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Poker card protectors have become very popular over the years and are used by many players as trademark items.
A famous example is WSOP champion Greg “Fossilman” Raymer, who used to carry fossils from his collection as a card protector.
You should get one to get more involved in the live poker scene.
Whether you want to grow your brand and make a statement or you want one for practical purposes, I have some ideas to help you decide what to use.
Here at Xgtiger Casino let’s talk about poker card protectors, their uses, and how they can help – or hinder! – you at the poker tables.
What Are Card Protectors?
A card protector is anything you bring to the table to protect your entire card while in hand.
A card protector can protect your hand from accidental folding, which can sometimes happen in live poker if your hand or something is not on top of the cards.
To prevent their hands from constantly touching their cards, some players use a card protector or one of their chips.
However, these items have other purposes than simply protecting the cards.
They are more often used as talismans and lucky charms than anything else.
Poker players are a pretty superstitious bunch of people in general, with many recreational players believing that luck has more to do with poker than skill, so any favor from the poker gods is a beautiful scenery.
Honestly, a poker card protector usually won’t help you that much – but it won’t hurt you too much either and is usually a great talking point.
Not everyone agrees, though. Poker champion and coach Jonathan Little believes there’s a strong argument for not using them at all – but more on that later).
For now, let’s look at some ideas to inspire you.
Poker Chips
The most common card protectors out there are poker chips. Many players do not carry a specific card protector but use the chips they play to protect their hands.
Using a chip of the lowest possible denomination is common, although players use other denominations and even groups of chips to protect their cards.
A word of warning: If you use poker chips as your card protector, always use the same chip denomination and the same number of chips to guard your cards.
The reasons are pretty obvious, because you don’t want to give away the value of your hand and advertise that you have a premium hand or a medium that holds in different situations.
Alternatively, some players use poker chips from other areas or a specific chip as their card protectors throughout their careers.
Most casinos and poker rooms won’t mind if you bring a chip that has nothing to do with their chips and use it as a card protector at the tables.
Personal Lucky Charms
As we saw in Greg Raymer’s example, some players like to use their lucky charms at non-poker tables.
He used fossils, but I’ve seen other players use things like pebbles, toys, and other things with sentimental value that they believe bring them good luck.
Religious matters aren’t off the table either, as some players believe that religion and poker mix well, and who’s to say they don’t?
Whether you got your good luck charm from your spouse, a priest, or a shaman, you can use almost any little thing you believe to be lucky as your card protector.
Items such as coins, small jewelry, and other items that will not cover your cards are fair game and will not be banned from any cardroom.
The casino only starts to have problems when you start bringing more significant items that completely cover your cards or can be used to disrupt the game in any way.
Animal Figurines
Small animal figurines are another popular choice for card protectors.
Some players think they are beautiful, while others have a more superstitious view of things and like to channel energy through their spirit animal.
Either way, pay attention the next time you’re in a big poker tournament, and you’ll see that there’s no shortage of pandas, dragons, and dinosaurs on top of the players’ cards.
Again, the only thing you should be concerned about is the item not being too big, as you won’t be allowed to use a card protector that covers and hides your hole cards.
Cartoon Character
Like animals, various cartoon character figurines can be used as card protectors, sometimes with a purpose beyond superstition.
If you find something funny or silly enough, you might gain some popularity in the gaming arena, which is always good.
If you get labeled as “The South Park Guy,” players will want to play with you and, in most cases, will play less well than if you were an unknown player.
Things like props and card protectors have a purpose in the live poker setting, and you can increase your poker skills with a little more fame and haste.
After all, players like Phil Hellmuth and others who have built their brand on their behavior get demanding action, so why not try to do the same?
Metal Chips
It switched to metal chips, an item expressly designed to protect the cards.
Card protectors have become so popular that companies have started making items for this purpose.
If you look on Amazon, eBay, or Etsy, you will find a variety of silver and golden-colored card protectors with different designs.
They’re usually more substantial than your average poker chip and are a little heavier in the hand, making them perfect for keeping your cards safe from folding.
LEGO
LEGO isn’t just for kids. You’ll see people using LEGO Minifigures as card protectors quite often in poker.
The reason is that LEGO offers so many different sets, allowing fans of any franchise to get a figure that represents their favorite fictional world.
Whether you enjoy Star Wars, Game of Thrones, or Harry Potter, you can easily buy a LEGO set with your favorite characters and show your fellow players what you like.
Classic Lucky Charms
We’ve already talked about personal lucky charms, but if you don’t have one, many things are widely considered in different cultures to be blessed.
It’s not surprising, then, that you’ll see some four-leaf clovers, horseshoes, or joker faces used as card protectors at poker tables.
Having a horseshoe on top of your cards may seem like a Wild West cliché, but your game is Texas Hold’em, so why not!
An Argument Against Card Defenders
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, there is an argument against using card protectors altogether.
Jonathan Little is one of the best poker coaches and strongly advises players not to use them.
He argues that using a card protector adds another physical element to the poker game, which can be used to exploit you and gain information about your hand.
He even shared an example of this, where he noticed a player at a final table commenting on using a different method of protecting his cards when he had premium hands and medium-strength holdings.
It should be avoided at all costs.
However, even if you are not very transparent here, you can still give things away with your card protector.
For example, many online poker players look at their cards before they make a move. If they have a hand, they want to play; they will place their card protector over the cards.
This alone is enough to tell players in early positions that you have a decent hand, which may prompt them to make plays that directly take advantage of that fact, such as folding the hands they want to play. or monsters imprisoning you.
While I’m not sure that card defenders should be removed from the game, Little makes a strong argument.
If his argument isn’t enough to put you off, hopefully, this article has given you some good ideas on what items you can use and where to start.
Conclusion
Are you an avid gaming fan and want to know how to bet on online casino games? At Xgtiger, you’ll get the latest information on this year’s best casino games and a variety of gaming options, all in one place.
To start your online gambling journey, all you need to do is create an account on the site, deposit funds and you’ll be ready to bet on the best and most anticipated casino games.
Frequently asked questions
For people that may not know, a card guard (also known as card protector) is usually a lucky coin used to protect your cards. You are protecting your cards from a dealer accidentally taking your cards even though you may have not folded, as most dealers are trained to be fast.
It’s up to each player to protect his or her own hand. Adding something atop your hole cards makes it difficult for the dealer to believe the hand has been folded and slide them into the muck. Beyond that, card protectors offer something to fidget with other than the poker chips themselves.
