Tourney Protecting your hand (1 Viewer)

[shorticus]

I was playing in a 40 player MTT and we had finally reached the final table where I get a new dealer. As I typically do, when the dealer shuffles, I gather my cards and then watch the action until it is to me. Once, I've watched the action fold to my area, I cover my cards as I normally do in order to peek at them. The dealer moves the action to the next person when it's my turn to act, and he claims that he could not see my cards so he thought I folded. This is really awkward to me because there's no way I could have folded being that he had just dealt the cards and I had not made my initial action. He tells me keep my cards visible, to which I reply that I was just protecting my hand. He mumbles something under his breath and we proceed.

For the record, I ended up folding the hand anyway.

I found that to be an awkward interaction with a dealer so I'm wondering if there have been cases where this has happened to anyone here. How does one respond to awkward situations like this with a dealer?

 

[horseshoez]

For one, it happens. Sometimes dealers aren’t paying attention to mucks being thrown out there and automatically assume it’s a fold. Simple solution in my opinion, if the dealer insists on standing his or her ground, your main argument should be that your cards clearly weren’t thrown into the muck pile. When I deal I’m doing two things, paying attention to the action if I need to alert next to act etc and the second, looking at the mucks or those who are throwing them in. It’s that persons job not yours to know whether you have cards or not. After all, they’re in your hands, you already know you have them even if they’re covered while looking. Dealer should be paying attention looking around and will automatically know who’s still in the hand.

 

[Legend5555]

This isn't that uncommon. Just move on and make sure your hand is at least somewhat more visible if it's reasonable the dealer couldn't see it.

 

[Poker Zombie]

I've had it happen many times in home games (non-professional dealers). Protecting your hand and covering them with your big mitts are two different things.

Nothing to get upset about (either you or dealer), but be aware that dealing is a monotonous job. Mistakes will be made if you don't meet halfway.

 

[horseshoez]

I've had it happen many times in home games (non-professional dealers). Protecting your hand and covering them with your big mitts are two different things.

Nothing to get upset about (either you or dealer), but be aware that dealing is a monotonous job. Mistakes will be made if you don't meet halfway.

Yup. It should be over though when you explain to your dealer you’ll try to make them more visible and he gives you the chance to act following your statement. If a dealer is stuck on his high horse even when no one is at fault, just tell him to fuck himself. No don’t do that, just kidding. Acknowledgement from both that was just a mishap is good and move on.

 

[Gobbs]

As I typically do, when the dealer shuffles, I gather my cards and then watch the action until it is to me. Once, I've watched the action fold to my area, I cover my cards as I normally do in order to peek at them. The dealer moves the action to the next person when it's my turn to act, and he claims that he could not see my cards so he thought I folded.

When you say “gather my cards”, what do you mean? Covering them with your hands? Protecting them with a chip (or similar)? Not protecting them at all?

Where are the cards while you wait? In front of your chips? Behind them?

Need more information to answer, but the short answer is, just make sure cards are visible at all times.

 

[shorticus]

When you say “gather my cards”, what do you mean? Covering them with your hands? Protecting them with a chip (or similar)? Not protecting them at all?

Where are the cards while you wait? In front of your chips? Behind them?

Need more information to answer, but the short answer is, just make sure cards are visible at all times.

When I gather my cards, I simply put them together from the dealer passing them and place them in front of my chips. Then I put hands over my cards to lift the corners and see what cards I’m holding.

 

[Poker Zombie]

Keep in mind that it is improper to completely cover the cards with your hands. I'm not saying that you are doing that, but it is a common mistake. Completely covering the cards would be a way to "switch" the cards you are holding with cards from your lap.

Keeping the cards visible at all times prevents that one angle/cheat. Help the dealer protect the integrity of the game. If he allows you to play hidden cards, he has to let everyone play hidden cards - and sooner or later someone will exploit the lax rule enforcement.

 

[shorticus]

Keep in mind that it is improper to completely cover the cards with your hands. I'm not saying that you are doing that, but it is a common mistake. Completely covering the cards would be a way to "switch" the cards you are holding with cards from your lap.

Keeping the cards visible at all times prevents that one angle/cheat. Help the dealer protect the integrity of the game. If he allows you to play hidden cards, he has to let everyone play hidden cards - and sooner or later someone will exploit the lax rule enforcement.

It's very possible that I am/was completely covering the cards. That would make sense being that he said that he could not see my cards. I'm going to be more aware of that moving forward.

Good catch!

 

[RiverKingCali]

Depends on the dealer too. Some are more alert as to which hand is next and who's action it's on. Sounds like he was having a bad day. I keep a chip on my cards but cover it completley to take a peek when action is on me so I would be annoyed too if the dealer don't see that I'm checking my cards when its damn obvious I'm looking down at my hands...

 

[smsguy927]

This just happened on my last down. The player in seat 10 had his cards covered with his hands and was counting chips to call or raise. He was skipped by 4 players who couldn't see his cards. I couldn't stop the action in time and called the floor. The floor killed the skipped player's hand. This is why you need to keep your cards visible.

 

[DoubleEagle]

TDA Rule 25C. Players must keep live hands in plain view at all times.

 

[BobbyFresh]

It happens from time to time. I don’t take anything the dealers say personally, they are trying to keep the game going for everyone.

 

[phdlance]

In the end, it is the dealer's responsibility to track who is in the hand and correct any resulting mistakes.