You bet, I fold?

[Mike]

Okay, this has been bothering me for a while and I just can not decide. Intuitively I feel like I am getting the short end of it. There are at times in my games Husbands and Wives playing at the same table. Most of them, if they both play preflop, when one bets the flop, the other folds. The house has generally decided this prevents pumping the pot. In this aspect I agree.

The bone that sticks in my throat is when the Husband or Wife play, they play against the whole table. When I play, it's always against a table short one player - if one of them play. I guess it's the lesser of two evils, but aren't I getting the short end of the profit making stick? If so, any estimation what it's costing me?

[Ed Miller]

I'm not sure this hurts you, because the teams might very well be making a mistake. If the signal to fold is indeed a bet, and not just a signal, then if these teams ever bet draws, then their partner could unwittingly make a catastrophic fold. If these guys never bet draws... well, then they never bet draws. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Playing "best hand" like this, if done skillfully though, will definitely hurt you in the long run, and certainly qualifies as team play.

[Aragorn]

I don't think that this hurts you too much. Suppose one partner bets with a mediocre hand and the other one has a great hand. The great hand would be required to fold.