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

[WayAbvPar]

In tournaments, I generally wait until it is my turn to look. In ring (limit) games, I usually look when action is a seat or 2 to my right. Either way, it rarely takes me even 5 seconds to make a decision.

[SoloAJ]

This isn't a problem that you'll find many culprits of here in this forum. People are saying they don't slow the game down by waiting because comparatively, they don't. It is the new players that look at their cards and see marginal hands or something like K2 and they have to think forever about what they want to do. Most of us are able to make that decision within seconds.

That is where the delay comes in.

Tothe poster who described the hand cupping and leaning down, etc. That is dead on. As I was reading what you wrote I was cringing and wanting to say hurry up.

[esch]

I watch the table and I don't see how people who wait until it's their turn can say that they do not delay the game. Yeah sure, sometimes they insta-muck. But almost always, things would be faster if they looked at some point before their turn. I've seen a couple good people put out chips instantly, but it's rare.

But often enough most folks are late or something else happens and now we have a real delay (relatively speaking)

I won't really fault someone for waiting their turn (hey, it's not a lot of time even though it can add up if everyone does it and it's a tight game), but to say they introduce no delay is a bit self-absorbed or not being congicant of reality.

Personally, I don't think it's that hard for folks to consistently look at the cards ahead of your action, come up with possible courses of action and be prepared to act when action in on to you. I would assume that most people here are capable of not giving away the farm through tells. But too many folks are "this is how I am" "I'm entitled" or just not trying to be considerate.

If everyone did this every hand, you'd easily get another hand in per down - which I think is worth something. There's a nice asthetic quality to watching the pre-flop action with multiple players take place on a table in under 4 seconds.

And since I already know if the person next to me will chop or not, it doesn't matter if I look at my cards.

Folks could also call out action instantly if calling or raising, so action can continue on after me with folks having to wait for them to fumble with chips. Though I could see the drama effect from "is he calling the raise or re-raising" being appealing.

[Jeffage]

Have you ever answered a post without sarcasm?

Jeff

[Wake up CALL]

Have you ever answererd a genuine concern expressed by me?

Do you really think you aren't delaying the game or is this strawman attack your way of avoiding the answer?

[shag]

I wear mirrored oakleys. Every time i'ts up to me I stare at every person who still has cards for 3 seconds. Then I look at my cards. Then I repeat step one. Then I look at my cards again. Repeat step one. Act. Perfect for not giving off tells and putting fear in the eyes of my opponents.

[Jeffage]

Ok, sorry if I was nasty - not a particularly good day.

But anyway...no, I don't really think I'm delaying the game. First, most if not all of the people in the games I play do this...I have my hands on the card and peek and do something in an instant - I don't squeeze out the cards. I would say I act quicker than many people who do look at their cards in advance.

If I was the only one who waited, that might be different - I don't hollywood or whatever after looking. Additionally, I feel not looking right away allows me to see things I might not if I looked down and saw 83o and turned my brain off, but that's a separate point.

To each his own - just my take. When people who wait to look slow down the game significantly, I believe it can be a problem.

Jeff

[_TKO_]

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I wait, but I don't think it slows down the game any.

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I usually know what I'm going to do before I look at my cards anyway. Preflop is easy.

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Really? I think cards matter at least a little.

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Yeah, but just a little. Before my turn, I watch the action with me and determine what range of hands with which I'll raise or call (the rest are folds). First, it helps keep me slightly fresh by contemplating various strategies. Second, I still act very quickly. There are times when I pick up a hand like 87s in the CO behind two limpers and have to think a bit, but I don't think that thinking time would change much if I looked beforehand.

Anyway, I do agree that some players must wait until the stars line up before making their decision.

[gwhiz_612]

I do both. Sometimes Ill look while cards are being dealt and in the same game Ill wait for my turn before I touch a card. I like to have a paranoid image at the table like everyone is watching everything that I do. Then if I feel like tilting someone I might look at one card, take a breath, pause, try to squeeze out a fart (faking), maybe try to burp while grabbing my stomach, then slowly look at the other card and either muck real fast or stand up take a few steps back and say AWWWWWW EEEEEEENNNNNNNNN!!!!
I usually try to save this play for special times. Feel free to try it.

[Mr_Donktastic]

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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Whether it be a $100 max buy in no limit game where people are limp-calling reraises with A6s or a $65+15 SNG, I really don't see the point of doing this. OMGZZZTELLZ

It just bothers me when we're seeing like nine hands/month and every single player refuses to look at their cards until it's their turn. Sometimes UTG won't look at his cards without staring the table down...

So is everyone doing this? Only high stakes? Only low? Only NL?

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I'm with you Tom...

I look at my cards as i get them, one at a time, and cap them the same way every time. I don't think I can be giving any tells this way.

By doing this I can follow the action leading up to me KNOWING what my cards are. I think this is a better way to go - you can relate the action to your cards and think about what you're gonna do as the action comes around.

If you wait to look you have to think alot quicker, which I think can lead to bad decisions.