cover your cards

[Azwethinkweiz 0]

Alot of novice online tourney players have trouble determining where they stand in a hand pre-flop. It's a part of the game. Each and every poker player goes through it. You're on the button 10-handed with 99 and you have two re-raises and a call in front of you.The purpose of this topic isnt to discuss specific situations but to share a simple tactic into improving your online "feel". Place your hand over your holecards on the screen. It might seem silly, but it will improve you focusing on what is going on rather then shaking in your chair waiting for your turn. Then as time moves on you will reach the point where you dont have to do this anymore.It's just a little thing that for some rookie online players, actually could benefit. So basically this thread is to tell you to pay attention!! It's all you got as you cant see the opponents.I went to visit a friend and I watched television as he played online. Natuarally you are going to observe what kind of player he is. Well, he constantly had his table window minimized as he browsed the web, etc. and made his decision soley based on his cards without any information of position, player habits, etc. So, it sparked me to start a thread. If you dont pay attention how are you going to catch the guy that likes to type his bets and accidentely hits 1175 instead of 175? Maybe it's useless to most, but maybe that one person will browse by and the hand on screen tactic will save his poker life. HA!

[KingJames 11]

Great point. I think that any player who wishes to advance and better themselves learns to deal with the situation and how their cards fit into that situations and not that cards themselves. I use this method when playing live, don't look at the cards until the action is on me, so that i observe what is going on, without being influenced by my hole cards.I plan to try this online today. Put a sticky-note on my screen and lift it up when the action is on me. Thanks for this point.James

[jack24bauer24 0]

How is this supposed to improve your play online? You see your hole cards before anyone can start playing or betting.

[pokerplayer24 0]

If the problem is paying attention just multi table. Playing online poker today you dont even need to pay attention a lot of times as pokertracker does all the work for you.

[Phillip_339 0]

I think it was Scott Fichman, that also suggested this. He said to try two things, cover your hole cards till it is your turn, so your not influenced by your cards until its your turn, and it also means you pay alot more attention, to who is doing what, although this is alot harder online, with so many distractions.He also suggested, if you wanted to work on 'playing the person' dont look at your cards at all, play in the dark. I haven't tried either, but i might try covering my cards, until its my turn, i do this in live play, but not online.

[jack24bauer24 0]

I think it was Scott Fichman, that also suggested this. He said to try two things, cover your hole cards till it is your turn, so your not influenced by your cards until its your turn, and it also means you pay alot more attention, to who is doing what, although this is alot harder online, with so many distractions.He also suggested, if you wanted to work on 'playing the person' dont look at your cards at all, play in the dark. I haven't tried either, but i might try covering my cards, until its my turn, i do this in live play, but not online.

I still don't understand how this helps you in playing online. I could not look at my cards or the table till it pops up on me, and I'd still have ample time to see who had done what before me and what I should do with my cards.

[Guest]

For some reason, I hate doing this in live play. As soon as I get my cards I want to know what course of action I'll be taking in the hand.For instance, I'll look down immidiately to see pocket nines. Then I'll look up at the actions of my opponents, and determine as to whether or not I'll be raising, calling or folding. I don't want the pressure of looking at a raise, and an all-in and then looking down and seeing Q-Q.I'd just rather know my cards immediately and spend the rest of my time analyzing opponents actions.But hey, whatever melts ya butta.

[Abbaddabba 0]

I think what he's trying to get at is that poor players often look at their cards and, because they've already got themselves psyched to play the hand, will call inordinately large bets with hands that figure to be dominated.Had they looked at the raises before they looked at their hole cards, they may have acted more objectively and probably made the correct fold.It obviously doesnt apply if you can act objectively and dont get too attached to hands.