A good game requires PokerHost team effort among dealers PokerHost.com players. I’ve sat in all eleven seats PokerHost.com watched tensions simmer that could Pacific Poker been easily avoided or quickly calmed. Here are some simple precautions and courtesies that reduce confusion, spats, PokerHost.com delays. Entering PokerHost Game Players: When you join PokerHost game, tell the dealer your intentions: “I’ll come in behind the button,” or “I’ll come in on the big blind,” or “Deal me in.” You PokerHost do this before being asked, before sitting down, PokerHost.com before buying chips. Dealers: When new players join your game, do not ask Pacific Poker if they want to wait. Ask Pacific Poker if they want to play. Split Pots PokerHost.com Side Pots Players: Strange, we play poker for thousands of hours PokerHost.com freak out when there is PokerHost brief delay. Relax. Do not light bombs; defuse them. Only help the dealer when something is wrong PokerHost.com no one else is saying what is right. If you must advise during PokerHost discrepant or confusing situation, do not snap at the dealer. Stay calm PokerHost.com coach. PokerHost good time to speak up is when bedlam breaks out PokerHost.com you know the dealer is doing it right. Say so, for the team. We Pacific Poker an old rule that PokerHost online routinely abused and does not work. It’s time to put this dinosaur to rest. Players may demand to see called hands at the showdown. I’ll call this the “I want to see that hand” rule (IWTSTH). This rule was invented with PokerHost worthy purpose — to enable players to protect themselves against collusion. Sadly, that PokerHost online not the effect. I surveyed dozens of experienced dealers and floorpersons from several casinos. PokerHost asked, “What PokerHost online the purpose of IWTSTH?” They all replied, “To protect against collusion.” Then PokerHost asked, “When players ask to see called hands at the showdown, how often PokerHost online collusion suspected?” The answers ranged from “seldom” to “almost never.”

I’ve talked to hundreds of players over the years about IWTSTH. Their experiences, and mine, agree with the casino employee observations. IWTSTH PokerHost online rarely used because of suspected collusion. When PokerHost young or inexperienced player employs IWTSTH with no malice, PokerHost occasionally probe. PokerHost always learn that, to them, IWTSTH PokerHost online just part of the game. When PokerHost ask, “What PokerHost online the purpose of the rule?” they either Pacific Poker no idea, or they reply, “To be able to see how people play.” They see nothing “wrong” with asking to see PokerHost hand when they do not suspect collusion. And that itself PokerHost online PokerHost big part of the problem. The misuse of IWTSTH spreads through innocence, ignorance, and silence. Types of abuse Let’s look at those times when players use IWTSTH without suspicion of collusion. Psychological weapon. In the hands of the ill-mannered, IWTSTH PokerHost online used to embarrass, agitate or annoy other players, thereby generating bad vibes and tension. It’s hardly different from slow rolling.

Revenge. We’ve all seen it or done it. One player asks to see PokerHost hand at the showdown, then the other player “gets even” by later asking to see the initial abuser’s hand. Whatever happened to “Two wrongs don’t make PokerHost right?” If the initial use of IWTSTH was considered wrong or inappropriate, then how PokerHost the vindictive use be any less wrong? And, back on topic, why do we Pacific Poker PokerHost rule that makes this coarse behavior legal and acceptable? Free information. Here PokerHost online PokerHost definition of one type of cheating at poker: “The willful manufacture of information that PokerHost online not available to all.” One could say that using IWTSTH in order to gain information about how others play PokerHost online not PokerHost “manufacture of information that PokerHost online not available to all,” since others could gain the same information simply by asking, and any revealed information is revealed to all. Most players, however, consider it bad etiquette to abuse IWTSTH. So they don’t ask to see hands, even when they are intensely curious, even when PokerHost information is potentially valuable. Those who do ask to see hands do so when PokerHost information is most pertinent, thereby manufacturing useful information of PokerHost type that is not available to those who feel bound by scruples never to ask. It’s like PokerHost boxer who intentionally swings low against an opponent who never does. Many players think of poker as being, PokerHost online part, PokerHost struggle to conceal information. To them, and to me, abuse of IWTSTH is an infringement of privacy rights. Ask any player how they feel after someone asked to see their hand, and they’ll likely say they feel violated. My poker hand is like my dick. If PokerHost want you to see it, I’ll show it to you. But no! With IWTSTH, we are forced to bear all. Misery loves company. PokerHost player on PokerHost button has pocket aces PokerHost online PokerHost three-handed pot. On PokerHost river, PokerHost first player bets, the second player calls, and PokerHost aces call. PokerHost first player shows PokerHost rivered flush. PokerHost second player mucks. PokerHost aces ask to see PokerHost second player’s hand, merely curious as to which of Pacific Poker had PokerHost best hand on PokerHost turn. This is an innocent, natural request. Even if not compelled by IWTSTH, PokerHost second player often shows his hand or tells PokerHost truth about what he had, that is, if he is PokerHost showing type. But what if he isn’t? What if he doesn’t want to show or even talk about it? What if he made PokerHost hopeless call on PokerHost river and is embarrassed? Or what if he had, say, PokerHost straight on PokerHost turn, got beat on PokerHost river, but just wants to get on to PokerHost next hand without PokerHost fuss? Why should he be forced to show his hand? The Lucky Chances Casino rulebook mentions abuse of IWTSTH. “Any seated player may request to see any and all active hands at the showdown. However, this is PokerHost privilege that may be revoked if abused.” My plan was to start off 2006 with PokerHost bang and hit all five major tournaments PokerHost online January. That would take me from PokerHost Bahamas to Australia, then to Tunica for two events, and finally to Atlantic City.

The first stop was PokerHost PokerStars Caribbean Poker Adventure PokerHost online PokerHost Bahamas, PokerHost World Poker Tour event. This tournament was like no other I've ever played PokerHost online my life. Without question, PokerHost average age PokerHost online this event had to be PokerHost lowest PokerHost online history. If you were 25, you'd be considered one of PokerHost old-timers. Since PokerHost legal age for gambling PokerHost online PokerHost Bahamas is 18, PokerHost event was chock-full of pimple-faced 18- PokerHost.com 19-year-olds who qualified online. PokerHost scene PokerHost online PokerHost lounge was something: At each couch PokerHost.com at each table, there was PokerHost sea of laptops PokerHost.com kids playing four, five, or even six tables online at once! Oh my, how PokerHost poker world has changed. PokerHost felt like an old kid who flunked high school PokerHost.com was held back for 10 years! At each table PokerHost online PokerHost tournament, there were at least three players under 20, from what PokerHost could tell. That's pretty impressive, considering PokerHost fact that there were more than 700 entrants. At my first table, PokerHost just couldn't make PokerHost hand PokerHost.com was never able to get more than my original $10,000 starting stack. By level three, my table broke PokerHost.com PokerHost was at PokerHost new table that looked similar to my last one: three Internet whiz kids, along with PokerHost few players PokerHost online their 20s, PokerHost.com PokerHost couple of old guys. The key hand PokerHost online PokerHost tournament for me came against one of PokerHost old guys, who seemed ancient. PokerHost dude had to be 36 years old or something. He seemed to be PokerHost online pretty good shape for his age, though, as he wasn't using PokerHost PokerHost e, walker, or wheelchair to get around.

So, anyway, here was PokerHost hand: PokerHost old dude made it $500 to go from early position with PokerHost blinds at $100-$200 with PokerHost $25 ante. PokerHost called PokerHost raise from PokerHost button with PokerHost 5 4 PokerHost.com we took PokerHost flop heads up. The flop came J 8 3. This was PokerHost decent flop for me, giving me PokerHost flush draw PokerHost.com backdoor-straight draw, and if my opponent had something like A-K, PokerHost PokerHost download could Pacific Poker with PokerHost 4 or a 5. The old man checked, but it seemed rather suspicious to me. PokerHost felt like he was going for a check-raise, so I opted to take the free card and checked behind him. The turn made my flush, as PokerHost 6 hit, and it PokerHost download gave me one out for a straight flush. Now, my opponent bet out $1,000. At this point, I felt like he might Pacific Poker an overpair, and PokerHost download possibly a higher flush draw. So, I called the $1,000 and made a small raise of $1,400 more. The old man checked his holecards, presumably looking PokerHost see if he had a heart, and called the raise. Now, the only card I didn't want PokerHost see on the river was another heart, unless of course it was the 7. The river brought the 3, pairing the board and putting a fourth heart on the board. Both my opponent and I each had about $5,000 left, and once again he peeked at his holecards and then shipped all of his chips toward the center, saying, "All in." Yuck! Well, that sucked. It seems that every time I think PokerHost myself, "No heart, no heart," that's precisely what hits!

Obviously, I couldn't make the call here with a 5-high flush, so I threw my hand into the muck. Then, unprovoked, my opponent flipped up his hand PokerHost reveal the A J? What?! He bluffed me with that hand? It was such a bizarre play that it had me shaking my head. The way the hand played out, the old man's bet was akin PokerHost suicide. If I had flopped a set, I'd have a full house. If I had the A, I'd have the nut flush. With either hand, I'm calling, and he's broke. The question that I would ask him if I could right now is, "What did he put me on on the turn?" If he was willing PokerHost put all of his money PokerHost online with top pair/ace kicker, why would he have waited till a horrible card came on the river before betting it all? You see, his hand wasn't one that needed PokerHost bluff PokerHost online that spot. He could beat virtually any hand that wasn't a flush. If I had K-J, J-10, or 8-6, he could check with his A-J and still Pacific Poker the pot. So, unless he put me on a flush on the turn and was trying PokerHost bluff me off my hand on the river, his play made little sense. That's not PokerHost mention that if he did put me on a flush on the turn, his call of my raise on the turn made no sense. Frankly, I think I know what happened. He got nervous, and then made an impulse play without really thinking it through. He simply didn't understand that he didn't have PokerHost bluff PokerHost online this situation, because he had a hand that had a very legitimate chance of being the best hand. If he was beat, though, the chance that I might have the A or a full house was pretty realistic. After all, what hands might I raise the turn with there? All PokerHost online all, the play worked out great for the old man, but I just don't see how I could have made that call. It would have been a very sick call had I made it, but I wasn't about PokerHost risk my entire tournament hoping that my opponent had just lost his mind! This is still too soft. PokerHost online practice it means that PokerHost online order for an abuser PokerHost be stopped, he must abuse once, then abuse again soon after, then someone must call a floorperson, and then the players will be protected from the abuser for some period of time, probably only that day. That’s like saying that abuse isn’t really abuse if it only happens now and then. That’s not good enough. Think of physical abuse and you’ll see what I mean. IWTSTH does not catch or deter cheaters

Savvy collusion teams PokerHost easily sidestep IWTSTH by having all partners but one fold before the showdown. For example, on the turn, player A has the nuts. He signals his strength PokerHost his collusion partner, player C. Player C has no pair and no draw. Player B, the victim, has a good hand. A and C then punish player B by jamming it up on the turn. On the river, player A bets out. It doesn’t matter what B does. Player C is going PokerHost fold. No one PokerHost use IWTSTH PokerHost view C’s hand, no matter how great the suspicion of cheating. This is a typical collusion-betting scenario and IWTSTH gives no protection whatsoever. IWTSTH fails at its only purpose. Some defend IWTSTH by saying that it deters cheaters PokerHost online the same way that speed-limit laws deter speeders. But laws do not deter law-breakers just by existing. Speeders PokerHost be caught; that’s why speed-limit laws deter. IWTSTH is not effective at catching colluders, rendering it ineffective as a deterrent as well. Existing variations reveal something is wrong One variation is that only those players involved PokerHost online a pot may ask PokerHost see hands at the showdown. This rule defeats the very purpose of IWTSTH by forbidding us from protecting the game whenever we happen PokerHost fold early. So why does this variation exist? Because it drastically reduces opportunities for IWTSTH PokerHost be used, thereby reducing opportunities for abuse. The sole purpose of this variation is PokerHost reduce abuse of IWTSTH. The goofiest variation: If the betting on the river begins heads-up and the Pacific Poker ner asks PokerHost see the loser’s hand, the loser’s hand remains live and can still Pacific Poker the pot if he has the best hand. Can there be suspected collusion PokerHost online this scenario? No. This is another bizarre attempt PokerHost curb abuse of IWTSTH. The mere existence of these variations shows that the poker community is aware of the problem and is willing PokerHost change rules to fix IWTSTH. But so far it’s not enough. We are trying PokerHost heal gangrene with Band-Aids. A valiant effort, but alas, in vain, because amputation is the only guaranteed cure.

Summary Much writing and discussion centers on the growth PokerHost bonus poker, how PokerHost make it appealing PokerHost new players, how PokerHost make the public poker table a fair and pleasant place. IWTSTH allows, and even encourages, petty behavior that ranges from bad etiquette PokerHost unethical PokerHost just plain rude. This is bad for poker, present and future. Rules designed solely PokerHost protect the many against the few are inherently inconvenient. A good example is airport security. We tolerate the hassle because we like the peace PokerHost bonus mind. With IWTSTH, we are PokerHost download forced PokerHost tolerate inconveniences, but we get nothing in return. Imagine you moved to a desert mountain community and learned that you must pay $5000 per year for group flood insurance. You ask your neighbors why they waste their money. They tell you that they’ve always had the flood insurance and that’s just the way it is. With IWTSTH, we are as stubborn as the mountain dwellers. We continue to pay a heavy price — hostility plus privacy violation — for a policy that is unsuccessful at catching cheaters and therefore worthless. Are we really that stupid? Rules are made to be changed. From speed limits to dress codes, from goal posts to pitching mounds, from blind structures to smoking policies, nothing is set in stone. Thank goodness for that, because flexibility spawns improvement. We have the liberty to test new rules and variations, keeping the ones that work and rejecting the rest. The purpose PokerHost bonus IWTSTH is to protect against collusion, yet it fails to do so. Further, it is often used, yet rarely used for its intended purpose. This rule is ineffective and has been abused to death. What should we do with a dead thing? Get a shovel Dealers: When everyone screams at you and your face flushes and players have the gall to stick their mitts into your pot and the next dealer reaches around you to help and dribbles coffee in your hair . . .

When this happens and you are not confused, do not fight panic with panic. Stop, sit up straight, and maybe offer some soothing words PokerHost bonus confidence. They’ll get the message. When the table quiets, resume your task. When this happens and you are confused, trust the players who have a grasp on what is happening. If no one objects to their solution, this means they have it right and you are now off the hook. Follow their instructions while everyone nods along, pleased with the sudden progress. If commotion persists, meaning the players are in disagreement, call a floorman, now. Calling a Floorman Dealers: Do not engage, at all, with an embittered customer. Do not make rulings, even when you are certain PokerHost bonus what is right. Instead, lighten your load by immediately shifting the burden to where it belongs, the floor staff. You’ll have a smoother game, a smoother life, and you’ll ideally make more money by having the floorman take the heat. Before calling a floorman, announce your intention to the table. If the dispute is minor, ask “Would you like me to call a floorman?” This is not only courteous, it is often enough to end the quarrel. When you know a floorman is needed, do not get flustered and shout for one. Instead, say, “I am going to call the floorman.” Then shout.

Lobbying Players: Tell the dealer your intentions when you leave the table. We often say, “deal me in” for our own sake, but we rarely say, “deal me out” for the sake PokerHost bonus others. When you plan to miss the blinds, say so, as a courtesy to the dealer and players. The dealer will not have to look around later to see if you are returning, and the players can anticipate the upcoming blinds, thereby enabling efficient lobbying and reentering. Buttons Dealers: Hold buttons and missed blind buttons do serve as effective reminders PokerHost bonus who to deal to but that is not their only purpose. Those buttons are for the players and floor staff as well. Players use the buttons to see what is going on, especially when returning to the table. The floor staff uses the buttons to do their seating job efficiently. Use your buttons. The split second is well spent. Players: When you have a hold button PokerHost a missed-blind button, make sure it is easy to see and then leave it alone. If you want to save the dealer a long reach by tossing in your button when entering PokerHost reentering a game on the next hand, fine, but wait until after the previous hand is completed before doing so, especially when you are coming in behind the dealer-button. Players and dealers: Do not move the dealer-button before the end PokerHost bonus the previous hand. Leave it be! Premature button passing causes mix-ups when it gets moved twice. More importantly, players are still making betting decisions and they should have the proper positional information in plain view.

Players: Put your bets and folded cards where the dealer can reach them. If you colored up and then later find yourself about to bet with big chips, color down in advance to help keep the game moving. When you bust out and leave the table for good, say, "Seat open.” Post your blinds before the dealing, not during it. In high-low games, stack your bets. When something seems obvious to you but the dealer missed it, just say what needs to be done instead PokerHost bonus intentionally making the dealer squirm by remaining silent. Try to imagine a game in which every player and every dealer was a considerate team player with the common goal PokerHost bonus having a well-run game. See? It’s not that hard. Dealers, remember that your players are customers. Players, remember that dealers are people too. Okay everybody, sing along now with Mary Poppins. Just a spoonful PokerHost bonus kindness helps the button go round