Card protectors

At what point do you use a card protector? When your cards are dealt or after you look at your cards. If after you look what do you do with your cards between when your cards are dealt and you look.

When it`s my turn to act preflop, I will either pass and push my cards away from me across the line or call and place my card protector on top of them to indicate that I will be keeping them. This seems to me the most obvious point at which to employ the card protector.

The key thing one must beware of (which I have seen some players do at the table) is to absent-mindedly place the card protector preflop as soon as your cards are dealt and before your turn if you are intending to play but not if you are intending to fold. This is a huge tell for any opponent who is even half awake.

Dont forget your protection.

Egon's point is an important one - whenever you choose to do it just make sure you don't turn it into a tell.

Immediately after you've looked at your cards and decided to keep them is the most common time. You could also do it immediately after you've received your cards and before you look at them - this might be a good idea if you're in one of the seats next to the dealer because there's a bigger chance of someone's folded hand accidentally fouling yours before you've even hand a chance to look at it.