When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

I ran several searches and after 20 minutes am suprised that I could not find this question asked before. If it is leave a link, if not then please tell me when YOU look at your cards and why?

I read somewhere, not sure where, when I first started playing that you want to wait till the action gets to you to look at your cards. This allows you to observe the action as its coming to you and make glances at those down stream who look at their cards and maybe pick up on what they might do. If you look when you first get them you might miss something and/or you might give off a clue as to what you have and what your action might be. I've used this in both limit and no-limt, ring and tournament play.

Today I was skimming through Cloutier and McEvoy's book and they say: "If you look at your hand before the action comes to you, you can see whether anything is going on behind you. If you wait till the action gets to you to look at your hand, you will miss a lot of things. Look at your hand as soon as you get both of your cards..." And well it got me to thinking.

--jubei

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

I do my looking when it's my turn to act. I've already watched what happened ahead of me and I've looked left before I look at my cards and just after again to see what's happening there.

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

I know most of the big tourney players wait until the action gets to them, but I look at them when I get both of them.

My thougt is that I don't want everyone looking at me when I look at my cards, if I wait until the action gets to me everyone might be looking at me to see what I'll do. Also, I can formulate a plan a little better if I have time to formulate before the action gets to me.

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

You look at your cards? WTF?

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

They'll still be looking at you when it's your turn to act even if you have already looked at your hand.

If you have to worry about giving off tells when you look at your hand, you need to work on your table demeanor.

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

I believe the rational for waiting to look at your cards until your turn is so you can watch each of the previous players in turn as they make their decisions (so you don't miss anything while looking down); and so you don't give off any tells before your turn (i.e., you look at Aces and get antsy and prevent a early limp or whatever).

I have read somewhere (sorry, forgot where - maybe Jones?) not to wait at low limits, because you don't want to slow down the game, or give the other players any indication that you think about what you are doing. The first part makes sense to me; the second part - whatever - I'm not sure if it really matters, although I'm sure whomever it was that wrote it probably has a lot more experience than me.

I think I've also read that it is best to look at card in 7stud early, b/c it makes it a lot easier to count relevent cards from players who fold b/f you (although if you are proficient at counting the whole deck I guess this isn't an issue).

I think those are the pertinent arguments. In the end I guess it's personal style - a matter of how easily you give off/read tells; and how much time it takes you to make a decision. The stud argument is probably the strongest, but doesn't really apply to hold'em.

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

In my experience, I feel it is ok to wait to look at low limits, provided you are not going to slow the game down too much.

It is a beneficial strategy to look at others while they peek at their cards, and you can even look at the people behind you at this time as well.

My caveat is that one thing at low limit you do not want to do is give the impression that you are a thinking player. Anything that might make a fishy opponent play differently against you is to be avoided. This means that you should not take a long time to act preflop. So.. If you are capable of knowing your position, the number of players limped/raised/called so far, and any preflop tells you have observed, and then putting this all together to quickly decided what you will do once you identify your cards - then by all means wait to look. Its not as hard as it sounds.. .most hands you already know what you should do in every situation. But if there are a great deal of hands that have you need some time to consider your action, then it may be better to look as you receieve your cards.

One alternative is to look once the action is close (~2 players) to you, but not while receieving your cards, so that you can still observe other players picking up their cards after the deal. This is of course provided that you are in a late enough position.

As far as giving off preflop tells yourself... practice.
Matt Damon practiced with blank cards while making rounders to make sure he didnt piss himself with excitement when he picked up that A9.

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

I look at my hand as soon as I get my cards. First, I'm impatient, but I also like to look like I don't know what I'm doing. Second, I for some reason don't like people watching me when I squeeze.

Third, and probably most importantI like to watch the people ahead of me. If I know I'm calling a raise, calling a limp, reraising most hands, I can begin to formulate a strategy before it gets to me. If I can make my decision quickly, it gives the impression that I am an action guy and that I'm not giving deep thought to my decisions. This encourages others to do the same, and prevents people from treating me cautiously. For example, when I look down at 88 and know that I'm calling any small raises, or even big raises if the stacks are deep enough, and when the action gets to me, I just chuck in my call immediately, it makes it look like I'm a loose non-thinker. I find this to be a huge advantage for my style of play.

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

I used to look when it was my turn but just recently changed to looking as soon as I get them. And I'm liking this better. Like others have said it gives me time to decide what I want to do and you don't have 8 sets of eyes scrutinizing you as you squeeze them out.

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

I look when I get both of my cards, I try to wait till it is my turn but I get to impatient.

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

I look right away. This way, I can start working out what I'm going to do with the hand, I can watch the action in front of me, knowing what I have so I can react accordingly. It also speeds up the game slightly and I hate a slow game

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

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You look at your cards? WTF?

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Yeah really! comeon guys haven't you seen rounders if your good it dosen't matter.

But I look at my cards when the action comes to me watching the people ahead and behind me. I have to look at both because virtually everyone looks at there cards at the same time so if I'm trying to read people its a little harder. Occasionaly I throw in a look out of turn just to mix it up.

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

I used to look at my cards as soon as I received them. I did this primarily to keep the game moving as fast as possible. But I recently switched to waiting. Rather than looking down and seeing something like 88 or AQ that could be a questionable cold-call or 3-bet if I'm faced with a raise, I get to see from whom the raise comes BEFORE I look at my cards. This way, I can look at my cards fully prepared to act in a certain way. I don't like looking at my hand, waiting to see what happens, and then deciding. I'd rather wait to see what happens, and then look and decide in one motion. It saves a few brain cells and allows me to make a few folds that I don't think I was making when I looked immediately. 88 and AQ can look sooo good when you're running bad, but when the rock raises, you're suddenly hoping to peer down into the eyes of big pairs and AK. I don't like getting attached to my eights and then releasing them preflop. It makes them unhappy.


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As far as giving off preflop tells yourself... practice. Matt Damon practiced with blank cards while making rounders to make sure he didnt piss himself with excitement when he picked up that A9.

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This doesn't really make sense. Why would he be excited to see A9 preflop? I'm not doubting that he practiced with blank cards, but I'm not convinced that the reason you presented for WHY he practiced with blanks is accurate.

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

[ QUOTE ]


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As far as giving off preflop tells yourself... practice. Matt Damon practiced with blank cards while making rounders to make sure he didnt piss himself with excitement when he picked up that A9.

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This doesn't really make sense. Why would he be excited to see A9 preflop? I'm not doubting that he practiced with blank cards, but I'm not convinced that the reason you presented for WHY he practiced with blanks is accurate.

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I'm actually not sure which sarcastic remark to apply here, so I'll just go straight:

Sorry about that boxtree, I guess it was my fault for not separating my joke from the valuable information.
You're correct, of course he shouldn't get too excited about seeing that hand. This is the reason that I mentioned it, joking that he shouldn't really have to practice staying stone-faced because A9 wouldn't change my expression. Maybe however, it would excite some donk that never played.

Sorry again, and thanks for pointing out that it was unclear!

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

Make it simple. Look at your cards at the same time everyone else looks at them, as you turn them over after 8-betting the river blind. Make sure to announce "just the nuts" and (and this is very important) be right about it. For improved effect, try to be way way behind on the flop.

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

I usually look once the action is on the guy 2 to my right. So I can fold in stride and keep the game moving.


blake

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

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You look at your cards? WTF?

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It's okay to look at your cards on 4th street after posting a live staddle. Kids today.

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
As far as giving off preflop tells yourself... practice. Matt Damon practiced with blank cards while making rounders to make sure he didnt piss himself with excitement when he picked up that A9.

[/ QUOTE ]

This doesn't really make sense. Why would he be excited to see A9 preflop? I'm not doubting that he practiced with blank cards, but I'm not convinced that the reason you presented for WHY he practiced with blanks is accurate.

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It's an ACE!!!

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

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I usually look once the action is on the guy 2 to my right. So I can fold in stride and keep the game moving.

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Same here... I'll usually glance to the right to see if the people ahead of me are folding/limping/raising without looking at me, but at the limits I play of course no one's looking at me for tells.

I'm trying to get in the habit of checking my hand precisely once more before the flop regardless of what I have: A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 8 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 8 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 3 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], whatever. That way observant players may assume that I have a "hard to remember" hand rather than something that doesn't require a check. By all means I want to avoid the ol' "Check your suits once the third suited card hits in case you're drawing at a one-card flush" tell.

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

It depends on my position.

I pick up on what the other players are going to by how many chips they pick up or how they hold their cards in their hand. If you watch the other players, they will pick up more chips when they are going to raise. Some pick up on what I am doing and grab a stack, but few pick up on this. If they are going to fold they usually don't protect their cards or pick up chips and just hold them so they can fold quickly.

So when I am in early position I look at my hand as soon as I can then watch what the players do behind me. Also, you should be playing tight in early position so you don't need as much info to play your hand. Any hand you play here, you shouldn't care if you have to call a raise. If you do, then you should have folded it in the first place.

If I am in middle position I watch the early players and then look at my cards. If I need more information I will hold up the action while I watch the players behind me look at their cards. Then make my decision.

In late position I try to wait until someone holds up the action while they think, look at my cards while nothing is happening, and then think about what I am going to do as the action picks up.

Overall, I try not to hold up the action, but don't care if I have to from time to time.

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

In low limit games, I think waiting to look at your cards until it is your turn is about equal to wearing sunglasses at the table. It is a "watch too much TV" action and slows the game down to an almost annoying pace. The name of the game in low limit B&M holdem is to shoot for 35 hands per hour. If some tool slows the game down to 25 it is time to change tables.

Of course if someone is oozing tells out his pores at 4/8 you may want to watch that guy look at his cards, but if he is that bad, do you really need to watch??? Otherwise, don't wait. Look at your cards when you get them and play.

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

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In low limit games, I think waiting to look at your cards until it is your turn is about equal to wearing sunglasses at the table.

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C'mon, it's not nearly so bad; it only takes (or should take) a second to look, decide and act.

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

A guy who wears sunglasses doesn't necessarily slow down the table, unless he waits until it's his turn to act, slowly peeks at his cards..tic-tok tic-tock, looks up and stares down the opener looking for a tell..tic-tok tic-tock, shuffles his chip into stacks... tic-tok tic-tock, and then disgustingly throws his $4 in the pot. Believe me, I've seen it happen. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Of course it doesn't take very much time to efficiently look at your cards and act, but if everyone does it, it DOES slow down the game. The tells given off by a player when looking at his cards are generally so insignificant in low limit poker that I believe there is no real reason to reduce the number of hands per hour by even one hand. Unless you're playing 15/30 or higher, save that particular World Series move for TV.

Re: When do you look at your cards. And Why?
 

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In low limit games, I think waiting to look at your cards until it is your turn is about equal to wearing sunglasses at the table.

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Wow, I had no idea that I was giving off the impression that I learned my poker from the Travel Channel and ESPN. That's awesome! Gotta be +EV.