![]() ![]() Most players would also agree that in the everyday sense “tabling” a hand in poker means showing it, rather than discarding it. “Tabling” a hand is defined in the TDA Rules as when all cards are turned face-up so that the dealer and all other players can read the hand. The key issue here is that the hero specifically asked the villain whether he wanted his cards tabled for him. However, if the dealer was entitled to refuse to table the villain’s hand, was it wrong for the other player (hero) to muck the villain’s hand for him? Again, this is such a bizarre and unique situation that it is not covered by any specific rule. Was it wrong for the hero to muck the villain’s cards? As such, while it might not be a specifically written rule, it is likely dealers would want to avoid tabling a player’s hand in case of accusations of collusion. Even if player and dealer aren’t colluding, an accusation could have a severe impact on the dealer, the game and the casino. This could potentially lead to some players and dealers attempting to collude to switch cards in a scenario where the player knows their hand will lose. Since the dealer is the person in control of the remainder of the deck, they would have the greatest opportunity to attempt to switch a player’s cards with other cards from the deck. In addition to the above, consider the scenario where a dealer is allowed to table a player’s hand. It seems perverse to think that the TDA authors envisaged a situation where the dealer could be asked to perform these duties instead. ![]() The dealer’s responsibilities include being able to prompt a player to table a hand, but not tabling the hand for them. The entire section on showdowns also only talks about when a hand can be tabled by a player. However, equally, there is no express provision which allows dealers to do so. On one hand, there is nothing in the TDA Rules which specifically says dealers must not table a player’s cards. However, from the way the TDA Rules are drafted, it seems the dealer was within his rights to refuse to table the villain’s hand. Could or should the dealer have turned over the villain’s cards?įor obvious reasons, players do not often request the dealer to table their cards. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, though occasionally it can lead to players dragging out a showdown.įor now, since there is no suggestion either player or the casino raised any issues with allowing both players to keep their hands face-down until the river, let us assume that it was within the casino’s rules for the players to not show their hands during an all-in. However, in cash games the rule is often not enforced as strongly. This rule is often strictly enforced in tournaments. The TDA Rules do state that in an all-in situation – that is, once a player is all-in and all other betting action has ended – all hands must be tabled ‘without delay’. This is not entirely unusual in a cash game scenario. However, neither player tabled their cards at this point. The hand begins by both players going all-in before the flop. Was it wrong for hero to muck the villain’s cards?ĭoes the villain have any claim to the pot? If not, was it correct for the hero to be awarded the pot by default? Should the players have turned over their cards the moment they went all-in?Ĭould or should the dealer have turned over the villain’s cards? There are several issues that the Reddit incident raises: Let’s apply the TDA Rules to the hand in question. Although not every casino is a TDA member, the TDA rules are comprehensive and it is unlikely that you will encounter any problems if you stick to them, regardless of the venue (although the TDA rules are specifically for tournaments and the rules may differ slightly for cash games). The Poker Tournament Director’s Association is the official body of poker tournament personnel and was founded in 2001 to implement a consistent set of rules and etiquette for poker tournaments across various casinos. However, if you know the rules and have no problems playing in a casino, it is unlikely that you will have any problems during a home game.Ī good starting point is the Tournament Directors’ Association (TDA) rules, most recently published in 2019. Most home games will rely entirely on unwritten rules and what is customary, whereas most casinos and poker sites will have terms and conditions (T&Cs) or terms of service (ToS) of using that casino or site, plus usually a specific set of rules or code of practice for playing poker (if not already contained in the T&Cs/ToS). The rules on poker etiquette are an unusual mix of written rules, terms and conditions/terms of service and unwritten rules and custom, depending on the venue or poker site you are playing at. Where Can the Rules of Poker Etiquette Be Found? With the basics of mucking in mind, let’s examine whether the Reddit incident above was against the rules. ![]()
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