Sorry, but I need those chips back.

Onaflag · #1 03-26-2005, 02:30 PM

Lastnight at the local B&M. Board is QT344. The river at first appeared to help neither of the two players betting at the pot but is very key in the story.

Little old lady flips over QT for 2 pair. Young stud looks disappointed and flips over KK, obviously beat. The dealer awards the pot to the little old lady. She tips the dealer. Dealer starts shuffling for the next hand.

That's when I turned back around after taking a swig of my Corona and noticed the little old lady stacking the chips. I'm trying to explain to myself what just happened in disbelief when a guy next to me mentions to the dealer that young stud had a higher two pair.

How should a dealer handle this mistake?

She apologized to little old lady (who was all-in by the end of the hand) and moved the already stacked chips to young stud. Young stud is obviously embarrassed. Little old lady feels bad (and has to reload). The rest of the table is scratching their heads.

If anything good came out of it, young stud basically chopped what the dealer gave him in half and slid it over to little old lady. That broke the tension at the table and everyone got on with the business of playing poker.

Seems to me this could have escalated into something really ugly. Ever seen this and what else could the dealer do? Blinds for the next hand were already posted and the dealer was in the "cut" part of the shuffle. Not that it matters, I just want to illustrate how far along we are in the next hand when the correction is made.

Onaflag...........

RacersEdge · #2 03-26-2005, 02:38 PM

I actually saw this once. Turned out to be a father and son involved, so it was no big deal. Worst case scenario, they can go back and look at the tape.

Clarkmeister · #3 03-26-2005, 02:53 PM

The right thing was done. One mistake (pushing the pot to the wrong player) dooesn't mean that you make another (letting that player keep money that is not rightfully theirs).

FWIW, if I was the kid who really won the pot, I wouldn't have given anything back to the lady.

Pokrok · #4 03-26-2005, 03:16 PM

My only concern with what you have posted is why the floor was not called if this happaned in a casino. Dealers taking matters into their own hands almost always make the matters worse. Trust me, I speak from experiance =o)

soah · #5 03-26-2005, 04:25 PM

Where I play there's a big sign that states that the pot will be awarded to the winning hand, even if it was initially pushed to the wrong player.

juanez · #6 03-26-2005, 05:28 PM

My only concern with what you have posted is why the floor was not called if this happaned in a casino. Dealers taking matters into their own hands almost always make the matters worse. Trust me, I speak from experiance =o)

Soooo true. The floor should have definitely been called. Most hands can usually be reconstructed to figure out how big the pot was so the true winner can be awarded the correct amount, if it wasn't already known.

I agree with Clark too - I would have kept all of the pot that I rightfully won.

AngusThermopyle · #7 03-26-2005, 07:24 PM

1. Why didn't the guy who spoke up do it before the hands/board were mucked and the dealer shuffling for the next hand? Because "dealers are professionals and don't make mistakes" or because "don't say anything about a hand you are not in."?

2. Lady gave up the chips without a fight? The board and hands are gone! Sounds like she knew that she was not entitled to the pot. I wouldn't have split it with her.

3. Floor should have been called. But considering #2, maybe not needed.

I saw something similar at Bay 101. Same type of board. But another player speaks up before the pot gets shoved to the wrong player. Real winner wants to tip the alert player. Dealer carps "it's against the rules".

Onaflag · #8 03-27-2005, 12:14 AM

[ QUOTE ]
1. Why didn't the guy who spoke up do it before the hands/board were mucked and the dealer shuffling for the next hand? Because "dealers are professionals and don't make mistakes" or because "don't say anything about a hand you are not in."?

2. Lady gave up the chips without a fight? The board and hands are gone! Sounds like she knew that she was not entitled to the pot. I wouldn't have split it with her.

[/ QUOTE ]

1) Like me, he looked away from the table for some reason and noticed the lady with the chips when he turned back. The kid who rightfully won didn't even notice and I think he was most embarrassed when he finally got the pot.

2) Understandable assumption. I'd think the same thing. Truth is, she didn't know. That I'm sure of.

I wouldn't split it with her either, but can understand why the kid did. He's just there for fun like most people. Its a small CA cardroom where everyone mostly knows everyone else. I thought the whole scene played itself out strangely.

Onaflag..........

dirty moose · #9 03-27-2005, 03:30 PM

thats the old ladys pot, if i was her you would have to pry it from my hands

Yobz · #10 03-27-2005, 05:25 PM

[ QUOTE ]
thats the old ladys pot, if i was her you would have to pry it from my hands

[/ QUOTE ]

No way..the dealer made the mistake, the kid tabled his cards and therefore has the rightful claim to the pot.
I think the only thing that was done wrong was that the floor should have been called over right away.
I agree with clark, no way am I splitting the pot.. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]