Looking at other's card. It's ok?

[JimmieS4]

I guess I'm just a douchebag as well. If I pick up a tell on an opponent I'm supposed to share it with the table? If the guy is flashing on purpose then the rest of the players should see the cards as well, but this isn't the case. I sit down I'm there to collect chips and anything fair goes. It's not my fault my opponent doen't protect his cards. Now I'm not leaning over or doing anything sneaky to see the cards, but if they're flashing in my face I'm not about to ignore it.

Zen and the art of Poker: Rule #62 "Good poker is not a gentleman's game it is war.

[Humble Pie]

[ QUOTE ]
One night, I was in the 6 seat. The player in the 5 seat was very careless about looking at her cards. I couldn't help but see them as she looked at them after every street and they were right in my line of sight when I looked at the board cards. Dealer picked up on this and warned her about how she looked at her cards. When he warned her a second time he said if she does it again he'll have to turn her cards up for everyone to see. Interesting call, and I could really see nothing wrong with it if he had to do that.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dealer seems pretty out of line here.

[UbinTook]

If i notice a "rubber necker" i will make one general..."one player to a hand, PLEASE" statment just as it occurs next.

If the offender doesnt take notice that IVE noticed, i will, on the next occassion state, "eyes on your own hands ONLY..." usually while making eye contact with the offender.
At this point i will tell the player whos cards are being seen that they need to be carefull in protecting their hand as they view it.

If it continues , i ask the floor to clarify to the player how to protect their hand.

[Milo]

As I've responded in previous threads on the topic, I warn players once, unless they are clearly intoxicated. I have no sympathy for anyone who chooses to gamble when drunk.

[KenProspero]

First time it happens -- if my cards are still live, I use the information, I don't go out of my way to see another players cards, but if it happens, either he has to be at a disadvantage (I've seen his cards), or I have to be at a disadvantage (Pretending to ignore information that I have). Between him or me being at a disadvantage, it's going to be him.

Otherwise, the first time I see someone's cards when I wasn't still in the hand, I warn him -- once.

[baggins]

[ QUOTE ]
First time it happens -- if my cards are still live, I use the information, I don't go out of my way to see another players cards, but if it happens, either he has to be at a disadvantage (I've seen his cards), or I have to be at a disadvantage (Pretending to ignore information that I have). Between him or me being at a disadvantage, it's going to be him.

Otherwise, the first time I see someone's cards when I wasn't still in the hand, I warn him -- once.

[/ QUOTE ]

this is what i'm getting at. it's not my responsibility to avoid looking at his cards. and i'm not going to go out of my way to avoid seeing his cards.

if he DOES flash me his cards, and i've told him once already, i'm not going to play like i don't know his cards.

i trust the other players at the table to yell at him after that. i've already publicly warned the guy he's flashing. if the table doesn't like the fact that i'm unwillingly getting a look at another player's cards, it's not my job to do anything more about it.

[Cardgrrl]

Playing at Harrah's in AC, I warned the guy to my right that I could occasionally see his cards. The floor manager overheard and hovered for the next several hands. The manager reminded the guy when he started doing it again.

[Andy B]

The rule at Canterbury Park is that if one player sees another's cards, then everyone sees them. I assume that this is the rule in other places but that it's not universal.

I used to warn people once and then they were on their own. I now warn them every time, and I make an effort not to see their cards. The problem isn't that you're using this information against them. It's their responsibility to protect their hand, after all. The problem is that you can use this information against the other players, and that is what makes it unethical. The arguments comparing this to, say, spotting a tell that someone else doesn't don't hold water. For the most part, people have a somewhat unobstructed view of each other at the poker table. If a guy fails to pick up on a tell because he's distracted by the TV or the cocktail waitress, that's his problem. The information is available and it's up to him to obtain it. The guy on the other side of the table can't see your neighbor's hole cards, and there's nothing he can do about that.