Calling for the clock - What does it say about your hand?

Fatboydim

This is not a post about Simon Trumper [Some of you I'm sure are familiar with the overblown story of Trumper v Greenstein in the PLO event] - But a genuine attempt to survey people's opinions on calling for the clock. I have never called for the clock or had the clock put on me - but had a situation recently in a game where we were down to 10 players in a tournament of 183 – Connacht Cup -

I found myself on the BB with 120k in chips [blinds were 5k / 10k] 5 players on the table. Chip leader to my right on a stack of around 200k. UTG raises to 40k which has become the standard “I don’t want a call – but I’ve got a hand” raise. As opposed to the “I’ve got a pair and I’m willing to gamble” all in raise – Such was the pattern of this game. I was certainly the tightest player on the table and it was folded around to me. I look and see AJ. Now normally this is an automatic fold. The player on my left however had recently got his 90k of chips by calling the chip leaders all in raise with K10 and turning over a KJ. [I kid you not] In my head I’m saying he has big slick. It’s certainly a high ace because this player is [despite his move with KJ] the only player on the table whom I think I can put a move on… The only player who will fold big slick if it doesn’t hit. [And this is a compliment to the player BTW]. He’s just got back into the game and he doesn’t want to lose all his chips. So after some deliberation [maybe 20secs] I flat call… My thoughts being that if the flop comes rags or jack high – I’m all in. The flop comes rags – I wait 2secs before calling all in. The player to my left goes nuts… swears and bangs the table. I show no emotion… But I know now that he has Big Slick for certain – If he had any of the board or a higher pair he would call straight away. He thinks and thinks for ages. He’s rattled and agitated… And time passes – I think about calling the clock on him… But I feel this might push him into a call. And I am after all on a big bluff. I can’t decide in my own head whether it will make my hand seem stronger or not by calling the clock. As this scenario is running through my head after at least two to three minutes… He says “F it I call” and needless to say takes down the hand.

The player said to me afterwards that he doesn’t know if he would have called had I put the clock on him… The inference being that he probably wouldn’t.

So what do people think? What does calling the clock say about you? Does it depend on table image? [Mine was certainly tight/aggressive – The only hands I showed were all top hands] How do you react if the clock is called on you?

ZZR1100

I think it is a show of strength as it is very hard to do on total bluff (you don’t want to aggravate a call) but since your post got me thinking about it, it might be the very thing to do on a bluff.depends on the opponent of course.was it Ken doc's friend?

califano

I would say if you asked for the clock to be put on him it would imply that you were uncomfortable. Also the fact that he could pick up something from your voice or body language could betray you. Freeze like stone i'd say!.

Hectorjelly

Nice play, did he turn over AK? It would be a bit better if you had more chips to distort the odds he would think he needed with overcards. Shame you couldnt river a jack!

NickyOD

One particular player in Cork was calling the clock continuously on the second day. I have no idea how strong he was because no body ever called when he did it, but there were times when he gave his oponents no time to think at all before calling the clock which to me indicated weakness. If I was at his table I know where I'd want to put the clock. Is there a ruling that a player can't call a clock on an oponent until after a certain amount of time?

califano

NickyOD wrote:

One particular player in Cork was calling the clock continuously on the second day. I have no idea how strong he was because no body ever called when he did it, but there were times when he gave his oponents no time to think at all before calling the clock which to me indicated weakness. If I was at his table I know where I'd want to put the clock. Is there a ruling that a player can't call a clock on an oponent until after a certain amount of time?

This player is a bast*rd in fact anyone who puts a clock on another is a basr*rd.

RoundTower

NickyOD wrote:

If I was at his table I know where I'd want to put the clock. Is there a ruling that a player can't call a clock on an oponent until after a certain amount of time?

No, of course not. How would you know that amount of time had passed, without a clock?

It is up to the dealer to tell the player "Let him think about his hand" or whatever is necessary.

NickyOD

RoundTower wrote:

No, of course not. How would you know that amount of time had passed, without a clock?

It is up to the dealer to tell the player "Let him think about his hand" or whatever is necessary.

Of course. How silly of me.