Prying Eyes, Sitting Duck (Letter 6)

Dear Hoptoi,

I play in a private group with an advanced player who is constantly looking at what category I am playing. How do I handle this?

Sitting Duck

Dear Sitting Duck,

If you use your finger to help you focus on a hand, stop doing that and use your eyes.

In most tournaments, players are required to have their cards on the table, but that doesn’t apply to social play. If you have the card on the table, you could keep it upside down and flip it up to ensure you are correctly building the hand. You could also put it under your leg—this is what I do.

If she asks why you are changing the way you use the card, you can say it’s a technique to block hand-reading. Maybe she will get the hint.

Competitive players use situational awareness and social acuity skills to help them make decisions. They watch discards and exposures. They also watch their opponent’s behavior, including how they look at the card. It’s all part of the game; you can use the same skills against them to level the playing field.