the first rule of dealing poker

[Al_Capone_Junior]

"A certain dealer I happen to know" did this in a 1-2 NL ring game...

Almost everyone calls the blind and someone makes it $7. It's going back around, everyone's calling the extra $5. Gets to the last guy, he takes a redbird, holds it up almost to the dealer's face, then puts it down and pushes it towards the dealer, nearly to the edge of the rack.

Well it sure looked to me like it was meant as a toke for the dealer. So the dealer takes the chip, taps it on the rack, puts it in his pocket, and says "thank you sir! It's $5 to call.". Guy looks to dealer and says "wait, that was my call."

Here's where it gets interesting. I'm not sure what got into the dealer, but the dealer says "I'm sorry sir, but the first rule of dealing poker is that once it goes in the pocket, it don't come out."

The player thinks a second, looks at the dealer and says "you know what, I like that, I like this guy." Then he calls the $5!

So the hand goes on and the player winds up winning the hand. As the dealer pushes the pot he says "no gratuity necessary sir."

Priceless.

Al