Have you ever noticed in live games some players muck their hands very quickly? This phenomenon is normally the result of one of two factors... first, some players, believing they are beaten, just do not wish to show their hands. Second, if a failed bluff is being called, they are embarrassed to have their hand revealed so they immediately toss it into the muck.

We've all seen this countless times so you might be wondering why I raised the subject. Hopefully this column will provide an "Ah-ha" moment for some. Once you identify a quick mucker, you may be able to profit from his aversion to showing his hand. Let's look at a situation I observed recently.

I was heads-up in a middle stakes limit hold 'em game when my opponent checked the river with what I believed was genuine disgust when a fourth suited card fell. I had hit a set on the flop and had been driving the hand throughout. I had not improved to a full house but the check, coupled with what I believed to be a good read, encouraged me to bet. My opponent immediately tossed his cards into the muck but they were inadvertently flipped up and revealed two small suited connectors matching the four suited board. This player believed he was winning with his low flush on the turn but when the fourth suited card fell and I bet, he was convinced I had a higher flush and mucked his hand.

Well, knowledge is power and I immediately began to think of ways to profit from this unearthed nuance of my opponent's operating procedure. Think about the advantage this player's quirk provides. You might be able to win a pot with absolutely nothing for the investment of one bet. Granted, this situation doesn't come up constantly, but being aware of this tendency can have a major impact upon your hourly earn.

This player was also a quick mucker if he tried to bluff and was called. He just despised having to show his losing hands for all to see. No one enjoys having their bluffs snapped off but there are occasions where what you perceive to be a losing hand may prevail. One thing is for certain, if you toss your hand into the muck it cannot be declared the winner. I followed this quick mucker around for a while and was able to profit from his habit of mucking his hand whenever he thought it was a loser. I also began to notice that he was not the only player who must have caught the "muck quickly" bug.

I made sure that on those occasions I called what I hoped was a bluff but instead Mr. Quick Mucker showed a winning hand, I tossed my hand away quickly. I didn't want to kill the golden goose by alerting him that I might call him with virtually anything. He never did catch on and I hope he doesn't read this column!

Our goal for today's time together is threefold. First, be on the lookout for this odd but not extremely rare behavior so you can profit from it. Second, don't reveal to the quick mucker that you will call him with anything. Third, and most important, if you have been guilty of this behavior, realize what a leak it is in your game and remedy the situation.

See you next "TIME"

Tom "Time" Leonard has played poker in Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and California for more than 30 years and written about the game since 1994. Contact Tom at thleonard@msn.com.