If I sit down at a poker table and there has not been a raise for three rounds before the flop then I know that this is not a fast table. This means that the players are limping in trying to make big poker hands as cheaply as possible.

If the table speed is slow then I will do the opposite and play fast because it is this type of game where I can take control of pots by making non conventional plays like open raising with a 7-5 of clubs for instance. Deviation plays like this can be very expensive when attempted in the wrong game. I play hands like this for numerous reasons.

A It makes my poker game un-readable and confuses my opponents.
B. It gives me added chances to take someone’s entire stack.
C. The game speed is slow and I can take control of hands easier.

The flip side to this is if I sit down in a poker game that is very fast and there are raises all over the place. The speed of the game is fast so I am going to be playing in a slow gear and will basically just let the maniacs get on with it. In fact if the game were six handed then I may well just go and find myself an easier game to beat. Most of my aggressive style will be nullified by my aggressive opponents basically doing the same thing.

My style takes advantage of fear and caution and “book” play on the part of my opponents. I win money in poker and a lot of money at that by being prepared to do things that other people feel uncomfortable doing. Money in poker does not come easy; I have never said that it does. But sometimes you just have to back off and find yourself an easier table and there is no shame in that at all.

There are far too many available games in NL Texas Hold’em poker and especially in my favourite six handed games for me to waste time and money by sitting in games where a persons natural aggressive tendencies are the theoretically correct way to play the game even if they do not realise that fact themselves.

What table Speed suits you?

It took me an awful long time to find something out about table speed. This was that differing table speeds suited different people depending on their personality. From my own personal experience, I studied for years to beat Limit Hold’em full ring games. Yet these games require a tremendous amount of disciplined folding to be successful in them. More on this in part three of the series.

Carl “The Dean” Sampson

I would like to ask something but I don’t know if it would make sense. What will you do if you want to use the facilities or want to get some of the free grub? Will you leave your chips or take them with you in case?

Another thing, what if while you are gone, one of the blinds passes you by, ante up one more time?

Thanks,
Norman Morisset
Norman,

You leave your chips at the table. If the blinds pass you by while you are gone, it depends on whether you are in a cash game or a tournament. If you are in a cash game, you must post the small and big blind to receive a hand. Otherwise, you must wait until it is your big blind again to play. If you are in a tournament, you will continue to be dealt and your blinds and antes posted while you are gone. When you come back, you play as normal.

In a cash NL game held yesterday, I was the dealer. Unfortunately, I made a mistake. The player to act first placed a bet right after the flop. I remember he had a caller then. A player was in the hand, however his cards were concealed behind his hand and it was an honest mistake, I forgot he was still in the hand. Turn card came and I flipped it over before he made a move. Just few seconds after, he announced that he was going to call and therefore the hand continued.

Any comments about what happened? Base on the rules, was everything acceptable?

Thanks!

Landon Woffer
Landon,

If I were there, I would have let it go with the way it happened. In a casino, it is the call of the floor person. Some may let it go at his word and others may require that you pull back the turn and burn and turn a new turn. Then you take the old turn card, put it back in the deck, shuffle it, and then burn and turn the river.

In one of my games, there was a beginner. Well, it was pretty much obvious then that he was a beginner. One thing I noticed was that he kept on raising unreasonable amounts back then, hence making every player fold. There are instance when someone had a decent hand and will spent some time thinking, trying to read him, but in the end will just opt to fold. Most players fold because they want to see the guy’s hand.

Do you think the guy and the way he play does makes sense? Does showing your hand not in the proper time acceptable? Any thoughts?

Thank you.

Benson Andrew
Benson,

The player was using a strategy of betting large amounts to make people fold. It’s not the wisest strategy but many beginners try it.

Taking a long time to show your hand or showing you had slowly to make someone think they have won when they haven’t is a form of slow rolling. It does not cause the person doing it to lose the pot, but it is a breach of etiquette.

I want to ask something regarding the revealing of a hand before showdown. Well, once I heard that you can only do it when there are only two players left and eventually you are the last to act. However, from some people, I also heard that you can’t do such.

Just recently, I read Doyle Brunson’s “Wisdom from a Poker Champion”, and I learned that he typically reveals his hand the same condition as the one mentioned above. Any idea about it?

Thanks! By the way, your site is so great. Congrats!

Tolbert
Tolbert,

This used to be allowed and was standard. In tournaments this is no longer allowed. This is viewed as trying to get an unfair advantage by trying to get a read by influencing the action. A player may receive a penalty up to disqualification for doing this. Some casinos still allow this in cash games, but some don’t.

In a recent tournament, a situation came up. I remember then that after the flop, I went all-in. Later, I had one caller for it. Well, it was the first hand of the tournament therefore both of us were all-in. I was then the dealer and when the time to flipped my two cards came, we were quite surprised as one of them hit one of the community cards. By the way both my cards were face up then.

So now, do you think that meant a dead hand and so the other guy actually won? Well some players said that I lost automatically while there are some who said that it was another way around as my cards were face up actually. What do you think?

Thanks!

Regards,
Lynette Bower
Lynette,

There should never be a rule killing your hand if your card touches the flop. This is a silly rule and there is really no good reason for it.

For sake of argument, let’s say the rule is in place. Since you are all in and the cards are already face up, then it does not matter if the community cards touch your cards. The dealer should just push your hand off to the side while they deal the cards. This should not be an issue.

I once heard stuff about Reserved and Kill Buttons. Also, I have even seen them for sale along with small and big blinds buttons. I’m wondering if what is their purpose or use.

Hope you can help me.

Thanks!

Regards,
Julie Armstrong
Julie,

A reserved button is used to hold a seat for a player that is either buy-in into a game.

In certain games, if a pot goes above a certain amount, the next hand is played at doubled the limits. This is known as a kill. The player that won the pot that forced the hand to be a kill hand, wins the kill button and must post the small bet portion of the kill round. For instance, in a 2-4 game with a kill, the kill hand must be played at 4-8 and the kill button must post $4. Also there are also ½ kills. In a 2-4 game, the kill hand is 3-6 and the player with the kill button must post $3.

I oftentimes play at casinos. Well, there’s actually one thing I notice, players there usually show their hand to the player sitting next to them or to other players around. At first, I don’t mind, however, as of now I find such kind of practice not helpful at all, most especially to the player who showed his hand.

Tomorrow, I’ll be going to the casino to play and I don’t know what to do. I’m bothered and I definitely want to do something about the practice I have discovered. However, I don’t want to look as if I’m mingling with the affairs of the room or the casino though I’m not in the position to do that.

In your own opinion, is the practice I’ve come to discover legal and ethical?

And another thing, can you help me with my problem about mucked hands. Right now, I still don’t know when to show my hand. Say we’re actually on the river and then I bet and so you called. I believe I have to show my hand then, but am I right for saying that I don’t have the right to see your hand because I’m the bettor? What’s your thoughts on this? And is it true that all players who called a river are obliged to show their hands at the end, and then a player will reveal his hand and then other players will just muck as they know they can’t win eventually? Any idea?

I hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you so much!

All the best,
Jon Lewis
Jon,

This is not an illegal practice as long as the players are not in the hand. However, you may request the dealer show everyone the hand since they showed the hand to other players.

A player that calls your bet at the end has the right to see your hand. If you muck your hand, they can request it be shown. In showing down hands, the player that makes the last aggressive action should be the one to show his hand first. In the event both players check down the hand, then the player closest to the button must show first.

I got the chance to read your comment about the rule on show one show all. Well, I’m not sure but to me it appeared that in the event I am in a hand to the river and I call someone else’s´ bet, and he has me beat, he has the right to see what I have. Am I right? I admit, in my opinion, if this is the case it’s actually unfair.

Let’s assume that you have a pair. Then you bet into someone from pre-flop to river and fortunately was able to have the third card to have a winning set. It would be nice then if you could ascertain if you actually need such card or not. And on the part of the losing player, well, it’s up to him to show you if you were correct with your findings.

Any comment?

Thanks in advance!

Chris Brown
Chris,

It doesn’t matter if he has you beat or not. If he calls your bet on the river, he has the right to see your hand. He paid for the right to see your hand and can exercise it. If you paid money to see a movie, you would expect to be allowed to see the film right? The movie theatre can’t take your money and say, “Oh, we don’t feel like allowing you to watch the movie.”

While other players were still betting, a certain player who was all in showed his cards. I’m wondering if this allowed. What do you think? I heard doing such will just distract other players who were still up for the betting round.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks!

Clark Dawson
Clark,

Acting out of turn is not allowed regardless of whether they are all in or not. This influences action and disrupts the natural flow of the hand.