Why don't poker tournaments utilize four color decks?
Four color decks help distinguish suits better. Being used to online clients that provide that functionality, I was surprised to realize that they are not used in offline competition. As a visually impaired person, I was disappointed to realize I lost a Stud game because I mistook a club for a spade, which was the 6th card of the person on the opposite end of the table. Are there initiatives to implement four color decks or will it never be a thing?
6 Replies
As a visually impaired person, I was disappointed to realize I lost a Stud game because I mistook a club for a spade, which was the 6th card of the person on the opposite end of the table. Are there initiatives to implement four color decks or will it never be a thing?
Not sure, but you may be able to ask to be seated in the middle of the table....seats 5-7....since that would make it better for you. I used to struggle when seated at the ends of the table until I got cataract surgery.
I’m not aware of any initiatives to implement four color decks and I’m certain this would only be a casino by casino decision.
For what it’s worth, even us non visually impaired folks have lost a hand or two by misreading suits.
Not sure, but you may be able to ask to be seated in the middle of the table....seats 5-7....since that would make it better for you. I used to struggle when seated at the ends of the table until I got cataract surgery.
A friend of mine does this every year, just ask for a "Vision Seat", and they will get you a seat in the middle of the table. I can't remember if he does this when he registers, or finds a floor person to do it, but they have always taken care of him.
Jonathan Little actually answered this question a little while back in one of his streams, apparently there were some cardrooms that tried 4-color decks. IIRC he said the main issue was that when players were folding, sometimes other players could see the colors of the cards as they were thrown into the muck, which would then affect their strategy going forward.
For example, if a player folded 2 diamond cards pre-flop, another player saw two blue cards going into the muck and the flop came down with a diamond flush-draw, then the player who caught a peek could adjust their strategy armed with the extra knowledge that it's less likely for another player to have 2 diamonds in the hole. Bear in mind also that a player could catch a peek at more than one players' cards being thrown into the muck, giving them even more of an informational advantage.
I'm sorry you have to deal with this issue, unfortunately it doesn't sound like cardrooms are keen to try 4-color decks again after discovering this.
Not sure, but you may be able to ask to be seated in the middle of the table....seats 5-7....since that would make it better for you. I used to struggle when seated at the ends of the table until I got cataract surgery.
A friend of mine does this every year, just ask for a "Vision Seat", and they will get you a seat in the middle of the table. I can't remember if he does this when he registers, or finds a floor person to do it, but they have always taken care of him.
I do ask for seat 5-6 many times . But always after I get my seat card . I was told by registration window that they have no control over which seat to assign .
It would be a giant PITA but you could always ask “what is that card?” If those at your table know you’re visually impaired and not just being a d-bag when you do it, I’m sure that would not be an issue, at least for most players. I know a lot of folks on here are very sensitive (with good reason) to OPTAH violations, but I don’t see how asking a factual question about publicly available information could be seen as a OPTAH violation. You do have the right to know the identity of any cards dealt face up, and under the ADA a public business like a casino must make a reasonable accommodation for your disability. Having the dealer verbally identify cards for you when you aren’t sure should not be an issue.
