Is This Cheating?

[ScottHoward3.0]

[ QUOTE ]
And yes, I am paranoid.

[/ QUOTE ]
i hold the cards horizontal in front of me with my left hand. cover my left hand with my right hand. make a little opening between my thumbs the size of a dime (little smaller actually). i keep it dark in there and lift the cards one at a time with my left thumb, maintaining darkness and the opening size. i have to lean toward the cards to see each one. the darkness make it difficult to see from any distance, theres no way anybody else in the world can see my cards, due to the darkness, the opening size, and the position of the cards and my head.

[KipBond]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I went through an experiment and realized that even when I try very very hard to conceal my cards, someone sitting to my left with their head further back than mine will be able to see my cards.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry. You may be trying very hard, but you are doing something very, very wrong if that is true.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's not very helpful. Have you tried this? Unless you make a very very small hole to see the cards, someone whose head is further back than yours will be able to see your cards also. Try it (obviously this experiment takes 2 people).

Anyway, I just make sure that nobody is leaning back as I look at my cards. :P

[KipBond]

Wongboy & ScottHoward: You guys are being serious? If so... wow. I'm new to B&M play, but I've never seen anyone at the local cardroom I play at go to these lengths to conceal their cards. Wow.

[ScottHoward3.0]

[ QUOTE ]
Wongboy & ScottHoward: You guys are being serious? If so... wow. I'm new to B&M play, but I've never seen anyone at the local cardroom I play at go to these lengths to conceal their cards. Wow.

[/ QUOTE ]
yes serious.
its not very difficult and takes very little time.

[pfapfap]

Kip, I want to see how you're holding cards, because it's a simple matter of geometry to conceal them from anybody except someone who has a camera implanted in your forehead.

[bav]

[ QUOTE ]
Make a cup (a cave, a hill) out of both of your hands. Place the 'cup' over the top half of the cards. Bend your head forward and lift up the cards just enough for you to see them.

[/ QUOTE ]
I feel silly doing this, but... A picture is worth a few dozen words...

Back view:


Side view:


The front view actually is showing FAR more than you have to expose; it's pulled up higher and the hands are wider than they need to be. You can make the size of the "hole" between your hands very small...small enough that the field of view is just about your head's width (but that was hard to photograph). Notice from the side view that most of the length of the cards are visible and on the table...only the front inch or so is inside the cubbyhole.

[pfapfap]

Nice!

BTW, why do most poker ads and photos have to show AA or AK or some such? Only once, I think, I've seen JTs. Okay, yeah, fine, I know why, but I'd love to see K4o in a poker room ad.

[bav]

[ QUOTE ]
BTW, why do most poker ads and photos have to show AA

[/ QUOTE ]
Because I've seen my PokerTraker stats, that's why.

[bav]

[ QUOTE ]
Anyway, I just make sure that nobody is leaning back as I look at my cards.

[/ QUOTE ]
And this is why people are required to be seated at the table to play. Folks walking around the table while people are looking at their cards can get an eyeful. But JUST leaning back or slouching shouldn't let 'em get a look if you conceal the cards in the little hand-cave as described above.

But I'm reminded of a 2/5 game at The Palms two or three years ago. It's a happy, fun table about 2am on a weekend. Jim Rose (of Jim Rose Circus fame [pseudo-fame?]) is leaning back and the player to his right kinda glares and makes a big production of carefully concealing his cards as he looks. A couple hands later, Jim again leans back in the chair and this time the fellow in the right seat pops.

"WHAT THE HELL? You have to lean back EVERY TIME I look at my cards? It's like you're a flippin' jack-in-the-box! Back and forth, back and forth and everytime I'm looking at my cards there you are leaning back with your head on a swivel bobbing around. Oh, you're trying to look nonchalant about it but I know what you're doing." [player makes head-bobbing gesture here.]

There is silence for a second and then the table collapses in laughter. It was just so over-the-top it was impossible to take seriously. But hey, Mr. Rose stopped leaning back when the guy was looking at his cards.

[bernie]

[ QUOTE ]
Kip, I want to see how you're holding cards, because it's a simple matter of geometry to conceal them from anybody except someone who has a camera implanted in your forehead.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep.

How hard is it? I use one hand. Along with my chipsstack to the right of where I sit. It's really not that tough to conceal your cards.

b