a ruling from last night (sticky)

[sandbagger223]

This got a little longer than intended, sorry for that

NL Hold Em hand from Ceasars (Atlantic City) last night.

I raise PF and get HU with the BB. BB checks the flop, I bet (bluff) $40 and BB check raises all-in for about $100.

So far so good. Now, my cards happen to be up against the cusion of the table. I don't know why, I NEVER have them there. I think it may be because I'm in the 6 seat and the players on either side of me seem especially "nosy". My chips are to the left of my cards, about 3 inches from the cusion.

In any event, after she check raises for $60 more I reach for the chips on top of my 20 stacks. It was 4 whites and 4 reds. I had been shuffling those particular 8 chips for a while, as I hadn't played a hand in a few orbits. <font color="red"> </font> I brought them across my cards with my right hand, and began shuffling them. It was probably a centimeter (maybe two?) in front of my cards. It was nowhere near looking like a call in any way. My hand never came off the chips, and I was looking straight down as I recall.

Dealer, (who seemed to be just waiting for me to do this [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]) immediately announces it as a call, and that I owe $60.

DEALER: That's a call
ME: Oh c'mon man, are you serious?
DEALER: The chips were infront of your cards
Me: &lt;sigh&gt; Can I have the floor please?

At this point, I'm thinking I have 50:50 chance of saving this $60. A reasonable floorman might determine this was not an angleshot of any kind. Again, I did not go FORWARD with my chips, just the same place I ALWAYS shuffle my chips, and anyone would for that matter. In addition, (I don't know if this matters) there was no action left behind me, as she was all-in and we were HU (does this even matter?)

I keep pretty quiet as the dealer explains my "angleshot" to the floorwoman. She looks at me, and I re-enact the sequence of events.

FLOORWOMAN: That's not a call, I don't believe that was binding action.
ME: Thank you.
FLOORWOMAN: You're welcome.

I muck my hand.

The dealer himself begins to argue with the floor!

DEALER: Oh that's not right! Oh that's terrible! Everyone at the table agrees with me. Blah Blah Blah.
ME: Can we play the next hand please?

Now ANOTHER PLAYER (AP) gets involved, and here's where it gets interesting...

AP: Is there anyone here above you?
FLOOR: What do you mean?
AP: Who is your boss?
FLOORWOMAN: Hang on.

Another floorman comes over. We go through the same process with him. Original floorwoman is NOWHERE TO BE FOUND.

NEW FLOORMAN: Were the chips in front of the cards?
ME: I don't know, it was close.
DEALER: They were definitely in front of his cards
OTHER PLAYER: He has to call!
BB: He has to call!
DEALER: He has to call!
NEW FLOORMAN: You have to call the bet sir.
ME: My hand is in the muck, there is no way I'm calling this now.
NEW FLOORMAN: Why did you muck?
ME: I got a ruling, it was my turn to act, I chose not to call the $60, I mucked.

Get this...

NEW FLOORMAN: What did you have? ( [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img])
ME: I don't remember

Now he has a little "confrence" with yet another floorman. He comes back after about 10 seconds and says....

"Either call the $60 or you can rack up and leave the game"

As I'm racking my chips I hear him say under his breath "He'll never be allowed back here, don't worry". BB tells the floor she's gonna call the gaming commission.


Was all this warranted?