[bav]

Every random poker book and poker TV show tells the newbies "never look at your cards until it's your turn". I *HATE* that advice. Newbies who need 30 seconds to decide what to do with their 2 cards need all the lead time they can get. The advice should be to look at your cards when nobody else is looking at you, but don't move a muscle after you've looked until it's your turn, and then don't move until you decide what you're doing. One of the great tells of the world is the obvious newbie who glances at his cards, instantly grabs for a whole stack, then suddenly thinks "gee--maybe I shouldn't raise to $100 with AA" and instead grabs four chips off the top.

If you ARE going to wait to look, at least have the courtesy to have the cards in hand and be ready to look when it comes around. Don't sit there leaning back with your arms crossed and when it comes your turn only then look around, take a deep breath, lean forward and ever-so-slowly squeeze out the two cards, then set them down and ever so carefully cover them with your WSOP-brand Chip Protector, lean back and cross your arms again, look very thoughtful, stare at everybody again, and then very dramatically and very sloooowly lean forward again and ever so carefully remove your WSOP-brand Chip Protector, and flick the cards into the muck. PARTICULARLY in a tournament with the dang timer ticking down. If you had any idea what my hands were doing to your face in my imagination at that point you wouldn't be able to sleep again. You are NOT the center of the universe and we are NOT impressed with your Hollywood theatrics. Just look at the bloody cards and act! NOW!

Poker needs to use chess clocks. (Well--10-person versions of a chess clock.) I don't mind someone spending 60 seconds on a $500 decision now and then. It is not ok for them to spend 30 seconds on EVERY decision.