Player looks at another\'s cards
 

3-6 game at Casino Del Sol in Tucson. Seat 6 is a kind of goofy regular. Seat 7 is a very muscular nicely dressed guy about 15 years younger than seat 6. Seat 6 is the agressor in the early betting. The board after the turn is 7 8 7 8. Seat 6 bets. Seat 7 raises. After a few seconds Seat 6 reaches over and looks at his neighbor's cards which are protected by a chip.

The whole table is stunned. The dealer is an old school long time dealer. He said, "His hand is dead." Then he said, "Would you like me to call the floor." The seven seat says no, and something to the offender like, "You're lucky you picked the right guy to do that to. If you'd have done that to someone else, you'd be in trouble." By the way he later says that he would have popped the guy when he was younger.

The dealer waited until his down was over and discreetly told the floor. The floorman waited a bit and then went in the back and told the cardroom manager. I'd assume they watched the tape. About a half hour later security took the six seat out. I don't know how long they banned him for. I'll probably find out within the next few days.

What do you think the seven seat should have done? Frankly I thought he handled it very well. Should the dealer have called the floor immediately? How long should the casino ban the six seat?

Re: Player looks at another\'s cards
 

I think both the cheated player and the dealer handled this well, unless there is some other standard policy in the cardroom. I'd say if this is a first occurance maybe a week ban would be in order, with a note made for permanent ban should it happen again. I also would like to see some additional cash penalty paid by the offender to the other player - maybe a reasonable amount would be one bet for each betting round left in the game, so $12 in this game. That's certainly not a lot of money, but it would represent what it probably would have cost him to legitimately see the other player's hand.

Re: Player looks at another\'s cards
 

Thanks for the well written report.

Sounds like the Seat 7 guy was a cool cat. I wish all players were like that.

Nah. Then it wouldn't be poker. =)

Re: Player looks at another\'s cards
 

[ QUOTE ]
I think both the cheated player and the dealer handled this well, unless there is some other standard policy in the cardroom. I'd say if this is a first occurance maybe a week ban would be in order, with a note made for permanent ban should it happen again. I also would like to see some additional cash penalty paid by the offender to the other player - maybe a reasonable amount would be one bet for each betting round left in the game, so $12 in this game. That's certainly not a lot of money, but it would represent what it probably would have cost him to legitimately see the other player's hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pretty much what I was going to say.

Update
 

I congratulated the seven seat later on the way he handled it.

I found out yesterday that they took the six seat out because he had prevously banned himself. I think once they figured out who he was they looked at their list and found that out. So they didn't have to decide on another penalty. I agree with the other posters that a week would be about right under regular circumstances. Making him pay a chip penalty for seeing the cards is an interesting idea too.

Re: Player looks at another\'s cards
 

Floor should have been called immediately. A one-week ban seems reasonable.

Re: Update
 

I don't think this is as big a deal as people seem to be suggesting.

Since they apparently ruled his hand dead for doing this essentially what he did was to fold and look at the other players cards. The sole advantage he gained was seeing another players cards that could have been mucked unseen. Its not as if he could have looked at his opponents cards, seen that he had a winner and then called the bet (since his hand was ruled dead).

I'm not saying his actions were appropriate, but assuming this was a first time offense for the player I could easily see just warning him or at most not letting him play for the rest of the day/night. I ceratinly wouldn't be banning him or trying to make him pay the other player.

Re: Update
 

psandman, I think you might need to reread the OP.

Re: Update
 

[ QUOTE ]
I don't think this is as big a deal as people seem to be suggesting.

Since they apparently ruled his hand dead for doing this essentially what he did was to fold and look at the other players cards. The sole advantage he gained was seeing another players cards that could have been mucked unseen. Its not as if he could have looked at his opponents cards, seen that he had a winner and then called the bet (since his hand was ruled dead).

I'm not saying his actions were appropriate, but assuming this was a first time offense for the player I could easily see just warning him or at most not letting him play for the rest of the day/night. I ceratinly wouldn't be banning him or trying to make him pay the other player.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, it does seem to be some overreacting.

b

Re: Update
 

[ QUOTE ]
psandman, I think you might need to reread the OP.

[/ QUOTE ]

Reread what part, exactly?

Where they took him out? I'm sure this actually had little to do with this actual instance and more due to his past. Which is why Psand and I might be looking at this as if the offender is an unknown.

b