If you're good at lying, you're probably good at poker, too. Poker is a game where luck isn't the only thing that matters. Your ability to lie—not “to lie,” as in lying on a surface, though you do need to know when it's your turn to lay down your cards—is significant.

Aside from the rules of the countless types of poker—Texas Hold’em being the most popular one now—you need to practice your poker face. That means not showing your emotions, which includes not lying back in your chair. That would be a big mistake. You also need to know how to lay your poker chips in the center of the table and how to stack them in front of you. I like Scrooge McDuck’s style the best. It’s my favorite.

Try practicing in front of a mirror. Lie to yourself, saying words like “call” and “raise” without moving any other part of your face. If you can do that, then —and only then— think about playing poker, if you want to be a respected poker player. Practice first; there will always be time to fold.

Cheat sheet:

Lie, lied : to tell something false

Lie, lay, lain : to rest or be in a horizontal position

Lay, laid: to put or place something down.