This is a 1/3 game at a casino and I'm a fairly new player.

I'm on the button. The cutoff is on his phone when cards are dealt. While fumbling around with one hand, he accidentally flips over one of his cards (Ks), which I see. I don't think anyone else noticed it (or at least nobody else said anything). He flips the card back over and I say to him "I saw that card, what should we do?". I don't know if he hears me, he doesn't say anything, and he opens to 11 over a limp.

I have 96cc, a hand that's sort of borderline to call, and I don't feel right playing the hand with extra information against who's likely to be the main villain, even if he knows I know one of his cards, so I fold.

As it turns out, the flop was K 9 6, so that would have been a really interesting spot. He ended up having AK and winning the hand at showdown.

Afterwards, I told him again that I saw one of his cards pre-flop, and he said he wasn't sure how we were supposed to handle it.

What do you do in that situation where a player -- not the dealer -- accidentally exposes one of his own cards and you see it?

This is a strategy forum, so I'm going to move this to the etiquette and rules forum. You'll get a variety of answers.

For me, I tell people when they are exposing cards, but I don't play differently pre, and post I don't use the info to bluff them, but I might to bluff catch. I wouldn't play 96s, and I don't think it's close, so I wouldn't play it here. My general practice is to tell people once that they are exposing cards, and then feel like I've done my due diligence, so if they continue, it's on them. I won't crane my neck to see, but I won't look away either.

The issue I have with telling th m once is you are not just playing against them. You are likely to have info over everyone else at the he table. Is it fair you have this info advantage?

Yeah, that was my other consideration. I didn't think it would be right to play the hand if there were other people in it, and it wasn't heads up.

I think I either had to speak up further and ask the dealer to declare the hand dead, or just fold. So I did the latter.

If you are folding then do so. Tell player after hand. If there is any chance you are playing or a chance others in the hand saw speak up immediately. Tell dealer you saw his card. House will have procedure to deal with this.

Hand should never be killed. If the card gets exposed or not is procedure dependent

96s is a fold to a raise pf. I view this like knowing a player has a tell. If the dealer exposes a card, I would say something if I was sure what the cards were. If a player exposes a card, I don't feel an obligation to reveal what I saw.

Unless you were planning to fold anyway, you should announce that you saw one of his cards, before the action gets to him. Then he almost certainly will fold, and everyone else at the table should be shown the card. If he decides to play, he's going to have to do it with everyone else knowing one of his cards.

Just yesterday in a 10/20 LH game, the guy sitting to my right accidentally flipped over his Ace of hearts right as the preflop action was starting. I'm sure several other players saw it as well, and he decided to play the hand, doing the right thing by leaving that card face up until the preflop action was complete.

I've seen another player's cards 3x.

Twice it was because the guy was bad at protecting his hand and I told him I could see his cards. I was not in the hand. My opinion is that if you carry on showing after that, it's your problem not mine and I will use it against you but that has not happened.

Once it was because when he looked, he did it with one hand because he was dealing with food with the other hand. I wasn't trying to look but the motion automatically got my eyes to to track and I saw his hand. He was sat to my left, I quietly told him that I had seen his cards and folded anyway because I had air. Then he folded because he also had air.

The problem with this is that it's not only his problem, it's the problem of everyone else at the table too. Will you use the information against them as well? Unless the hand is headsup, you will be using it against them, because you have information they do not.

Yep agree. My desire to have the cleanest possible game is limited. If you show your hand and don't stop doing so despite my warning, you provide an advantage for me that is unfair for every other player at the table who does not have that information. It's kind of theoretical because this has never yet happened to me, but it could.

I believe that a player should alert the table that a card may have been exposed by a player, and other players may have seen that card.

I'd like to think I'm not playing the hand differently.

In the case that I'm sure I'm the only one to see the card, and I'm folding, I stay quiet.

My general rule is to warn someone who exposes cards quietly once, then publically after a second time. I will not try and see, however, after that, I will use the information.

On the point of the extra information. Players that have studied the game and have learned to pay attention to what's happening at the table have more information anyway. Since I make sure that everyone has the chance to know someone is exposing cards, there is no obligation to point it out again and again. I do make sure they have the opportunity to pay attention, I do not aid them in it.

You did attempt to tell him and it's possible some of the players around you also heard you but if he really wants to keep the king, I'm not gonna press it any further.

It sounds like he accidentally quickly flipped the card while picking it up, as opposed to not protecting his hand while looking at your cards (meaning he doesn't cover them with his hands) which is really two different things. I've flipped over cards like that plenty of times and it's hard to do it and not know the card was or may have been exposed so I don't wanna force him to get a replacement or show the king. Maybe the other one's a king too (which is why he could be ignoring you) I can picture some players slamming both kings face up on the felt saying "why don't you mind you're own ******* business buddy, thanks a lot ******" (I'm positive everyone knows a few players in their player pool that would act exactly like that).

But you are not more effectively using open information available to everyone. You are using specific information not available to everyone. No matter how hard someone else works or how smart and talented they are they don’t have this access.

It isn’t that you are better at using info. Poker skill is about taking advantage of those advantages. This is about unequal ACCESS to info and that is unethical to take advantage of.

Perhaps and perhaps not. As I said, I do make the table aware that someone is exposing cards. You're suggesting that I not only be responsible for the player exposing cards, but also for the lack of attention of the other players in the game. Ultimately, you are responsible for yourself, not those around you.

All that said, at least in my area, players routinely exposing cards has become unusual.

Sounds like you would make a good table captain.

You're not getting it. Another players can play perfect attention, notice every time the other guy exposes his hand to you, and he still will be at a disadvantage, because he doesn't know which cards were exposed to you.

As Chill notes there is no perhaps. If player (or dealer) exposes a card that you can see but I can’t it isn’t about me paying attention. Couple examples:

Me 1 seat, you 9 seat, other guy 10 seat. If other guy flip flashed a card, I can’t likely see since dealer including his hands and arms blocks my view.

You 2 seat, me 8 seat. Dealer is pitching too high with an angle. If you pay attention and maybe slouch slightly, you can maybe see 8+ cards (more likely is just a couple unless it is a REALLY BAD dealer). Even if you only see 1 card that went to seat 1 and seat 1 folder, you now have information I can’t possibly have. You might know your K flush is nuts since A was folded. Might be pretty important info advantage

That you have shared this is happening doesn’t matter. Now I might know you know but I don’t know what you know.

If a player is frequently doing it, not common but they are around, and you call it out a couple/few times, the player will stop OR floor will step in and handle. How and how well floor handles will vary, but at least it gets addressed.

From what I've seen at 'alphabet' poker tournaments they are leaning towards an 'information only' trend .. but want you to hold your tongue until action is on you AND you decide to stay in the hand. Only when you are going to have an advantage over the table AND can use that advantage are you to make an announcement.

Some will say that 'everyone' should know immediately so that they have 'equal' information for their decision making process. But until there's and advantage gained by a Player remaining in the hand it it really isn't relevant to the hand's outcome.

You can say that a Player should announce it either way, but unless a Player also shows their holding it's pure speculation as to whether the information affected the decision to fold or not, so why stir the pot?

The thinking is that 'less is less' in these cases .. the less information, the less likely that it's wrong or an angle is intended. The days of forcing a Player to re-expose their card 'for verification' are over. Players 'simply' announce their opinion on the spot if they are to remain in the hand.

There's absolutely no way to eliminate angles and/or errors in these spots. Cards flash a lot and I'll dare say that the 'information' is inaccurate a lot of the time. So now, not only do you get to see a card, you also know that the incorrect card is still out there also.

In OP's case, he made what he considers an ethical decision to not tempt the poker mojo. But as long as he announces 'I saw a King and I'm calling anyway' he also has satisfied an ethical standard AFAIAC. Other Players can now use that information going forward equally .. the Player who exposed his card is not obligated to confirm or deny the information, but now also can make decisions based on what OP has told the table 'fairly'. GL


PS .. Dealers exposing a card during the Deal or otherwise are still treated as requiring 'instant' correction or announcement. Whereas I don't totally agree that a flashed burn card needs immediate attention, just use the same 'rules' as above, it's still treated as a fully exposed card with a Floor call to move on.

Then, as is often the case, ask.

Again, I am not responsible for you. Nor am I a table captain. If it bothers you so much, then you should be the one to speak up.

You don't get a replacement when you expose your own card.

I can’t say you saw his card. Fact simply is the proper etiquette is every time you see a card if you are not folding you should say you saw. If you choose a lessor option it speaks more of you than anyone. If you are fine with that do as you wish. But please no matter how you justify it don’t claim proper etiquette.

I'm claiming the reality of playing 10-60 hours a week for decades. Once I think I would have agreed with your position, but no longer. Sorry, if it doesn't fit your perfect picture of poker etiquette, but past a certain point warning someone privately once and publically a second time seems like enough. I just want to get on with the game and support my family.

Dealers and players alike hate this one weird trick.

Huh? What's the trick that people hate?

If it happened quickly as soon as the card was received, I've seen it get replaced many times.

It's pretty easy to tell what they're doing.