Protecting Cards

[Milky]

A friend of mine is pretty new to casino hold-em and does not typically protect his cards with a chip or other holder. This causes problems when we hit the cardrooms because the people around him (either the dealer or another player) will either remind him to cap his cards or actually TAKE ONE OF HIS CHIPS and place it on his cards for him when he's in a hand.

This really bothers him and he feels they don't have the right to do this. My question is, what are the rules about protecting your cards? Are you required to? Some of the dealers we've encountered have been quite rude about it. Is it okay for my friend to not cap his cards?

[Big Country]

It's fine for hom to not cap his cards, but then it is 100% his fault when his winning hand gets swept into the muck becasue he didn't protect his hand.

Once that happens, I am sure he will realize that it is a good idea to protect your cards.

[Milky]

I've tried telling him that they do it for his benefit but that doesn't matter to him. He just has a real problem with other people touching his chips/telling him what to do.

[SheridanCat]

He's right, they don't have a right to touch his chips. He's within his rights to complain about that. However, he better not cry when he looks down and his cards are gone and he's still in the hand.

There's no rule that he must cover his cards. I'm surprised anyone mentions it to him more than once or twice.

Regards,

T

[JKDStudent]

First, I'd make it clear that the next person that touches my chips gets a broken wrist.

Second, I'd fully expect people to laugh at me when my flopped nut flush got scooped by the dealer because of my own stupidity.

[tripdad]

i usually only cap my cards if i'm close enough to the dealer to get my cards taken. noone has ever touched my chips because of it.

in a N/L game in atlantic city a couple months ago, there was a pretty large pot where a player called a sizeable bet on the turn with the immortal nuts, only to look down and see his cards had been swiped by the dealer. they gave him his money back, but not his cards, even though the dealer acknowledged to the floor that he saw the cards, and that the other player was drawing dead. he was sitting directly to the right of the dealer.

cheers!

[SheridanCat]

[ QUOTE ]
i usually only cap my cards if i'm close enough to the dealer to get my cards taken. noone has ever touched my chips because of it.


[/ QUOTE ]

I just don't understand why players wouldn't protect their cards all the time. It's not just the dealer that can foul your hand. Say another player accidentally intermingles his cards with your unprotected hand while trying to muck. Your hand may be ruled dead. At least if you've capped them you have some protection.

Regards,

T

[tripdad]

i protect my cards, i just don't cap them. i don't know why, i just don't like to. i normally have chips on one side, and my drink holder on the other with cards in between and close to the rail. it would have to be a malicious act if someone were to get ahold of my cards.

cheers!

[AngusThermopyle]

[ QUOTE ]
in a N/L game in atlantic city a couple months ago, there was a pretty large pot where a player called a sizeable bet on the turn with the immortal nuts, only to look down and see his cards had been swiped by the dealer. they gave him his money back, but not his cards, even though the dealer acknowledged to the floor that he saw the cards, and that the other player was drawing dead.

[/ QUOTE ]

The dealer admitted that he saw the player's cards, that he had the nuts, and STILL mucked them?
I assume that the player's refund came out of the dealer's paycheck/rack/hide.

[tripdad]

the dealer mucked them before he saw them. after the player called the dealers attention that he called the bet, the dealer told him he should've protected his cards. the player then told the dealer the cards he had along with the correct suits. the dealer had put the players cards at the bottom of the muck pile, so he looked, and sure enough, those were the cards. floor was called...yada, yada, yada...player's hand was dead, he got the money back from the pot, and the bettor was declared the winner of the rest. note: he only received the most recent call, not the money that was already in the pot.

the dealer was re-assigned to a different table after the incident. the player who had his cards mucked took it surprisingly well considering he would have won a $200+ pot, but ended up losing probably $30.

cheers!

[SheridanCat]

[ QUOTE ]
the dealer was re-assigned to a different table after the incident. the player who had his cards mucked took it surprisingly well considering he would have won a $200+ pot, but ended up losing probably $30.


[/ QUOTE ]

I suppose this was because there was much embarrassment, but based on the description, this was not the dealer's fault. Dealers aren't waiting with bated breath to see how a hand turns out. They're pulling bets, pushing pots, flipping cards, reading hands, making change, calling the cocktail waitress for the drunk guy, calling open seats, correcting bets, admonishing players for playing out of turn, etc. If cards come near them, they see a mucked hand, not your mortal nuts.

Protect your cards and save yourself some heartache and the dealer some embarrassment.

Regards,

T

[tripdad]

i think the dealer not seeing the fact that the guy called the bet had something to do with him leaving. he's supposed to pay attention to the action, no?

cheers!

[SheridanCat]

[ QUOTE ]
i think the dealer not seeing the fact that the guy called the bet had something to do with him leaving. he's supposed to pay attention to the action, no?

[/ QUOTE ]

Sure. And players have a responsibility to protect their cards. Everyone has some responsibility at the poker table.

Regards,

T