What's the ruling?

[ddss6_99]

This situation came up in my home game. Two players in the hand go to showdown. Player A mistakenly thinks he has a straight and when he turns over his cards, declares he has the straight. Player B then throws his cards on top of the muck. When it's realized that Player A does not have the straight, Player B claims that the pot is his because when you mistakenly call your hand, the hand is ruled dead. I was always under the impression that cards talk and Player A should recieve the pot because once Player B's hand touched the muck, it's ruled dead. Player A was not angle shooting here so that's ruled out as well.

[krazyace5]

Player A should get the pot, the other guy mucked.

[binary001]

If he mucked, he mucked he has no right claiming the pot even if the opposition claimed he was str8.

B.

[Grisgra]

The ruling is mucked=mucked.

But in a (hopefully friendly) home game, I push the pot to Player B without a second thought if his cards can be identified with 100% accuracy.

[mkotich]

I can see it going either way.. If the cards touch the muck, they're dead. I saw at the casino the other night, one guy threw his cards face up onto the table almost touching the muck, the dealer stuck his hand out to block them saying that if those cards touch the muck, face up or face down, they're dead. End of story.

However I think you're right, in a friendly home game (low stakes?) maybe you can just hold a quick vote or something and say "if he tells us his cards, and they're at the top of the pile, he can have it if Player A agrees." or something you could let 'em have it.