My hand is dead, I guess.

So, the angleshot story.

I head out to the local bar where I've played a lot of free bar poker, but haven't been at all in the last year because my Sunday work schedule conflicted. But, I'm free now...

I build up from a 7K starting stack to over 20K pretty quickly, but then start running into AK every time I open raise and keep having to lay down hands. So I'm down to 12K by the time we get to the 400/800 level.

Villain is the type of mid-40s guy you know plays a lot without really being any good. Knows his way around the game and table, but usually manages to go broke with top pair/overpair. He opens to 2K from EP, and he's clear at the other end of the table from me. I have AQs on the button and a pretty easy reshove for 15BB, blinds fold, and he says, "That's a big overbet.." as he starts to move his cards forward.

So I try to cut him some slack and roll over my hand and do a friendly show - because he's obviously snapping me off with a better hand - only he hasn't folded yet.

Soon there's a cry for "floor" (or host, whatever you get in these games) and sure enough, villain wants my hand killed because I exposed my cards.

Now, I know this is pretty much my fault, because I'm the one that tried to be nice and show.

I wasn't going to make a big deal about whatever the host ruled - my default attitude in sticky spots like this is punish the person that screwed up first, namely me.

But, to be honest, what should really happen is my cards stay face up, villain gets to do whatever he wants, call or fold, hand plays out, then I go sit out for an orbit or level as a penalty.

It's what would happen in a cash game, or in most any legitimate tournament.

2010 WSOP Official Tournament Rules - 94. A player exposing his or her cards with action pending will incur a penalty, but will not have a dead hand. The penalty will begin at the end of the hand. All players at the table are entitled to see the exposed card(s), if requested.

Roberts Rules of Poker, Section 15, Tournaments - 22. Showing cards from a live hand during the action injures the rights of other players still competing in an event, who wish to see contestants eliminated. A player in a multihanded pot may not show any cards during a deal. Heads-up, a player may not show any cards unless the event has only two remaining players, or is winner-take-all. If a player deliberately shows a card, the player may be penalized (but his hand will not be ruled dead)

But, since this bar poker league has a weird exposed hand rule - put in basically to reduce arguments and tilt-inducing moments when players show each other cards - what ended up happening is, I lost the 2K call but was able to take back the rest of my stack I shoved. Villain got what was left of the pot in the middle.

Fucking pure angleshot. And I pretty much told him that - I would never do that to anyone in a free game.

He gave me the usual, "Oh, I play here just like I play live" line - Which is even worse, because then he DEFINITELY should know my hand would never get killed in a real game and he took advantage of a bad rule to scoop up chips.

Basically, the moment anyone tries to get a hand killed at the table to win a pot, unless it's mucked AND COMPLETELY IRRETRIEVABLE - they're an angleshooting dick.

I don't care how you try to justify it, you're trying to win chips on a technicality, and that's flat out low.

It pissed me off for a bit, but I moved on.

Although I may just sit on his left every time I see him and threeball every single one of his opens from here on out.