Angle Shooting

Poker players use the term "angle shooting" to describe instances in which a player's play is technically within the rules, but also incredibly shady. Some experienced players use angle shooting techniques to trick poker noobs into giving away information or misplaying.

Examples of angle shooting

One common example of angle shooting is a player deliberately hiding their high-value chips behind their low-value chips. While stacking chips behind each other isn't illegal, it can cause opponents to misvalue a player's bet (e.g., if the player goes all-in). This can lead to opponents calling bets they wouldn't have if the player had stacked their chips clearly (as most do).

Another example of angle shooting is a "pump fake" bet, in which a player pushes some of their chips forward but doesn't actually declare a bet. Because the player hasn't declared their bet, they can read their opponents' reactions to pushing their chips forward and adjust their bet based on that information. (Again, this is technically not against the rules, but good luck getting anyone to play with you if you do this more than a couple times.)

Angle shooting in other games

Other competitive card game communities have picked up the term angle shooting and use it similarly to how the poker community uses it. For example, Magic: The Gathering (MTG) players often use the term when describing instances in which a player uses the letter of the rules to subvert an opponent's implied intentions.