Ethical Dilemma: Should I have done this?

[Ronald White]

Folks: I would appreciate some honest feedback.

I was playing a 5-table Sit-n-Go tourney at my local card room. I entered along with my friend Angus, who happens to be Scottish (he moved here over 10 years' ago, but still speaks with a very heavy accent). Anyhow, after about 45 minutes of play, Angus gets moved to my table and sits directly to my left.

First of all, to avoid any potential conflict, I immediately raise my hand and address the table to let each one of them know that Angus and I are friends and that his mom actually drove both of us to the tourney. I did not want there to be any ambiguities.

A few hands in, Angus suffered a bad beat to the woman on MY right. Angus looked at me and said softly (referring to the woman on my right) "f@cking c@nt called me with that [censored]!" Except, with his heavy accent, it sounded like he was saying something completely different. But, I DID KNOW what he said.

Anyhow, the woman looks up and says, "hey! what did you just say?" Angus quickly said, I said "f@cking c@nt called me with that [censored]!" She said, okay.

Now, obviously, she didn't understand what Angus was saying, but I did! I had a moral dillema between the card-players' code of honor, and my friendship with Angus. I quickly repeated what Angus said, but in clear English. I told the woman, "Excuse me, but you may not have heard him clearly, he said, 'f@cking c@nt called me with that [censored]!'"

Now, she is clearly upset and calls the floor. The dealer overheard the exchange as well. The ruling was that I HAD TO TAKE a 20-minute timeout for swearing, while Angus had to take a 20-minute for not speaking English at the table!

I don't think the ruling against me was fair, and it was not actually correct against Angus, although technically, I suppose, he was not speaking English.

After the time out, we resume our play and both Angus and I bubbled the tourney and still had to wait nearly an hour for our ride home.

I really wish I would have kept my big mouth shut.