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Depending on where you play cards, the table conversation can be fun or grating. To combat the latter, and also hours of boredom, some players listen to music with headphones at the poker table.
If I ever listen to music, I usually keep the volume low or only one earbud in. I do this because I don’t want to miss a lot of the verbal action at the poker table. If someone puts in a large value chip, but doesn’t say anything, it’s treated as a call, not a raise. With headphones on, you might not recognize this and could possibly fold a playable hand, thinking that the bet was too expensive. Mistaking the bet for a larger one also might stop you from raising. You might not want to re-raise with your hand, but had you known your opponent only called, you might have made the first raise. Always remember to ask you dealer what the action is, to avoid confusion.
Wearing headphones can also disguise you at the poker table. No one can hear what’s in your headphones, so having music on or no music on appears the same to your opponents. You’d be surprised what some people say when they think you cannot hear them.
Likewise, make it a point to test opponents with headphones on, to see their level of observation. You might be able to extract some extra value out of them.
