NL Ruling Question

Sunday night No Limit tournament at the Hustler. Re-buy period is over, 100-200 blinds, no antes yet.


I'm in the small blind, with 4 $25 chips out in front of me. Everyone folds to me, and I toss out a single $500 chip alongside the other ones, intending it as a raise but not saying anything.


The player in the big blind was about to muck, and he showed me one of his cards, a six. Before he can toss his cards away, someone else at the table says that because I didn't say raise, tossing out one chip means it's only a call.


The floorman comes over, and rules that I just called. So, despite me having seen one of the other player's cards, the flop is dealt out...with 2 sixes! Needless to say, I checked and folded.


Was the floorman's ruling correct? I know that tossing out one $500 chip would be a call if I don't say raise from outside of the blinds, but what about in this situation, when I'm the small blind and I already have 4 chips in front of me?


I'm just curious what others think. Thanks for any responses.

If it's a single chip (as it was in your case) it counts as a call only. No consideration is given to denomination of other chips.


Yet another reason to announce your raises. /images/wink.gif


As an aside, if you make this mistake again I wouldn't call for a ruling as arguing the fact only gives too much away (it's now obvious to opponents that you feel a call is incorrect, gee, you either hold a monster or really want to bluff). Grit your teeth and try to use deception to your advantage.


Second aside: if ya wanted to be a d*ck in some cardrooms "flashing" is grounds to have your hand declared dead, so the guy who showed you his 6 could have his hand killed if you complained and the floorman obliged.

It is only a call, but I would have complained that the BB's hand should be declared dead, since he tabled one of the cards. It's happened to me twice and both times the player did NOT have his hand declared dead (And they showed both cards both times on the turn!) It's upsetting that this rule isn't more strictly enforced.


Dan

Dan,


I have been giving this area some thought lately. To me your argument smacks of using the rules as a weapon rather than what they are designed for - for protection. Yes you are technically entitled to do this but is this really how you want to play the game ?


I had a situation a couple of weeks ago where the button raised. I thought he was all in so I called from the BB with AK and showed my hand (cards are shown here when there is no further betting). However he had some more chips out of my sight behind his hand (intentionally or not - who knows). The button then tried to enforce a rule that I should not be allowed to bet for the rest of the hand. He was, technically, entitled to do this. However I had made an honest mistake without seeking to gain advantage, and he knew it. Nonetheless he went ahead and tried to gain an even bigger advantage than he already had (knowledge of my cards).


Once again, technically he was entitled to do this. However I lost a lot of respect for him.


If, in the previous cases, your opponents were trying to gain an advantage by showing their cards, by all means enforce the rule. If not, it's up to you. But I wouldn't.


Andy.

Personally I dont even think this should be a rule unless there are MORE than 2 people remaining in a pot. Once heads up if you believe you can gain an advantage by showing your own cards, go for it.


Once I enforced the rule on someone, and I felt like a complete ass. I certainly would not do it again. As far as I am concerned why should I discourage someone from showing me a hole card?