My cousin's poker group in Austin tracked their "tells" for a month and found most physical signs were wrong more than half the time. People fidget for a hundred reasons, like being cold or just needing to use the bathroom. Relying on shaky hands or eye contact will make you lose more games than you win. You're better off just watching the game logic and the bets people make.

Well, there's your problem. You tried to use a telephone pole for the gate itself. That 4x4 post was just a fancy lever, and gravity always wins that fight. For a six foot gate, I wouldn't even think about anything less than a 6x6 post set deep in concrete. The diagonal brace is non-negotiable, too. It's the only thing that stops that sad, slow swing into the ground.

What made you finally decide to switch?

Nah, you can still fix a ton with just the basics.

That's rough about the warping. I actually think the grain direction matters more than the cut method though. A sharp knife on a straightedge can still go wrong if the board's grain is off to start with.