+Mike Caro - Caros Book Of Poker Tells.pdf - Time Out Hut

XI. Protecting a Hand
Most players unconsciously guard good cards more carefully than bad cards. While this is more
common among weak players, the trait is found at all levels of play and in all forms of poker.
Even the rarely played five card stud provides instances of this tell, because players with good
hands tend to show more concern when you reach toward their hole card. Of course, you must
not actually touch or even physically approach the opponent's hole card — that's poor poker
etiquette. But you can make an ambiguous gesture that your opponent might misinterpret as an
invasion of his space. In response, an opponent holding a strong hand will usually jerk
unconsciously and assume a more rigid position. He may even fend you off with a stiff arm used
as a barrier. Players with weak hands are more lax. They wouldn't care if you reached all the
way over and exposed the hole card. Then they could argue that they were entitled to a portion
of the pot.
This kind of protective reaction applies to all varieties of poker. However, you don't need to
make threatening gestures toward an opponent's cards to utilize this tell. Most opponents will
give you clues without any provocation, and this is especially easy to understand if we focus on
draw poker.
TELL #22
TITLE: I better not let these get away.
CATEGORY: Protecting a Hand.
DESCRIPTION: Most draw players look at their cards in a more clandestine manner than
what's shown in Photo 43. In small-limit home games and in public casinos where flexible
plastic cards are used, the method pictured is sometimes observed. In any case, what's important
is whether the player protects his cards after he sees them. Two aces and a king on the first three
cards is a nice catch, so in Photo 44, the player pushes them securely into his left hand. In Photo
45, the final two cards are viewed: ace and king. That gives this player aces-full. Photo 46
shows him squeezing this treasure very tightly between his fingers.
MOTIVATION: Most people guard important belongings.
RELIABILITY:
• Weak players = 90%
• Average players = 80%
• Strong players = 70%
VALUE PER HOUR:
• $1 limit = $1.10
• $10 limit = $4.40
• $100 limit = $16.00
DISCUSSION: Be cautious in using this tell, because some players guard all hands. A few will
even use a carefully guarded hand as a ploy to make you think that their weak hand is awesome.
That's rare, though, because most players realize that the manner in which a hand is guarded is
not something most opponents observe. Knowing this, a player who's weak will not generally go
to the trouble of guarding his hand for deception. For that reason, protecting a hand is a topic
that fits neatly into this chapter.
The governing truth is that closely protected hands are usually strong. Sometimes, you can even
draw a correlation between the amount of protection and the exact strength of the hand. In this
photo sequence, the player picks up a full house and makes certain it is secure. There's one other
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