What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

I don't play live that much, and I'm a quiet reserved person by nature, so I sometimes find it difficult to handle aggressive jerks at the table.

So yesterday, a young kid folded to my bluff raise after the flop came J-J-2 (I had Q-9). He said, "What'd ya have?" I just shrugged and smiled, and tried ignoring him. He kept pressing, "What was it, K-J? J-10?" Finally I politely said, "You have to call if you want to know my hand", and he said, "Bro, it's a $3-6 table, this ain't the WPT, so just relax and tell me your hand." He was looking at the other players like I was the biggest a-hole in poker history. He kept muttering about it for the rest of the session every time I was involved in a pot with him, like "uh-oh Mr. WPT's in another pot", etc. It started to make me a little uncomfortable after a while. I even considered switching tables, but I decided not to because the game was very good.

Was I wrong? Does B&M etiquette require that I disclose my cards in low-limit games? If not, is there a good comeback I could use, to get guys like this off my back in the future? In the heat of the moment I just couldn't think of anything to say that would effectively end it and shut the guy up.

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

Just lie.

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

"I don't know; I never looked."

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

When people like that ask me, I usually say "I had you beat, don't worry about it." Or if he says "Did you have Jack-Queen?", just say "Yea, something like that.".

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

I love the options so far. You can also call him out for being a dick explain to him that 3/6 is alot of money to you and you arent giving him free info.

Its tough being an introvert, try cocaine, i hear its a helluva drug.

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

I forgot.

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

The guy's an idiot and had no right to know your hand. If anybody sides with them, they're idiots, but at $3-6 they may even be the majority.

It's not unethical to lie in this situation. Or ask him if he'd rather we all just play with our cards face up.

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

I usually either make something up or just say, "I don't really remember."

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

[ QUOTE ]
It started to make me a little uncomfortable after a while.

[/ QUOTE ]

iPods rule.

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

Make your-self look like a fish and Quote rounders or something, ie. "Sorry John I don't remember."

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

I've had the same problem before. Generally when someone tells me that I should tell them what I had because the stakes are so low I usually just say something about how if in fact they are so low, why didn't you call the last bet just to see what I had? You'll get some action after a comment like that. Otherwise, I usually just say I forgot.

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

Try 'Suited Kings'
or 'Pocket Hubcaps'

or my fav:
'Pair of Balls'

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

a pair of ducks

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

I generally have pocket deuces. Deuce on the board? Two? Three? no matter.

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

From a dealer at Harrah's Atlantic City.. "Pay-Per-View".

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

No, you were not wrong. Find some way to make fun of him, or just make a cockeyed face and shake your head at him.

I employ all of the following when asked abuot my hand:

a) I tell them my hand
b) I tell them some other hand
c) I do what you did
d) I say I forgot
e) I say "The best hand"

f) (Thanks Dave) I listen to my ipod and skillfully avoid engaging people who annoy me.

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

He does not have any right to know what your cards were. Still, just ignoring his question encourages someone to be unpleasant.

I usually say "pocket aces", no matter what I actually held. If the table is in a good mood, you can do this repeatedly and they will just think you're hilarious. If the table is hostile like that guy, you can only do it once or twice. In that case, I would just shrug and say pair of ____ (whatever the lowest card on the board is). It's not worth it to make everyone start thinking seriously and kill the action.

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

My response is generally based on: what do they want to hear?

I like my opponents to think that they are playing correctly and making good laydowns when they aren't. If there is an obvious hand out there and I have it, I'll often admit to having it. If there's an obvious hand out and I don't have it, I'll often lie and say I do. It tends to ease the minds of my opponent's, they avoid thinking to much about anything, they stay happy and passive and continue to lose their chips in an efficient manner.

I am very much of the opinion that lying/actually saying your hand is always a better option than saying "the best hand" or "you have to pay to find out." Those kinds of stock comments will often annoy the table and breed animosity, even though they're totally within the rules. Give your opponents something to hold onto to keep them happy and not thinking that you're out for blood. This image creation can also be used to your advantage later.

-Will

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

I typically play 40-80 at Borgata. I hit a flush on the river in a huge pot and sprung to life and bet. This good player thought forever and finally folded what was obv a strong hand. He asked what I had.

"That's the $80 question isn't it?"

Jeff

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

I always say "I had jacks".

If you think about it, it's almost always plausible... Even if there are 3 J's on the board, I say "I had jacks".


Tom

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I forgot.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is my favorite. In this case you say "I forgot already."

Villain says "did you have the jack."

You say "yeah."

It's over.

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

At the 10/20 in Council Bluffs, IA last week, there were three hands still in at showdown, two aces were on the board, and the agressor the whole way mucked his cards when the other two players both showed an ace. Someone asked what he had and he claimed to have the fifth ace. I called him out on it. It was fun.

That is all.

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

In this situation, I'd almost always just say that I had a jack. If I find a guy that I think I can bluff, I like want him to think he's making good laydowns when I do it. In general when a bad player asks what cards I had, I tell him whatever makes him feel smart, so he'll continue playing his particular brand of bad poker with gusto and not think about his play.

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

My favorite response is "two cards and a bet."

If pressed, I can use one of the deep East Texas nicknames for hands that no one outside of a game I used to play in uses.

Ex:
"I had Rudell, and it was onsuit."
"I had the Hubert Watson hand."
"I had Snookums."
"I had the Great Brandoni."

And yes, these are all actual hand names.

Or, if you like,
"I had the Granny Mae." [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

If that doesn't work, I will begin making up nicknames for hands. Bonus for double entendres.

Ex:
"I had the Whiskey Sour."
"I had the Naked Waitress."
"I had the Fish Catcher."

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

Thanks very much all for the advice. These are good!

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

I just say good fold and tell them "I had the nuts"

Best of Luck

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

Good game, keep it friendly. Tell him what you think he wants to hear. In this case, something like J-T. You can even add that you probably made a mistake raising.

Etiquette does not require that you tell him what you had; he was being discourteous asking and insiting that you tell him. But when I'm in a game where a lot of the other players play worse than I do, I try to keep the game as pleasant for the other players as possible. Which is a good policy anyway.

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Was I wrong? Does B&M etiquette require that I disclose my cards in low-limit games?

[/ QUOTE ]


Absolutely not. However, when someone is being like this moron was, you simply tell them what they want to hear. Keep the game happy.

You had KJ, simple as that.

al

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

[ QUOTE ]
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

[/ QUOTE ]

I find that this is the only Lederer quote that one can use at the table... the rest are -EV.

Well, except for the, "Don't worry Phil. They'll definitely show that one on TV."

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

I usually tell them that I got dealt the rule card and figured it was worth somthin. Then if they keep after me, I'll just tell them to go [censored] themselves

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

"The winning hand."

What can I say, I'm a sucker for ambiguity. Half the players I say this to assume I mean the nuts, the other half click that I'm messing with them.

I sometimes use "pocket deuces" as well, but only when deuces wouldn't have played, like a double paired board.

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

I view this as an opportunity. Since I feel no obligation to be truthful, the question is: "What do I want my table image to be?"

For example, if I've been playing very tight, and someone folded to my monster hand, I may say "Bottom Pair", or it was a bluff.

Do I want to enhance my image as a tight player -- in that case, I'm sure I had a set at least.

In some cases, if I really had the hand I would want to claim anyway, I'll even just flip them over.

Another advantage I see to all of this is that if someone asks you what your cards are, you almost have a free shot to ask them what they had at some point in the future. If I can get some (admittedly suspect) information from telling a lie, that's great.

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Good game, keep it friendly. Tell him what you think he wants to hear. In this case, something like J-T. You can even add that you probably made a mistake raising.

Etiquette does not require that you tell him what you had; he was being discourteous asking and insiting that you tell him. But when I'm in a game where a lot of the other players play worse than I do, I try to keep the game as pleasant for the other players as possible. Which is a good policy anyway.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is what I do, and why I do it.

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

Something to keep in mind... A happy table is almost always +EV, but a table that is pissy or a couple of guys PO'ed at you can sometimes be +EV too.

If the guy is PO'ed at you, there is a very good chance he is going to enter any pot your are in with any two trying to get the better of you, especially if you raised it. Use this to your advantage.

I generally play in a big bet game and have taken to doing this if someone is really up in arms about seeing cards... "OK you can see one card for half of the last bet, both for the full bet" sometimes I add "pick one, it really doesnt matter they are both the same". To my shock a few people have paid the half bet. [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] LOL

Some of my favorite lines...

"If I told you, you wouldnt like it"
"Same as you, I just bet it is all"
"Hell if I know I didnt look at them. Dealer do you remember?"
"A pair of Kems"
"A bet you couldnt call"
"Its 3/6 (4/8, 6/12)... so any two will do"
"It maybe low limit, but I still play my best"

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

three options:
Pocket Aces
Whatever the second nuts were (you have to figure it out and say a hand, not just "second nuts")
whatever he thinks you had (if he guesses, then "yeah, that was it")

whichever option you choose, stick with it the whole session.

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

Lie

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

One that I use when the table is already in a good mood is "Trust me, if you had me beat you would have called."

It doesn't necessarilly mean that you have the nuts, but that you did have a pretty good hand that was certainly worth a bet.

-Yarney

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

[ QUOTE ]
One that I use when the table is already in a good mood is "Trust me, if you had me beat you would have called."



[/ QUOTE ]

One of my favorites too

Re: What\'s a good response when someone asks you what cards you had?
 

I did not read through the other responses, but regardless of what the board shows, the answer is always pocket jacks, even if there are three jacks on board.