Seeing a players cards (tough table) / vs. a weak table - Poker Theory

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Seeing a players cards (tough table) / vs. a weak table

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10-12-2018 , 04:05 AM

Mr.Jones

grinder

Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 527

The situation comes up for me about once a week.

Where I'm scoping out the poker room and come to 2 table choices: a game full of solid players maybe one fish, but I'm able to get seat and consistently see both of a players whole cards.

*or

Choosing to sit at a table with multiple weak players, more fish, can't see anyone's cards.

What would you choose?

(I've been choosing the tougher game but can see 2 whole cards)

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10-12-2018 , 06:19 AM

Brokenstars

Verified Coach NLHE

Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 16,102

sounds like cheating

fish table for me

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10-12-2018 , 10:55 AM

Mr.Jones

grinder

Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 527

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brokenstars

sounds like cheating

fish table for me

No, a lot of these guys don't protect their hands at all. They look at them way infront of the rail sometimes even with just one hand.

Large public casino, just full of inexperienced / lazy players.

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10-12-2018 , 11:03 AM

Mr.Jones

grinder

Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 527

Also worth noting, if I look to see player x's cards, 95% of the time I'm unable to catch the preflop action of everyone else. So I do miss out on that information.

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10-12-2018 , 04:34 PM

browni3141

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 5,678

I don't think it's ethical to take advantage of this information. It doesn't matter if it is easy to obtain because the players fail to protect their cards properly.

Consistently knowing even a single player's cards is such a massive advantage that if I were to ignore my scruples I would always take that table regardless of other conditions.

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10-12-2018 , 05:46 PM

YouAreAwesome

journeyman

Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 345

Fish table. (You have to inform a player if u can see their cards at least one time. If they continue to show you thereafter then it is on them.) Missing preflop action is a huge negative also.

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10-13-2018 , 08:26 PM

robert_utk

Not From the UK

Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,822

Sorry, the theory of being a cheating scumbag is not my wheelhouse.

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10-13-2018 , 11:09 PM

TheGodson

veteran

Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 3,068

Pick the table where you can see their hole cards. That is a powerful advantage. If they don't keep their hand secure that is their problem not yours. I mean, if you are actively trying to see their cards that is one thing, but if they don't care enough to protect their hand from open view that is on them.

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10-15-2018 , 04:16 PM

antialias

grinder

Join Date: May 2018 Posts: 590

Depends if you don't mind getting the crap beaten out of you. No matter if they are protecting their cards badly - if anyone catches you looking they will be mad.

In any case: the fish table is poker. If you're looking at other people's hole cards you're playing something else.

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10-20-2018 , 10:24 AM

#10

alkimia

enthusiast

Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 91

A few weeks ago I was playing 5/10 at the bellagio and there was an old man next to me who kept flashing his hand to me. I told him 3 times before he got rude with me over it and then from that point I proceeded to slowly own him. I will tell them and tell them repeatedly if they're flashing their hand unless they starting being an ass about it.

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10-20-2018 , 05:00 PM

#11

YouAreAwesome

journeyman

Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 345

Yeah once is enough imo. Similar situation the other day, on th e change of dealers I was utg and should have been big blind next. The new dealer placed me on the button. I asked if I was meant to be big blind and nearly everyone at the table disagreed. So I left it at that even tho I was 100% confident I was right based on the action in the previous hand. Better for everyone to be happy than for me to prove I'm right.

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10-21-2018 , 07:45 AM

#12

David Sklansky

Administrator

Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 17,085

Telling him once is fine. If you are playing heads up.

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10-21-2018 , 09:32 AM

#13

David Sklansky

Administrator

Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 17,085

If I was playing nlh against the eight best players in the world not only would the card expose be losing after 100 hours but so would everyone else. Even if was passing up many profitable situations to avoid suspicion. Just in case my post above wasn't clear.

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