Waiting until it's your turn to look at your hole cards? - Page 4

ChuckyB · #31 05-04-2006, 06:04 PM

I wait until it's my turn to look at my cards. But the second they're dealt to me I grab them and get them ready to look at. I want the best of both worlds.

MrBrightside · #32 05-04-2006, 06:46 PM

Personally, this drives me nuts too. I take a quick glance and then watch people. I had this guy at a 5/10 o8 game a few weeks ago who took FOREVER on every decision AND he didn't look until it was his turn. What's funny was, he'd take forever, then limp with 67JQ rainbow.

LoosenUp · #33 05-04-2006, 09:20 PM

I think it really depends on the player and the game. In my game most everyone does this and the speed of the game is not effected. Experience players make preflop decisions in an instant. Although, newbies do slow down the game doing this. This is probably more what Tom is referring to.

I wait for my turn or one persons action before me to look at my cards always, except when i'm steaming [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] then its one by one as they come out, but this is infrequently. When I realize i'm doing this I know I have to fix some things in my game.

I find it extremely important to be watching the action while it is happening, there are so many tells present in middle limit poker that you will miss while looking at your hole cards while others are looking at theirs.

Ignignokt · #34 05-05-2006, 01:17 AM

[ QUOTE ]
I find it extremely important to be watching the action while it is happening, there are so many tells present in middle limit poker that you will miss while looking at your hole cards while others are looking at theirs.

[/ QUOTE ]
It is for this, and not due to any tells of my own (if I'm playing my cards, I always loooove them!), that I wait. Then I look as my neighbor is betting/folding.

If a nit is getting impatient, though, I might dawdle. Nit tilt r00lz.

Rick Nebiolo · #35 05-05-2006, 01:24 AM

The debate whether it's a good idea or not has been done many times before. Without reading the whole thread I would say if you are going to wait to look have the corner of your cards already bent up a bit (standard cupped hands protecting cards from prying eyes, middle fingers holding middle of cards flat, thumb under front corner position) so it will only take an instant to bend them a bit more and see what you have.

~ Rick

TStoneMBD · #36 05-05-2006, 01:42 AM

i agree 100%. this is one of the worst habits that books/tv has instilled in poker players. this wait until its your turn to look thing really slows the game down tremendously. not only does it take a few extra seconds for everyone to look at their cards they also have to spend more time making decisions. many people will try to take their time on their decision after looking at their cards whether they have a decision to make or not just to balance their tells. if they looked at their cards ahead of time they wouldnt need to do this as they already would have had ample time to think about most decisions.

this is one of my huge pet peeves. although i dont say anything about it, it drives me crazy. ive played in games many times where all 10 players at the table (except for me) wait until their turn to view their cards. if 7 people do this each hand and it takes 3 extra seconds to view their cards per person were losing 20 seconds a hand. a hand should only take like 30 seconds in shortstack nl tournaments so with an added 20 second delay, were only going to get to see 3/5 the amount of hands that we should be seeing per hour.

on a brighter note these monkeys that like to wait till their turn often give off huge tells (as you mention) as they think about their action on the spot.

rowdyclassmate · #37 05-05-2006, 03:39 AM

You'd think ESPN had a camera set up somewhere in the poker rooms because of the length of time that some people take, thinking they are on TV. Out here, we pay time for the NL games. $7 - $8 per half. On top of the dealer counting the checks, money, etc, it all adds up to really slowing the game down.

mrkilla · #38 05-05-2006, 09:28 AM

I wait and I don't care if it slows down the action any [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] this is mostly tournaments and Higher NL cash games. Where its more then 1 -2 dollars to call...

PS I'm not worried so much of them getting a read on me, but I like to pay attention to get a read on them prior to my descions [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

TStoneMBD · #39 05-05-2006, 10:56 AM

i recommend that you look at your cards immediately in between players looking at their cards. it will probably be a strategic benefit for you. i like to watch my opponents as they look at their cards and viewing my cards before the action gets to me usually does not disable me from ever doing so.

by viewing your cards before the action gets to you, you know exactly what youre looking for in your opponents. if for instance you look down at AQ and see a player raise it in, you will know what to look for to get an idea of his hand range and will likely already have made up your decision before the action gets to you in many situations. this prevents you from giving away valuable information by the time the action gets to you in taking a long time to make your decision.

of course, if the money is very important to you late in a tournament and taking your time increases your edge then by all means take your time. but if youre playing in a tournament all day, wasting time isnt fair to other players. I was watching AJo Go Allin (Alex Jacobs) play the final table at Foxwoods and I had to leave early because he was taking FOREVER on every hand and couldnt stand watching it anymore. i dont fault him for doing so because the money was so substantial but its better if you can avoid that.

grdred944 · #40 05-05-2006, 11:25 AM

I think too many people drink Red Bull at the table.

It is only a good habit to wait to look at your hole cards if you are actually paying attention to others when they look at their cards first. I don't get why so many casual players wait; and while waiting, b.s with their neighbor or stare off into space rather than look at the other players. I guess it is because they see people on TV wait until it is their turn.

If you do wait and watch and really pay attention to the game, it is well worth it to do so when it is your turn and not miss possible tells. Regardless of level. If someone is put off by your waiting, t.s. They should go play 3 card poker -- where the action is fast and furious.