Do you use a card protector?
 

I was just wondering how many people use these and WHY? Do people use them because they are worried the dealer is actually going to reach over to their cards and muck them? I have never seen anything like that before in my casino experience. Or do you use them because they have some sort of meaning to you, or do you think they look cool? Also are they some sort of recent fad or have people always used card protectors. I think they are pointless and kind of annoying. What's your opinion?

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

Card protectors are for tight superstitious nits. Just stick a chip on top of your cards.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

I've seen dealers muck cards, usually those belonging to the one-seat. I suck at mucking myself, and have twice fouled another players hand with an errant muck. This being Minnesota, neither of them kicked my ass, although I would have testified on their behalf had they done so.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

I use card protectors because the last time I didnt I got a nasty social disease...

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

This may be only relevant at home games, but you need to put something over the cards to prevent confusion, especially when there are two decks being handled around your seat. Using a chip is usually fine, but you have to be careful with that chip. If not careful, some may think you're actually betting with that chip.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

Yes, definetely, everytime without fail.

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Card protectors are for tight superstitious nits.

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This is completely wrong on many levels and shows inexperience with live poker. There is a direct relationship between more elaborate card protector/ suckiness of the player. Card protectors are fun and the more likely a card protector is to create conversation/ laughter at the table the better.

Yes dealers often muck unprotected cards. Like if you are screwing around with your chips or still stacking them from a big pot and you haven't looked at your cards. If they are lying out away from you, especially in the 1-2 or 9-10 seats, they can get mucked easily.

Anything that makes the table lighten up and have fun is good and anything that makes the fish tighten up or get serious is bad.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

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Anything that makes the table lighten up and have fun is good and anything that makes the fish tighten up or get serious is bad.

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That's why my card protector is a flask.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

I usually carry one of those .999fine Silver $10 tokens in the plastic cases with me. That way there is NO confusion whatsoever. Not to mention, the sheer weight of the piece will keep those cards right there even with the ac blowing hard!!!

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

Ill use one if sitting in the 1 or 10 seat. If in a different side I just warn the dealer not to F with my cards when they sit down [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

I usually just plop a beer bottle on them...

Seriously though, I was playing the morning tourney at Paris. I was in the 1 seat and the dealer actually told me to put a chip on my cards to protect them.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

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Card protectors are for tight superstitious nits. Just stick a chip on top of your cards.

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uhhh, that is using a card protector

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

I use a chip in limit as I have plenty to spare. In NL, I use a card protector so that I have something left with which to protect my cards when I go all-in.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

if you are not holding the cards with your hand, not at least having a chip on the cards is very ill advised. like someone was saying earlier, people like to get crazy and go throwing cards around and into the muck. if a mucked hand comes across the table and hits your unprotected hand, about 99% of casinos will call your hand dead. maybe you need to lose a big pot before you're convinced, but not me. i myself use a chip from a different casino that won't get confused with the house chips. that way, i don't have to put my card protector in the pot if i go all-in.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

not using a chip to protect your cards is stupid and asking for trouble. i use a chip from my stack.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

yes, a small brass statue of a chinese dragon.

Twice in tournaments and once in a ring game I've seen people's hands mucked by mistake because they used their last chip to go all-in. Twice in ring games I have seen hands fouled by other people mucking theirs, one of those a hand was killed even though the player had a chip on his cards. IMHO it is in your best intrest to use something other than a chip to protect your cards if that chip can be put into play.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

I think people are overreacting. There's nothing wrong with card protectors as long as they're not too elaborate or distracting. I've seen strong players use card protectors as well as weak players. Some people just use something that they think is lucky. If it's not negatively effecting you then I don't see what the problem is.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

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I was in the 1 seat and the dealer actually told me to put a chip on my cards to protect them.

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I see this happen all the time, the dealer doesn't want to muck your hand just as much as you don't want him to muck your hand. Is this not standard? Is the dealer not supposed to say anything?

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

I tell people, half of them don't listen or have absolutely no idea, the other half don't do it anyways(even after they just saw a hand get accidentally mucked.)

Poker players are dumb.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

Yes, I use a card protector and like one of the other posters it is a silver dollar in a plastic casing. It's heavy and inobtrusive but creates conversation at a table. People are interested to see what it is. It's saved me at least on one occasion when a particularly ditzy dealer reached to muck my cards. Having that heavy silver dollar slowed her down enough for me recapture my hand before she mucked them. Chips are fine but can also lead to a tell - more chips means a strong hand, less means a weak hand. I prefer to bypass any difficulty with using chips, plus I'm a bit superstitious, plus I really like the look of my silver dollar. Have to agree with many of the thoughts posted - using a chip protector is OK for many reasons.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

I use a chip, nothing fancy - voted yes.

Might start using a buttplug to liven things up a bit.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

I use a silver morgan dollar, but no plactic cover.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

I see no relationship in my play at Canterbury between quality of player and whether they use a card protector or not. The quality of said protector also seems unimportant.

Personally, I hate using a chip from my stack, so I usually use a chip from another casino. At times I've used other stuff, depending on mood. These have included: Legos, a small toy Sesame Street car (with Burt at the wheel), a little airplane, a large die, a silver dollar, part of a clip of nails from my nail gun, a skeleton key from the old Victorian I remodeled a few years back, a saloon token (good for "one free lay") and some other [censored] I can't remember right now.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

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a small toy Sesame Street car (with Burt at the wheel)

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wtf

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

[ QUOTE ]
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a small toy Sesame Street car (with Burt at the wheel)

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wtf

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what, we all know he's not letting his bitch (i.e. ernie) drive.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

http://www.totalinsanity.net/images/...dyjespaper.jpg

the paperweight.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

Hmmmm, I guess card protectors have more value than I originally thought.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

I'm about to order one from these guys.
http://www.premierpokerbuttons.com/c...rotectors.html

Going to get SUP BRO? lettered on the top and have an image of a brown trout.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

I use a silver peace dollar. Dealer mucks happen, and so do fouled hands.

I don't mind losing, but I prefer to lose of my own volition.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I see no relationship in my play at Canterbury between quality of player and whether they use a card protector or not. The quality of said protector also seems unimportant.

Personally, I hate using a chip from my stack, so I usually use a chip from another casino. At times I've used other stuff, depending on mood. These have included: Legos, a small toy Sesame Street car (with Burt at the wheel), a little airplane, a large die, a silver dollar, part of a clip of nails from my nail gun, a skeleton key from the old Victorian I remodeled a few years back, a saloon token (good for "one free lay") and some other [censored] I can't remember right now.

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when i decide that i don't care about getting kicked out of canterbury, my protector will be a big, black dildo.

Re: Do you use a card protector? edit
 

Maybe it's just me, but I rarely use a chip or any object to protect my cards. I hold my cards in my hand. If I'm using both hands to stack chips during a hand I will, but other than that, nope. Even then, once I'm done, my cards are back in my hand. Basically, I literally don't let go of my hand until I fold or win the pot. I rarely see anyone literally hold their cards.

That way there is absolutely no way for any cards to mix with them. I've seen people with a chip on their cards actually get cards flown into them landing underneath the chip. Took a bit to decifer which hands was what, especially when the folder 'forgot', but eventually the floor got it straightened out.

Now, leaving your hand unprotected is a noob move.

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Do people use them because they are worried the dealer is actually going to reach over to their cards and muck them? I have never seen anything like that before in my casino experience.

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Played much in a casino? Seats 1 and 9 are very prone to it happening. Usually a dealer will warn them.

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Or do you use them because they have some sort of meaning to you, or do you think they look cool? Also are they some sort of recent fad or have people always used card protectors. I think they are pointless and kind of annoying. What's your opinion?

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Certain card protectors have meaning to the players. So what? That's what annoys you? Geez. Some of 'em do look kinda cool. As another poster mentioned, they can be a good conversation piece.

Recent fad? Maybe you haven't really been playing that long. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] The recent fad is the WPT wannabes who are know-it-alls because they watch TV and know how to play. Not people using card protectors.

b

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

I usually stay out of the 1/2 and 9/10 seats, so its not such an issue. Here in Florida we have mostly SNGs, so I just grab a smoking seat, which is 3-8. I usually keep a finger or something on the cards. I never consciously decided to do this, but I noticed it a while ago. Anyway, The seat I am usually in, there is no way for him to get my cards from his seat. I've just never seen a dealer tell someone to put a chip on their cards.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

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I usually keep a finger or something on the cards.

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The "or something" part scares me. And I assume you mean your own finger, right?

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

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Anyway, The seat I am usually in, there is no way for him to get my cards from his seat.

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The dealer swiping them isn't the only reason to protect your cards.

b

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

I use my card protector for several reasons. First, it has a little bit of personal value to me; it was a very nice coin with my undergrad's seal on it that I received from a good friend when I graduated. Second, I don't want the dealer mistakenly mucking my cards, or more importantly, for my cards to be declared dead when another player's mucked cards hit mine.

A little B&M story. I was playing in the #1 seat (at the Dealer's immediate left). I decided to call, capped my cards with my protector, and pushed them a little bit away from me so people at the other end of the table (Seats 8, 9, and 10) could see I was in the hand. Shortly thereafter, the player in Seat #3 mucked, and because of the way he awkwardly threw them, they landed directly on top of my cards/protector. Because I had my cards protected, the dealer simply took the mucked cards and my hand was still live. However, if I didn't have my cards protected, that would have killed my hand. So I use a card protector to protect my hand from being accidently mucked by the dealer or declared dead when runaway mucked cards touch my cards.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

Maybe the Foxwoods dealer who posts here can jump in on this, but I've never heard of the rule that if a player throws his cards away and they land on your's that your hand is dead. If this is a rule then whoever invented it should be kicked in the nuts. Hey, I don't like that guy in seat 7, I'm gonna throw my cards at his and kill his hand. WTF?

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

i use one to protect my cards from the dealer if i happen to be in the 1 seat or the 10. otherwise, i think they look cool and they're for good luck... i have silver dollars from the years my kids were born encased in acrylic

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

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Maybe the Foxwoods dealer who posts here can jump in on this, but I've never heard of the rule that if a player throws his cards away and they land on your's that your hand is dead. If this is a rule then whoever invented it should be kicked in the nuts. Hey, I don't like that guy in seat 7, I'm gonna throw my cards at his and kill his hand. WTF?

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In rooms I have played in....if the hand is protected its live if its not protected its dead.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

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Chips are fine but can also lead to a tell - more chips means a strong hand, less means a weak hand.

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I wondered if anyone was going to mention this tell. I've noticed it as well, and though I don't use a card protector, I always use the same number of chips to protect my cards, or, will sometimes use more or less on purpose to give off a reverse tell.

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

I used to use a chip from my stack to protect my cards until I visited Tucson's Gem & Mineral show this year. I found a piece of spectrolite (Finnish labradorite) that's very unusual, very pretty, and is just the right size.

This isn't my piece, but it gives you the idea. Mine actually has more red and green in it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...pectrolite.jpg

For physics/optics geeks: Can you explain why you can only see the colors when you hold the stone at one particular orientation (assuming one light source)? If you rotate the stone 180 degrees, you can't see the colors and it just looks black so there's something going on besides a linear grating effect. Same for all other orientations except one. Some kind of retardant/thin film phenominon?

Re: Do you use a card protector?
 

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In rooms I have played in....if the hand is protected its live if its not protected its dead.

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