Sometimes it's hard to tell. You have to look under the fedora and through the dark sunglasses.

But oftentimes, poker players are full of bunk.

They want you to think they've got a pair of aces when they've got a pair of threes. They want you to think they've got a flush when they've got four hearts and a club. And those sunglasses, that goofy hat and the shirt collar that's wide enough to make the guy look like an extra from "That '70s Show" are all ways of distracting you from the truth.

Don't be intimidated.

There's a reason that poker is experiencing a huge resurgence in popularity right now. That is, it's a good time.

"We have some rowdy fun," says David Serrato, proprietor of Locos Amigos Cantina, downtown, which hosts a game on Saturdays. "They're real spirited players. They play a couple of the games around town and they're always having a good time."

We're not here to turn you into a poker stud. We're still struggling with that ourselves, and there are a dozen good books by the pros for that.

But we can tell you how to look like one and act like one, even if you don't, technically, win like one.

And hey, poker's a game of chance as well as a game of skill. Best of all, the nightspots aren't allowed to charge folks to make them play public games -- not even a cover charge or drink minimum -- so there's really no risk.

So hop to it, sparky.

Look like a pro

Those sunglasses that you see the pros wear on "World Series of Poker" are there for a reason -- and it's not the glare of all the neon in Sin City.

"It's so people can't read your eyes when you get your cards," says Rodney Trotman, 35, who plays at Muldoon's on Wednesday nights, sometimes wearing shades and sometimes not. "Some people may try to use sunglasses as intimidation, too."

The other stuff you'll see folks wearing is just distraction, personal style, or proof that poker players can be colorblind or tasteless. One pro, who calls himself the Unibomber, wears giant, round sunglasses and a hoodie.

So feel free to experiment. Search online and you'll find all sorts of poker accessories, from a green dealer visor for $3 to necklaces with hanging poker chips.

Act like a pro

Just like in life, looks will only get you so far at the poker table.

If you're going to know when to hold your cards, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away and know when to run, you've got to start by knowing what game you're playing.

The public tournaments -- and almost everything you see on TV -- is a poker variant called Texas Hold 'Em. In this game, instead of holding five cards in your hand, you hold just two cards, and five more are turned up on the table for all the players to use. Basically, each player assembles his or her best five-card hand from the two in front of you (in the "hole") and the five in front of everyone.

The basic hand rankings, as well of the odds of drawing them, are shown in the box on this page.

To learn more advanced strategy, "watch 'Celebrity Poker' -- the one with television stars," says Rob Hardy, who is dealer for Locos Amigos' games. "It's a good learning tool, they're constantly talking about the mistakes being made."

If you're getting more serious about it, you might want to look into some strategy guides. "Hoyle's Rules of Games" will give you the basics on endless variants of poker. And any serious Googling will quickly lead you to James McManus' "Absolutely Fifth Street," an entertaining read about a magazine writer's foray into professional gambling that will also teach you great strategy.