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 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.

 Most 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.”

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 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.

 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.

 For example, a player may bet, and while you’re pondering what to do, you hear an angle shooter announce a call or a raise.

 This sneaky trick is designed to confuse you into making a wrong decision.

 Of all angle shoots out there, this is the least elaborate and least effective one.

 Otherwise, they’ve just given you an extra piece of information you can work with.

 For example, in most poker rooms verbal actions are binding, even if they act out of turn and the action before them doesn’t change.

 So if one player bets and you hear someone declaring a raise behind you while you’re sitting there with a strong hand, you can just make a call.