An online ethics question

[elindauer]

Here's a question:

It's a five way raised pot and you have 44 in the SB. The flop comes KJ9, and you're getting ready to check fold when your internet connection goes out.

You reconnect to discover that you spiked a 4 on the river and won $150 this hand. Do you, morally, owe it to the player that won the sidepot?

Thanks,
Eric

[Robb]

Morally? Like the morals of your fellow man? Maybe.

Ethically, no - unless it was standard practice among internet players. Since it is not, over the long term one will get close to his/her share of opportune and inopportune disconnects.

[lil feller]

[ QUOTE ]
Here's a question:

It's a five way raised pot and you have 44 in the SB. The flop comes KJ9, and you're getting ready to check fold when your internet connection goes out.

You reconnect to discover that you spiked a 4 on the river and won $150 this hand. Do you, morally, owe it to the player that won the sidepot?

Thanks,
Eric

[/ QUOTE ]

Assuming the lost cx was entirely accidental, then no, you don't owe anybody anything.

Much like B&M players agree to certain conditions when entering a casino (like dealers to tip, and the like), online players knowlingly agree to certain conditions when sitting at an online table.

One of these conditions is a reliance on a sometimes unreliable entity...the internet connection. If the d/c was accidental it just a result of an expected, albeit unwelcome possibility.

Keep the chips.

lf

[Estydogg]

I wouldn't feel any remorse. I've had it both ways. Where I make a flush and can't call the raiser because I'm disconnected, and in the situation you said.

If it was (truly) by accident I wouldn't hold it against you.

[elindauer]

[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't feel any remorse. I've had it both ways. Where I make a flush and can't call the raiser because I'm disconnected, and in the situation you said.

If it was (truly) by accident I wouldn't hold it against you.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, something like this occurred to me as well. It occured to me though that you are far more often benefit from a disconnect than be hurt by it, so I'm not sure this argument holds water.

-Eric

[JasonP530]

except that others benefit against you, which is to your detriment.

[MrStretchie]

[ QUOTE ]
Here's a question:

It's a five way raised pot and you have 44 in the SB. The flop comes KJ9, and you're getting ready to check fold when your internet connection goes out.

You reconnect to discover that you spiked a 4 on the river and won $150 this hand. Do you, morally, owe it to the player that won the sidepot?

Thanks,
Eric

[/ QUOTE ]

Agree that you don't owe anybody anything. A humble apology and assurance that the disconnect was accidental would be nice though.

[elindauer]

Yeah, that's kind of what I thought. I think you can make an argument that you owe the chips, since you have the information that you definitely would have folded, while the site cannot know this. As long as it's truly accidental though, it doesn't surprise me that most think you should keep the money.

Something like this happened to me today, and as I was reconnecting I was debating whether or not I would give all or part of the money to the winner if I caught. I didn't improve, but apologized for the disconnect anyways.

Good luck.
Eric

[Josh W]

You don't owe anybody anything.

However, if you are the guy who lost the pot, and I was the guy who won the pot, you'd get the money in your acct if you were willing to give me the info.

Josh

[Barry]

If it's accidental, I wouldn't worry about it letting the others know that it was an accident would be proper too.

The other day there was a bet and a raise in front of me and I got disconnected just as I was about to 3 bet PF with my AA. I would have made A's full and won a nice pot. Obviously nobody owed me any money. It happens both ways, sometimes to your benefit, and sometimes to your detriment. Treat it like a bad beat or a lucky draw out. Next hand.