Neighbor wasnt protecting his cards... i feel so dirty. (long)

[TheGrifter]

The more live casino poker I play, the more I realize how low people can go when money is involved. In this situation I would let the gentleman know EVERY time I saw his cards and I would purposefully avert my eyes while he was checking them to avoid seeing them.

Knowing your opponents hole cards is not part of the game. This is one of many instances where I see how dirty and cheap people can be around a poker table, other examples...

A gentleman at my table the other day was bragging about how he dragged a 1K pot when his opponent tabled the winner but one of the cards hit the muck...the floor was called and pushed him the pot. I told him I would have given the otehr guy the pot without question, since he had a winner.

At the same game a few days before a young man got all in on the flop with 2 pair against his opponents TPTK. The bottom card on the board paired giving him a winner with aces up. He tabled his hand and the dealer incorrectly pushed the pot to the loser. The young man left and the person who had dragged the pot laughed and explained that he had seen that the other kid had a winner and was praying that nobody would notice. Again, I told him he should have shipped the pot since in hold'em the cards speak for themselves and it wasn't the player who had erred, but the dealer.

[RollaJ]

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The more live casino poker I play, the more I realize how low people can go when money is involved. In this situation I would let the gentleman know EVERY time I saw his cards and I would purposefully avert my eyes while he was checking them to avoid seeing them.

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Do you correct people when they raise with K-4 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], or call a raise in the BB with Q-7? What if they cold call 3 bets with AQo? Part of the skill of the game, and ONE OF THE RULES, is that a player must protect his/her own cards. In fact since that is in the rulebook, one could argue that by flashing his cards he is cheating....... So would you please stop siding with this cheater!

[TheGrifter]

Bad play is different than accidentally exposing one's cards. People who expose their cards are generally very new and can use a helping hand, not some selfish prick who will exploit every dirty advantage.

They first time I played in a casino an older gentleman next to me told me I was raising my hole cards too much and showed me how to do it so no one can see (twice). I will do the same for anyone else.

It doesn't surprise me though, when it comes to money most people are okay with acting like scumbags.

[Bulldog]

In a slightly related situation...

I was playing in one of the weekly Borgata tournaments a couple of weeks ago. Blinds are 200/400 with 50 antes. It's folded to me in the cutoff. The guy on the button has already looked at his cards, and he placed them on the table in front of the button, which is in front of his chips. I take that as an indication that he is going to fold, so I see a green light to steal the 1100 already in there. I make it 1200 with J3o. He leaves his cards where they are and calls. Both blinds fold, and the flop is 972. I check with every intention of folding. The button reaches for chips and then says, "Hey, where are my cards?"

The dealer had pulled them in, and she apologizes while pushing me the pot. The player is upset so the dealer calls the floor who agrees.

He's mad because he says he had tens. I felt bad, but not bad enough to give him the pot. (I'm not sure they would've let me even if I'd wanted to.) Was that unethical of me?

[TheGrifter]

Having the dealer swoop up your cards is different than tabling your hand and having the dealer read it incorrectly. In the 2nd situation you have gone to showdown, the hand is over, and you KNOW that your hand is no good, by all rights the winning hand should get the pot because "the cards speak for themselves".

Having the dealer muck your cards sucks but it does happen and with action still happening in the hand you are not unethical to keep the pot.

[jedi]

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The dealer had pulled them in, and she apologizes while pushing me the pot. The player is upset so the dealer calls the floor who agrees.

He's mad because he says he had tens. I felt bad, but not bad enough to give him the pot. (I'm not sure they would've let me even if I'd wanted to.) Was that unethical of me?

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"Protect your hand, sir." is what I'd say. Normally if I notice this ignorance (especially at the 1 and 9 seats), I'll say something so the newbie doesn't get a hand accidentally swooped up. If it happens anyways, though luck.

Going back to the exposing cards thing, the only time I'll consciously NOT look at someone's exposed cards is if it's an older person who has trouble seeing anyways. I'll make an effort to either tell him about it or look away each time he picks up his cards. Anyone else is fair game. I love the time that some guy limped in early position with 85o and tried to bluff raise me with bottom pair on the flop (flop happened to have 3 spades). He was pissed when I called and raised him on the turn.

[Andy B]

You haven't done anything remotely unethical. The casino has a posted rule that a player must protect his own hand, right? He didn't. They probably wouldn't let you pass him the chips in a tournament anyway. So he had Tens. Big flipping deal.