Button must get a hand?
 

Playing in a local cardroom, the player who had just paid his blinds (now the button) got up to take a smoke break. Dealer dealt him a hand. When I asked why, he said, "button always has to get a hand. Even if he's not here."

Is this true generally (I know it's probably room specific)? If so, what is the rationale?

Thanks,

--Headhunter

Re: Button must get a hand?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Playing in a local cardroom, the player who had just paid his blinds (now the button) got up to take a smoke break. Dealer dealt him a hand. When I asked why, he said, "button always has to get a hand. Even if he's not here."

Is this true generally (I know it's probably room specific)? If so, what is the rationale?

Thanks,

--Headhunter

[/ QUOTE ]

new one to me...is this local person a regualr who likes to play from the smoek room [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Button must get a hand?
 

Dealer's right - the button gets a hand.

He is just wrong about who the button is, the prior button (who would have been cutoff) keeps it.

Re: Button must get a hand?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Dealer's right - the button gets a hand.

He is just wrong about who the button is, the prior button (who would have been cutoff) keeps it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, the guy who had just been the SB stood up and walked out to take a smoke. Had he stayed, he would have been the button. Instead, they had a dead button, and the (would have been) cutoff is essentially the button (last to act).

But why does the button (or button seat) have to be dealt a hand? If MP gets up and leaves, the dealer just skips him. Why must two cards be dealt to the seat occupying the button ... only to have the dealer muck the hand (almost) immediately?

--Headhunter

Re: Button must get a hand?
 

Definitely room specific. In my room anyone who's paid the blinds always gets dealt in, regardless of whether or not they are at the table and is eligible for the BBJ. I know that's usually not the norm.

Re: Button must get a hand?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Dealer's right - the button gets a hand.

He is just wrong about who the button is, the prior button (who would have been cutoff) keeps it.

[/ QUOTE ]

The button moves forward when there is a player in the seet. The cutoff doesn't automatically keep it because the button went for a smoke. In rooms without a forward moving button rule, the above would apply if the button actually left the table or got busted out. A smoke break means nothing, he's still in action and has a right to a hand. Lots of rooms will automatically deal the button in if they paid both blinds.

Re: Button must get a hand?
 

Was this in a tournament?

Re: Button must get a hand?
 

Sounds like O'11, where a button with chips gets dealt in. Not a bad rule, because if the player comes running back you have hysterics if he isn't dealt in.

Re: Button must get a hand?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Was this in a tournament?

[/ QUOTE ]

No cash game.
FWIW ... if a player in any other position (except blinds) isn't there, the player is dealt out. But apparently here the button must always receive two cards. I didn't know if there was some rationale behind it.

--Headhunter

Re: Button must get a hand?
 

The rationale is "I just paid my blinds! Wahh! Of course i want a hand! Wahh! I want you all to hold up what you're doing so I can have a 30-second smoke break because the world revolves around me! Wahh!"

In other words, what MrMore said.

BTW, I've not encountered this before, so it's not a standard rule. However, rooms are free to make whatever rules they want, and not like this one really affects anybody.