Sadly, calling someone out for going south can cause a lot of tension at the table and lead to some unpleasant situations.
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That’s why many players decide to let it go and allow others to get away with it to keep the game going and avoid any drama.
By doing this, the angle shooter fools their opponents into believing they have fewer chips than they actually have, which can significantly impact someone’s strategy.
For example, you find yourself in a hand against someone you believe only has 15 big blinds.
You flop a top pair with a decent kicker, and when they bet into you, you decide to put them all in.
It’s only after they make the call that you see with horror the full stack of big chips sliding from behind.
While the other player was supposed to keep their big denomination chips in the clear view, the usual punishment for this is a slap on the wrist for them (maybe a few hands away from the table in a tournament and pretty much nothing in a cash game).
It may be annoying at times, but it helps avoid these things from happening.
When something like this happens to you in a big tournament, and ends up being the reason you bust, it really feels bad.
So, be sure to protect yourself, especially against players you know have done this in the past.
In poker, information is gold, and obtaining the relevant information during a hand isn’t always easy.
So, some players will go to extra lengths to try and gauge a reaction from their opponent – including bending the rules.
The pump fake is one of the most common moves from this category.
This is when the angle shooter will pick up a stack of chips and move them forward while holding them in their hand, seemingly announcing a bet or a raise.
This move is treated differently at different venues.
At some places, you can’t get away with this kind of behavior, as any forward motion with your chips will be binding.
However, some casinos and poker rooms aren’t as strict and won’t force the player to stick to their action.
The main goal of this move is to try and gauge a reaction.
Lesser experienced players may even go ahead and fold their hands immediately when they see the big stack of chips in the opponent’s hand, which gives the angle shooter a massive advantage.
Best Online CasinoMost casinos won’t let someone get away with this repeatedly.
So if you find yourself at a table where someone is doing this over and over again, make sure to complain to the floor.
Even if there isn’t a specific rule to address the issue, they’ll usually talk to the player and warn them that if they do it again, their action will stand.
Once all the bets are in and there is no action left, it’s time for cards to speak.
However, some players like to do the actual speaking before letting their cards do it, and they do it to get you to muck your hand.
Say your opponent bets, you call, and they announce a “full house.”
Even before they turn their hand, you throw your cards into the muck, only to see them turn over Ace-high.
Even before they turn their hand, you throw your cards into the muck, only to see them turn over Ace-high.
You’re in shock that someone would lie so blatantly at a poker table, but this isn’t all that uncommon.
If you call the floor, they can always say they were just joking.
Again, they might get a notice, while you may be out of a huge pot and a lot of money.
If a player was honestly just messing about, they might let you retrieve your hand or just straight up give you the pot. But don’t count on it.
To protect yourself from this particular type of “cheating,” you should never release your hand until all cards are face up.
If you’re first to show, table your hand unless you’re certain you can’t win.
Don’t believe what anyone tells you, unless it’s someone you’ve known for years and you can be certain they’d never pull such trick on you.
If they pull it off in one big pot, it’s already given them a huge advantage.
It’s up to you to take matters into your own hands here; don’t count on anyone else to protect you.