep playing. He was a fairly accomplished player, mind you. And he did. And he won hand after hand.

Farha reached the final table and meticulously worked his hands until only one man stood between him and his first-ever World Series of Poker title. That one man was a newcomer to the sport. The odds were certainly stacked in Farha’s favor.

But that one man was observant. He watched Farha for hours on that final table, looking for a tell. That is what poker players call some action a player takes or a reaction they have that indicates they either have a great hand. Or they have crap.

A poker tell is normally subconscious. The player “telling” as it were, doesn’t even perceive they’re giving away a hint as to what’s in their hand. And to be more precise, it’s not that they give away what’s in their hand, but how good their hand is.

You see, the art of playing poker is the art of keeping your opponents guessing. Do you have a good hand when you place a big bet, so they should fold? Or are you bluffing, so they should call or raise to put the pressure back on you to stay in and not lose any money.

The newcomer standing between Farha and his first World Series of Poker bracelet was Chris Moneymaker. Hell of a name for a poker player, right? Well, it was a hell of a case of foreshadowing, too. Moneymaker studied Farha for hours playing at that final table and noticed he did something different when he was bluffing versus when he had a strong hand.

He tapped his cigarette on the table.

At a crucial point in the match, Farha went all-in with a pair of jacks. While that sounds like a strong hand, this is Texas Hold ‘Em, which uses the best five-card hand of seven cards. And going all-in means you’re so confident you’re going to win the hand, you’re going all or nothing. If someone calls and you lose, you’re out of the tournament.

Farha was bluffing to intimidate the rookie Moneymaker and chip away at the wagers he’d already bet in that hand. If Moneymaker folded, Farha would be that much closer to winning.

But he tapped his cigarette. Moneymaker called. He had two pair. And they survived the final turn of the card to make the unknown accountant from Tennessee, the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion.

The prize that Farha saw fly away because Moneymaker spotted his tell? $2.5 million dollars.

Did you know that influencers and content creators have tells too? I shared them in a LinkedIn Post a couple of weeks ago, but the ideas were so useful to many, I wanted to make sure you heard them too. Today on Winfluence, I’ll share the five tells that reveal insights about an influencer that throw up red flags and often make me choose someone different.

This episode of Winfluence is presented by Tagger, a complete influencer marketing management solution. Try a free demo at jason.online/tagger today.

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