check-raising in advance

[chopchoi]

This happened a while back at Foxwoods.

On his turn to act, a player in middle position announces "check-raise." The button then bets, the middle position player starts to fold, and the button argues that since he announced check-raise, he is obligated to raise.

The floor person is called over, and rules that the mid-position player simply stated his intention to act later on, but did not bind himself to do so.

Good ruling or not?

[thesharpie]

I think the raise part was out of turn and doesn't count. He should get a smack around the earhole, though.

[chopchoi]

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I think the raise part was out of turn and doesn't count. He should get a smack around the earhole, though.

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How is this different from checking in the dark? It isn't your turn to act until the card is dealt, but if you check in the dark, you are bound by it (at least I think you are).

[Ghazban]

I think its a good ruling. A check/raise is not, in and of itself, a declarable action. We use the term "check/raise" when we talk about poker to describe a two part action; the first action being the check and the second being the raise. At the table, however, the only actions a player can take at any time are check, bet, raise, or fold. If a player announced he would slowplay, I don't think anybody would force him to put in a bet on a later street after checking an early street. Similarly ridiculous, if somebody announced a fold/raise, you wouldn't require them to raise the next time the action was on them after folding (i.e. the next hand).

Anyway, I don't think a check/raise should be binding but I will sometimes make silly announcements like that to befuddle or amuse my opponents so I'm a bit biased [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[autobet]

I used to be a Floorman and this is the ruling I would make.
Players must act in turn. Actions out of turn are usually not binding. There are some exceptions to keep players from being jerks or taking shots.

But this is not one of them. Announcing your intention to check raise when it gets back to you is more like "table talk". It could be used to try and stop someone from betting, or a way of having fun/joking around. Either way, it should be ignored.

From my experience, if this player announcing this does actually check raise, it is no joke...the player has hit his hand...

Checking in the dark is different and binding if he/she is the first player to act. It is the player's choice to check without seeing the flop, and is binding if they are first to act after the flop.

Most large card rooms have rule books. It might be wise to ask for one and take the time to read it. No one likes to be jerked around.