[bav]

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What tournament rules do they play by? In tourneys I deal, if the player isn't IN HIS SEAT when the last card is dealt, the hand is dead.

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This is going a little far. "We allow you to stand up and stretch" is a quote I heard once when some nit at the table tried to make 'em muck someone's hand who was standing behind his chair after suffering a leg cramp as the deal finished. As well, this is a $62 tournament--the rules are maybe a bit more lax than you'll find at a $2500 WSOP table.

This guy was there, setting his chips down as the first card is dealt. He's putting his jacket on the back of the chair and pulling it out and sitting down and pushing the chair back in as the action goes past him. He was there, just wasn't QUITE ready to play. His fanny may actually have been touching the chair as it became his turn to act (Sahara requires you be seated when it becomes your turn to act, not when the deal is complete--you can debate whether or not you like that, but the rule is consistent, at least.)

But yeah, I guess I'm beginning to like the idea of treating his unreadiness as the equivalent of not being in his seat. He wasn't capable of protecting his action, so it was about as bad as if he were 10' away. Muck his cards and move on works for me.