"The dealer had mucked his cards (which he later revealed were pocket Aces) because he had not protected his hand!"

Sitting at a no-limit Hold'em table at a Vegas Strip Casino I watched as 3 players before me called the blind. After I folded my hand the player on the button to my immediate left (in the 10-seat next to the dealer) raised the pot and got 2 callers.
The flop showed Ace, Eight & Deuce with no flush draw. The first player to act bet $50 causing the next player to fold. The button started to move all-in, but, much to his consternation, his hole cards were no longer in front of him! The dealer had mucked his cards (which he later revealed were pocket Aces) because he had not protected his hand! Despite vigorously protesting to the Floor Person, the player on the button was told that it was his responsibility to protect his cards, and the pot was awarded to the other player.


Watching this incident unfold gave birth to the idea of designing coins with poker-themed artwork that could be used by players to protect their cards. Moreover, hand-painting the coins in vibrant colors would add to their general appeal and make them collectible items.



Poker Card Guards are now an essential part of many Professional Poker Players.