Why Use A Card Guard, Card Protector, Card Capper or Card Cover

It is NOT until your ‘Pocket’ Cards (Texas Hold’em) have mistakenly been ‘MUCKED’, that you realise the IMPORTANCE of a CARD GUARD also known as CARD PROTECTOR. CARD CAPPER or CARD COVER.

Some Players place their Card Guard on their Chip Stack, whilst others, like myself, place it on their ‘Pocket’ cards i.e. the two cards dealt ‘face down’ to each of the Players.

One thing is for sure, if you are seated to the IMMEDIATE LEFT or IMMEDIATE RIGHT of the dealer, you should most definitely use a CARD GUARD. I learned the hard way! Whilst playing in a high value Buy-In Tournament at the Bellagio, Las Vegas. I was in seat 1 i.e. to the IMMEDIATE left of the Dealer. I was ‘under the gun’ i.e. sitting in the seat after the Big Blind and I was dealt Pocket 10’s. I raised pre flop and there was a ‘caller’ in Seat 6 and the Small Blind re-raised. I called the re-raise, as did the Player in Seat 6. The Flop was Ace 10 4. Again the player in the Small Blind position made a bet of approximately 75% of the Chips already in the Pot & I just called the Bet, as did the Player in Seat 6.Whilst I had been watching what action was taking place by the other 2 Players, after having placed my bet, I had NOT noticed the Dealer pull my two cards into the Dead Cards. Unfortunately, the rules of Poker state that once your cards ‘hit’ the Dead cards, your hand is ‘Dead’. Whilst I declared my annoyance to the Dealer, there was nothing further I could do. If I had a Card Guard over my Pocket Cards, the likelihood is that my 2 Cards would NOT have been taken by the Dealer and I would have gone on to win a very big Pot, as the 2 other players, played & bet to the River and I would have had the Winning Hand.

Things from then on, went from bad to worse and I was quickly eliminated from the Tournament.

Perhaps you should Google ‘ESTELLE DENIS vs. J C TRAN’ at the WSOP. It more than justifies the reason that Card Guard’s should be used by ALL Poker Player’s.

Perhaps at some future date, a RULING will be made, stating that all Players should use some form of Card Guard, so as to STOP Players covering their Pocket Cards with their Hands, thus enabling the game to play-out in an orderly and calm manner!

Remember, the ‘Heavier’ the Card Guard, the LESS likelyhood of your Pocket Cards being thrown into the Muck inadvertantly!

Those of you who have picked-up and  held the SKULLMAN Card Guard that I presently use in Tournaments, will know exactly what I am talking about.