See hole cards or see board cards?

[deleteduser]

i would want to see my opponents cards, however it would would be less obvious to detect cheating if you could see the board....

[jonny quest]

Without a doubt, I would take the board cards.

With complete certainty, I would know if a flush or straight were possible, if the board paired, etc. In a game of incomplete information, knowing if you are drawing dead or holding the absolute nuts would be far more valuable than knowing what your opponents held.

[AlanBostick]

If you know the board cards to come, then you would always know before the flop the strength of your hand, should it come to a showdown. You would know whether your draw would miss or hit. Consequently, you could play (say) 84o when the flop would be AQ6, turn 7, and river 8, and jam on every street.

The trouble is, your opponents would catch on pretty quick that when you put money into a pot, you're going to show down a strong hand, and that it's as likely as not going to be a goofy one. (Some will suspect you of cheating. In a manner of speaking, you would be.) But they'll get the picture sooner or later, and eventually they'll stop giving you action. You'll be able to win the blinds when you play a hand, and that's about it.

On the other hand, if you know your all your opponents' hole cards, you might not know how strong your final hand will be, but you will know how strong their hands actually are. You will have a good idea why they are folding, checking, betting, or raising. You will know when they are bluffing. You will know when they aren't getting the best of it. You will be able to fine-tune your steal-raises, value-bet cannily, snap off bluffs, pick the right spots to push weak hands that are better than yours off of pots.

Your opponents would grow wary of you, but would be less likely to ascribe it to cheating and more to your uncanny ability to read them.

If taking the blinds down once or twice an orbit is your idea of a good time, then knowing the board-cards-to-be is the right choice. If you're willing to gamble it up a little and win more big pots at the risk of losing one occasionally, then knowing your opponents' cards is the way to go.

[OrangeKing]

Hole cards, for two reasons:

1) You will get to see the board cards, eventually, either way. Seeing the hole cards allows you to see both.

2) I like the idea of never ever making a theoretical mistake, and never making a mistake of any kind of the river.

[tufat23]

NL it has to be hole cards without doubt.

in limit i see value in seeing the board over hole cards, however only really at the low limits that i've played, where many times people play too loose preflop and too many people see the showdown. in mid-high stakes i believe seeing hole cards are still more important though

[andyfox]

But if you knew your opponents hole cards you would know if you were drawing dead or holding the nuts. And you would never be surprised.

[MatthewRyan]

This is so easy.

Seeing hole cards allows you to play perfectly. As in, you cannot play better in any possible way.

Seeing board cards only allows you to know your final hand in advance; this no way allows you to know the real value of that particular hand.
(example: you will make 2 pair, so you play your hand to showdown only to lose to trips.)

[Ray Zee]

seeing hole cards allows you to play perfectly or close to it. but you still only get to play infrequently and will lose when the board doesnt help you. but seeing the board cards. you will make mistakes but only play when you are getting help and that matters more. this applies to a full game.

[Duck Rabbit]

I would definitely rather see the hole cards rather than the board. You would just look like a complete moron playing certain hands when you know what the board will be. Being able to make plays according to your opponents cards, you would be arguably the best poker player in the world.