Feigning a fold to elicit a tell?

[modaddy]

How often do you do this? Any guidelines?

I usually do this once every 2-3 sessions (usually play 3-100 or 5-200 spread limit) and the key thing I'm looking for is a look of relief from the villain. My "hit" rate on this seems to be pretty accurate...

[punkass]

Depending on how you do this, you might be labeled as a dick. You pick your cards up, move them slightly towards the muck? Or you just frown?

Although I hate people who do this, I've taught myself not to react to anything, even if the cards definitely go in the muck.

[BrunoThePug]

I don't think picking your cards up and acting like you're going to fold or at least being unsure of calling is terrible. If you're fake tossing them into the muck or pretending to push them to the dealer that's another thing.

[MRBAA]

It's an angle and it's wrong.

[slowplayj]

Doesn't sound like it creates a good atmosphere at the table. Just because you're a shark doesn't mean you have to behave like one. Be nice to the fish and they will be happier to part with their money.

[Coffee]

As someone else said, what, exactly, are you doing? If you're shuffling your cards in your hand or rechecking them...something like that...then that's okay...but if there's ANY forward motion towards the dealer/muck, then it's an angle and you shouldn't do it.

[PantsOnFire]

To all those who feel this action is unethical, against the rules, being a dick, etc.

Most of you have probably used the following tell. When getting ready to make your preflop action, you check behind you to see if anyone is getting ready to fold. You then come in with a raise a scoop the pot. OK, so far nothing wrong with that.

Now what about a guy behind who notices you do this. He picks up a premium hand. He pretends he is going to muck, just like before so you raise and he either calls or comes over the top. Ooops.

I believe that is simply a reverse tell. How is that different from OP's action?

As a matter of fact, another situation is when you have position and the OOP player is contemplating his action. I know I have started counting out some chips to discourage any bet when I don't want one. If the guy has caught on to this then I will reverse and count out chips to encourage a bet when I do want one. Again, is this different from OP's action?

I would consider OP's action a reverse tell and I think it is part of the game.

[AngusThermopyle]

[ QUOTE ]
Again, is this different from OP's action?



[/ QUOTE ]

Don't know. Exactly what is OP's action? Picking up both cards and "faking" tossing them into the muck? Sliding them slowly toward the dealer, but never releasing them?

[Atlanta Andrew]

I have done a similar move before in the following situation at limit hold 'em. River comes 3-way action, and I have a strong hand in last position. First postion bets, and MP (a weak player) ponders whether or not to call. I try my best to look completely uninterested in the hand and hold my cards in a position as if I am ready to muck, thus enticing his call.

There was no deliberate or forward motion made. It was simply a frozen pose that said, "I can't wait for you make up your mind so this hand will be over."

I hope this behavior falls in line with an acceptable reverse tell.

-Andrew

[iversonian]

On a similar topic, is this manoeuver kosher? You're playing low limit LHE and there's a nit who's calling string raises against noobs who obviously intended to raise but just didn't do it quite execute the move correctly. Like, he gets all nervous and sets out 4 stacks of 3 chips in front of him and brings them out 3 at a time in quick succession. Go back to the original intent of the string bet rule to see why calling him on a string raise is nitty behavior. You pick up a draw on the flop against him in position. He bets and you mimic the newbish string raise, and as expected, he calls you on it. You take a free river card. Thoughts?