Besides posting blinds for late shows do we deal cards to their seat?

[chekraze]

We'er about to do a big tourney and I had a couple of questions.
When someone is late for the tourney start and we take their blinds out as it comes to them do we also deal a hand to the empty seat?
And if someone takes an extended bathroom break how is that handled.
Thanks.

[psandman]

Generally you deal to every stack of chips. However the only time this will really matter is when the player shows up (either late or returning from a break) during the deal. If you did not deal to his chip stack he doesn't get to play the hand that he should have gotten.

Any other time it doesn't make a difference except to the superstitious

[Mr. Orange]

I guess it doesn't really matter but if your following the rules by the letter then every player at the table (whether they're present or not) is supposed to be dealt cards.

[MikeyEdge]

If a player is late, he should still get a hand. If he isn't dealt a hand it should be considered a misdeal.

If a player leaves to go to the bathroom he should still be dealt cards. Unless the player is clearly on his way back to the table, his cards should be folded.

[DMA]

You deal them a hand.

[JohnnyFX]

If you're not sure whether to muck someone who has left the table, the strict rule is that their hand is dead if they aren't in their seat when the cards are dealt.
Of course you should cut them some slack if they're running back from the john when it's their action, but if they do get folded they have no room to complain.

[Fiksdal]

Deal him cards. When he is in the big blind, imagine 2 people calls, he is automatically checked, and both the callers check it to a showdown, where the sitouts hand turns out to be the winner. I am aware this doesn't happen very often, but it's a good enough reason to deal him cards. Oh and yeah, he could return while his hand is still alive.

[psandman]

[ QUOTE ]
Deal him cards. When he is in the big blind, imagine 2 people calls, he is automatically checked, and both the callers check it to a showdown, where the sitouts hand turns out to be the winner. I am aware this doesn't happen very often, but it's a good enough reason to deal him cards. Oh and yeah, he could return while his hand is still alive.

[/ QUOTE ]

Except if you are using TDA rules his hand would be folded once the deal was complete and he could not win the hand.

[Babylon]

Deal him in. He can technically show up at any time and jump in the hand, or like Fiksdal said, he could be big blind, and the way we play is 'auto-check' if missing or fold.

Best bet is probably to get concensus on the rule beforehand from all players.

[WaterMan4]

In the past I used to put stacks in front of every seat and we would deal to every stack and blind them off. A player could show up anytime during the first hour, pay his money, and get a seat. At the end of the hour the unused stacks were picked up. This worked but was a hassle because, being a player dealt tournament, some players were having to deal multiple times each round. (Some of these guys are pretty bad dealers.) If we had paid dealers I would continue to do it this way.

This year when I start having tournaments next month, I am going to put the chips in a zip lock bag in front of each seat and not blind off the stacks. When a player shows up late during the first hour he can buy in and take a seat. To make up for the missed blinds he will give everyone at the table a small blind, whatever the small blind is for the round when he sits down. This way the players don't have to deal for the empty seats and I don't have to seperate the unused chips before the next tournament.

As for players being away from the table during a deal, he should get a hand. He has paid for that hand with his blinds. If it looks like he isn't going to make it to the table in time to play the hand, it should be folded when the action gets to him. Give him every chance to play the hand without holding up the game too much.

Good Luck!