[bav]

A "gimme back my cards" happened last night at TI and the floor got it right (I think). NL1/3, three way to the river, $250 pot, board is Txxxx with three diamonds and the aggressor shows down KT for top pair, AT is shown for TPTK, and the third player just stares for 10 seconds and then pushes his cards forward. Simultaneously as the dealer is putting his hand on the cards, a person not in the hand says "nobody has a flush?" and instantly the third player says "WAIT!" and demands his cards back. The dealer is sitting there with his hand covering the two cards (still clearly identifiable and a solid 6" from the muck) as TPTK says "NO WAY!" Dealer says apologetically "once I touch the cards, they're dead, sir" and calls the floor. Floor comes over, listens, and explains "once he touches the cards, they're dead, AND especially since someone else spoke up and 'helped'--AT gets the pot."

The third player said he wasn't actually sure what he had, but wasn't sure he didn't have a flush. He claimed the dealer "grabbed the cards out of my hand" but nobody else saw that and the floor didn't buy it. It MAY have happened that he pushed the cards far forward and still had his fingers on them as the dealer pulled 'em in, but I'm pretty sure there was no "grab". I wasn't looking at the cards at that exact instant as I turned to glare at the guy who said "nobody has a flush?" That guy's excuse was "I know I'm not supposed to say anything, but, gee, I thought we were playing at an experienced table where everybody could read hands."

I'm not keen on the rule that once the dealer touches the cards they're dead.