Exposing of cards in live game

[traction]

I was playing $5-10 NL game last night that was full. I was in the 10 seat. Anyway, the guy in the 7 seat was extremely drunk. Drunk enough to play poker but yet making outrageous raises and even more outrageous calls. The guy sat down with about 2k. Of course, like all typical drunks he ran that up to 8k by going all in with the worst of it and always sucking out. He was now the big stack at the table. Just the kind of player I want to be to the left of.

The problem was he was so drunk that every time he looked at his cards the each guy on on his immediate left or right could see his hand. He was not playing every hand so this really helped they guy in the 7 seat because he could bet or fold accordingly. I politely asked him if he could cover his hand better when viewing his cards. He said no prob. (We have played alot of limit together so he know who I was.) Needless to say 2 hands later he was back to his old way of exposing his hand when picking up his cards.

Well at this point I ask the dealer to please let the player know. They do and of course a few hands later back to the same routine. Every subsequent dealer would ask politely but really to no avail. Eventually they guy in the 1 seat starts bitching to dealers about the exposing of cards as well. Well of course the guy ends up giving all his money back to the table including me.

After he leaves the player on his right (seat 6) starts to argue with me that I shouldn't have said anything because it might upset him and force him to leave. I basically told him I was aware of "tapping the glass" but to stfu because I did it in a way that was diplomatic. He still believed I shouldn't have said anyting (of course him being next to him he is pretty self interested since he has a chance to see his cards).

Anyway my thoughts are it really gives a huge unfair advantage to the other 7 people on the table despite this guy being a huge drunken fish. 1) When he IS in a hand guy has a HUGE advantage by being able to call his all ins preflop knowing what he's holding. This just makes it more likely he will get drunkard's stack before anyone else does. 2) When drunk guy ISN'T in a hand he now knows 2 more cards our there and can play his hand accordingly against the rest of the table.

What's the best line to take with a situation like this? I thought I was diplomatic and yet felt I have a right to a fair game.

Thoughts?

Edit: When I was cashing out I found out that the guy who had lambasted me for saying something is a poker room mgr. for a casino in the bay area.

[Colima420]

I would have done exactly the same thing you did.

Colima420

[fatshark]

In many places, it is perfectly acceptable to expose cards in live play. If I was the Floor and that was happening, I would have made "Drinkingfish" show his hand to the table if I knew that someone else at the table had seen the hand. I would then advise him everytime someone at the table "may have" seen your cards the dealer will instruct you to show everyone, whether you play the hand or not. If this becomes a repetitive issue, you will have to rack up and live to fight another day.

The guy in 7 was complaining for the exact reason you said and you were in the right to make the compaint.

[HOWMANY]

I wouldn't have said anything after telling him the first time and I would have asked for the first seat change on his left.

[traction]

yeah, that guy was not going to leave until drunky was to the felt.

[PartysOver]

well played, what else can you do?

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[PantsOnFire]

I think you were fine. At some point in time, you have to decide if you have done enough assertive questioning and when that has ended, then you decide if you should stay at that table.

Perhaps you had target fixation on drunk guy and felt you had a "right" to win some of his chips which were surely going to be of the dead variety. However, sometimes you just have to rack out and walk away if the situation is becoming -EV for you, for whatever reason.

I'm just saying this a third party opinion. I wasn't there so I might be off a bit about this.

[DrewOnTilt]

You took a fine approach to the problem. I would have done the same thing, though I also may have tried for a seat change as Howmany suggested.