When Do You Check Hole Cards?

When I play live Poker I notice people differ when it comes to checking the hands you are dealt...

I'm curious...when do you look at your cards? Do you check 'em one at a time as they are dealt? Do you wait until all your cards are dealt? Do you wait until your turn to check 'em?

I vary...some times I check once I get all my cards...other times I check them when it's my turn to act...

Didn't vote as all three was not an option, I vary all the time, I will also recheck my hand while bullshitting with the nuts occasionally if there is action ahead of me.

Most often is after they are both dealt to me and not long before I am due to act, I don't want to give away any body language info too early if I do have a tell, I don't think I do when I play live.

if I am playing with friends I do check it once all are dealt, and then keep checking them through the game if they haven't changed
If I would be at the casino I would check one at the time, but only after all are dealt.

I usually wait until it is my turn. I don't know if my reaction will tell others my hand strength, so I wait...it would be weird to look at my cards early, then wait until it is my turn to use my card protector to cover them if I intend to play the hand...putting my card protector on my cards before it is my turn might be a tell that my hand is strong enough to open.

I watch my hand when it's my turn.
I try to never check my hand again.
But sometimes I do when there is a flush possibility when my hand is not suited.

I voted "when it's my turn" because that's what I usually do. I certainly never check the cards one at a time as they are dealt... I like to try and watch as many of my opponents looking at their hole cards first, to try and spot tells (which I'm rubbish at, but practice makes perfect!); but if everyone at the table has looked at their cards and then are busy chatting, not paying attention to me, I'll try and look at my cards before it's my turn, so that none of get to watch me and spot any of my potential tells. On those occasions once or twice I've even pretended I'm playing the hand blind, to trick opponents to bet/call looser - anyone seen that big cash hand where Tony G did that same trick to Phil Hellmuth?!

I got into the habit of checking my hole cards when it is my turn for two reasons.


1. I don't want to give away any information about my intention of what I am going to do with the hand.
2. There is valuable information in watching other players check their hand. This is a key opportunity to catch a tell or something like that.

I check them when it's my turn. You can't look at others while they are checking their cards if you're too busy looking at yours. When people are looking at their cards it's a great time to look for tells and any other information you can obtain.

Of course, it’s better to look at your cards when the turn comes, so we give little chance of knowing the strength of our hand,

I check the hole cards as soon as I receive them. Whatever possible tell one might give off from having looked at their hole cards early is far outweighed by the additional time that a player has to respond to incoming bets.

Hey
My habit is to always look at my cards after the dealer has completed the deal.
I then take time to think over the hand and see how best to play it.

Я смотрю на состояние игры, кто делает ставки и каков мой банкролл, я стараюсь очень редко рисковать

I only check my cards when it's my turn to make a decision. Sometimes the face of the opponent can guess what is in his hand.

It depends on what position I am in and how many players are at the table.

Looking 'one at time as they are dealt' isn't exactly as it's against casino rules. You won't be able to do this in proper games so it's advisable not getting into the habit.

I look when action is on me and memorize them.

I usually see my cards when it's my turn, I don't think there is much difference, it's just how I learned to play live poker

I started playing stud before I ever heard of Holdem .... one of the best friends a competent 7 card stud player can have is an excellent memory ... it is how I learned, to look only when it is your turn then not again .....so for none of the same reasons it just translates to how I play Holdem .... as a benefit for me if I am live, I get to observe other peoples reactions as they look at their hole cards .. just part of being at the table and paying attention to me ....

Originally Posted by copycutpaste

When Do You Check Hole Cards?

When I play live Poker I notice people differ when it comes to checking the hands you are dealt...

I'm curious...when do you look at your cards? Do you check 'em one at a time as they are dealt? Do you wait until all your cards are dealt? Do you wait until your turn to check 'em?

I vary...some times I check once I get all my cards...other times I check them when it's my turn to act...

Just before it is my turn.

I don't want to be watched as I check my cards for the first time. Apparently I can have an emotional reaction.

And I also like Zorba's recheck when bluffing.....recheck with confidence and confirmation!!

Good luck !

Originally Posted by copycutpaste

When Do You Check Hole Cards?

When I play live Poker I notice people differ when it comes to checking the hands you are dealt...

I'm curious...when do you look at your cards? Do you check 'em one at a time as they are dealt? Do you wait until all your cards are dealt? Do you wait until your turn to check 'em?

I vary...some times I check once I get all my cards...other times I check them when it's my turn to act...

I usually like to check them right away so that I can shift my focus to watching the other players.

I don't like my first exposure to my cards being when all eyes are on me, I fear I may give something away.

By already knowing right away I can then do a second pump-fake look where I can give off whatever reaction will serve me the most

I always hope that my turn will see the cards to see how the enemies react to receiving good and ruined cards!

Originally Posted by copycutpaste

When Do You Check Hole Cards?

When I play live Poker I notice people differ when it comes to checking the hands you are dealt...

I'm curious...when do you look at your cards? Do you check 'em one at a time as they are dealt? Do you wait until all your cards are dealt? Do you wait until your turn to check 'em?

I vary...some times I check once I get all my cards...other times I check them when it's my turn to act...

I never check my whole cards until its my turn to act. However, I always pretend to look as soon as dealt. This way if someone thinks they have a read on me based off of "looking" they couldnt be more wrong. My eyes are always on everyone else.

I was at a nearby Indian Casino a year or so ago and playing NL holdem on a $1/2 table. One guy was on a good run and played one hand without looking at his hole cards til showdown. When he flipped em over and realized he had a straight flush the hole table went nuts.