[Randy_Refeld]

I have been seeing a lot of reference on-line to this business about chips in front of cards being a bet. I can't imagine this rule being put in place in any well run room. It sounds like somebody somewhere saw forward motion and didn't really understand it. If a room as a forward motion rule it is pretty easy to understand, if you bring your chips forward and it looks like you want to put them in the pot they go in the pot. Some rooms have a rule that you must actually release them into the pot. For limit poker forward motion is a better rule (you already know the amount of bets and raises). For no limit and pot limit betting a released into the pot is a better ruls as you are permitted to return to your stack for more chips (note: many, many inexperienced people in poker management do not know you may return to your stack in NL and PL, this presents a problem when they are the ones making/interpreting the rules).

Oh and in the OP's situation the dealer should be suspeneded for arguing with the floor after she made a decision.