Will you peek at others' hole cards?

Another thread made me think about this. I'm not ashamed to say, if I'm sitting at a table next to some dope or drunk who lets me see his hole cards, I will definitely look.

Do you think this is cheating, dishonest, unethical?

By rule you are responsible to protect your hand. If you are going to flash your cards people will look. If you can't protect your hole cards then it's your fault.

I would tell the guy he was exposing his cards. Then I would tell him again. Then I would exploit him...

well i am with the majority any way!! I don't think it is cheating poker is all about observation.

i had this happen this past sunday. i told the guy twice and he is showin em plain as day! too bad buddy. i tried to tell ya.

^ this, methinks.

Agree with this theory, however I dont know if i'd follow thru with it if it actually happened to me. Has this actually occured to anyone tho ?

Not in a casino, but definitely in pub games.

A belated welcome to CardsChat, BTW - great to see another Aussie here. Whereabouts you from?

It happened to me last week, at a pub game. This drunk on my left kept picking up his cards to his face, and staring at them until he could see them clearly. I usually sit back from the table anyway, and I could see his cards every hand.

On one hand, he had 66 and I had QQ. I bet him out preflop, and the board came Q5847. With his 6's in the muck, I had alot more confidence in my set than I otherwise would have, and won a big pot.

But I had some moral twinges about it, because it made me realize that I had an edge over everybody else at the table, not just the drunk who was showing his cards.

happened to me more times than I can remember (at Foxwoods Casino)......

as aliengenius said.......I tell them that they're exposing their hand and I say it loud enough for the dealer and others at the table to hear....

usually the dealer will then tell the player they must protect their hand and they will keep an eye on them.... most times it happens when a player is tired or had too much to drink.... occasionally it's just due to inexperience ... and once in a while it could be intentional...they're acting tired or buzzed, but actually they're fine and are flashing cards to their table partner

I will not lean back to try to see the players hand.... but if they repeatedly keep showing me without any effort on my part to see it...and I end up HU with them in a hand, ......I will use what I've seen to take their cash, and they can chalk it up as money paid for services rendered (ie; they paid for a lesson on why they should protect their hand)

but its best to tell the dealer if it keeps happening.......not only out of honesty, but also because the guy on the other side of him or other players may see his cards some hands .... and if someone else sees them when you didnt, they may use that info to take your chips.......


it's not just a good idea for a player to protect his hand for his own good, it's a rule to protect the integrity of the game for all involved....a player that repeatedly exposes their hand should be removed from the table

I'd much rather play at a table where everyone protects their hands than have someone who flashes cards regularly(even if i'm the one seeing most of them)... that player showing cards may deserve to lose their money, but it's not fair to the rest of the table if 1 or 2 players have extra info all the time

This commonly occurs in low limit games and inexperienced amateurs. As a true player to the game, one seeks any means to gain an advantage over all opponents. Remember this, this is money we're playing for. Some make this a career. Make the most of you play. If one is unable to protect his/her hole cards, it's a leak in the game. Exploit it and maximize your profit taking. Enjoy.

I'll generally tell the person I can see their cards and if it's a beginner I'll show them how to look at their cards properly. Some people have only played home games with crappy paper cards so they don't realize they can bend up the corner without damaging it.

After that, I won't change my position but if they're in view I'll look. It's their own fault. This goes for people across the table as well as those next to me - sometimes people expose their cards when playing when them or mucking.

If they're there to be seen, I'm gonna look.

I would probably feel sorry for the person, and tell them, right after I took half of their stack .

I have no problem taking a peek if they can't keep them from show, it's lazy on their part, and their responsibility, simple.

If there b-in stupid n flashin cards any1 is gonna look bcos u can win money, sumtimes life changing money.
But i wud never try to b sneaky n try n look cos then ur a dirty cheater n no1 like's em.

Dang right I would. I might would tell him once, but after that it's more info for me. Not cheeting IMO. Just a good eye on you opponent.

Just 2 days ago a wild player 2 seats to my right calls my 10$ bet post flop with a board of 3-4-6...I was holding A-6....the turn is an Ace and he yells out, whatever you bet I'm moving all in and he then checks it to me...he then flashes his cards to the player to my immediate right and all I see is an Ace but obviously at this point I know unless he has A-A I'm ahead, so I go ahead and throw a big stack out putting him all in, he has A-4 and the river was a meaningless 3...I probably would have made the play anyway but it certainly would have been a tougher call with a possible straight on the board.

If they a showin'......... I'm taking a gander.

If he's showing them out of carelessness I have no problem betting/folding but I won't go out of my way to sneak a peek.

NO I never would do that that's cheating Why would you even think about it unless your a crook LOL

I would look, take their money, and then I would tell them that they need to protect their cards. I would probably tell them that I didn't see anything if they asked!! LOL

Actually, who am I kidding. I wouldn't say one word untill I busted them cold.

i would look 100% no harm in it not my fault if there stupid enough to let me see they shud get punished lol

I generally give one warning before the exploitation begins if it's just a player being lazy or uncaring about exposing them. If the player seems new or inexperienced I'll give them a couple of warning shots.

i would definitely look, it is your responsibility to cover your cards. A few years ago when i played with my brother, he would never cover up his cards and he always got pissed off when i looked at his cards. Eventually he learned when he started losing every hand

Most of my life play takes place in a friendly home game and it has happened a few times, if told the person he is exposing his cards every time.
In a game with complete stranger thou im not sure, what AG said makes alot of sense...

i dont think i would

I would let them know but if they keep flashing em around **** it, i'm gonna look.

In home games, which is the only time I play live, I have always done as AG does.
Online, if you are foolish enough to show your hole cards I will look & not say a thing other than nice hand.
Regarding OP positioning herself so that she can see his cards, twinge away IMO.

I'm a honest person but like someone else said, it's his job to protect his hand. The way my luck runs, if I tried to use it to my advantage it would backfire and I'd go down the tube. I've never played in live games except with family.
Take care

HAPPY 4th OF JULY !!!!!

AGREED i would not tell them and I have been in the situation and looked and not ashamed of it I figure it this way if your dumb enough to show your cards your dumb enough to lose your money!!

This is the problem, and this is why it is unethical. Heads up, look at it every time. But to gain an advantage over everyone else by looking at someone's cards is not fair.

i would look 100% every time and not feel the least bit bad about it

Luckily for me I wasn't playing against any of you apparently in a tourney I was playing a few months ago my chips were such that I had to sort of awkwardly reach over them to look at my cards. I thought I was protecting them with my hand but the guy on my right told me after one hand that after he folded he had seen one of my cards flash as I was looking at them. I've never had anyone flash cards to me live but if they did I'd tell them once then play normal: not actively look but if they flashed them and they made my decision easier certainly use that information.

I used to play with my family and friends on a glass coffee table.
Needless to say I would place the tv remote, my shoes or any object I can pretend to reach for underneath said table.

No Peaking! Warn them, if they are nice and show a willingness to learn show them how to view their cards properly. After that I would say when someone is showing their cards for the world to see, the world can't help but take notice.

At that point they are being lazy and careless! They will probably lose their money any way!