TELL #8

TITLE: Let’s win this one together, darlin’. CATEGORY: Sharing a Hand. DESCRIPTION: The man at center is competing for this pot. Sometime after he became involved, his girlfriend walked up. At that point he decided it was all right to let her see his cards. MOTIVATION: Perhaps he wants her to know he’s playing a legitimate hand and is not gambling recklessly. He may also want to impress her with his card-playing ability, feeling pretty confident that his hand is good enough to claim the pot. RELIABILITY: • Weak players = 68% • Average players = 65% • Strong players = 55% VALUE PER HOUR: • $1 limit = $0.21 • $10 limit = $0.60 • $100 limit = $0.66 DISCUSSION: Usually if a man is involved in a hand that he knows he shouldn’t be playing, he will not share it with a pal wife or girlfriend who happens along in the midst of poker combat. If he does share it, it’s probable that the hand is strong enough to merit his investment. If this guy held poor cards or was bluffing, he would likely be afraid to show his hand for two reasons. First, he might unwillingly impress upon the onlooker that he plays poorly. Second, the onlooker might accidentally tip off to his opponents that his hand is weak, costing him the pot. Strong players are less likely to exhibit this tell, and some may even use it as a ploy to attempt a bluff. Against a strong opponent, watch the onlooker for clues. BEST STRATEGY: Don’t bet into this player or call him with anything less than a solid hand. Caro’s Law of Tells #3 Any unsophisticated player who bets, then shares his hand while awaiting a call, is unlikely to be bluffing.

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