Calling Time on Another Player

[ungarop]

This comes up frequently I think.

Raked game - calling clock is a d*** move.

Timed game - for all but the real time abusers, calling clock is a d*** move. Sometimes a warning, like "if you do that everytime I am going to have to call clock, I am paying $6 per half hour for like 10 hands" (Foxwoods).

Tournament - for all the low limit ones I have been in where the blinds go up every 15-20 mins, I think calling clock is reasonable if a player is clearly abusing the time, especially near the bubble.

[psandman]

[ QUOTE ]
This question isn't relevant to this thread because the player in question owns the club, but does the dealer/floor have to grant the clock request? If this happened in a casino, could the dealer or whomever say "No clock yet" or anything like that?

-McGee

[/ QUOTE ]

A dealer should never say that nor should a dealer "apply a clock himself"

It is appropriate for a floorperson. Most of the time when a player calls for the clock, and I call the floor they just put the clock on the player, but I believe that unless the floor has been watching the game it would be appropriate to to make sure that the player has already had reasonable time. I in fact only once had a floorman ask me "Has the player had reasonable amount of time?" before he put the clock on the player, but I think it should be standard.

[pig4bill]

[ QUOTE ]
This question isn't relevant to this thread because the player in question owns the club, but does the dealer/floor have to grant the clock request? If this happened in a casino, could the dealer or whomever say "No clock yet" or anything like that?

-McGee

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I've seen this in a tournament. Guy had been thinking for 45 seconds and somebody asked for the clock. Dealer snorted "No way, hasn't been long enough yet".

[SellingtheDrama]

I remember once a player tried to call a clock as soon as the action got to a notoriously slow player.

That didn't work either.

[danxd]

I believe that a person in the hand CANNOT call the clock. This is to avoid allowing players to use it as a tool to intimidate others. Only players without action can call clock - when the player is taking an unusually long amount of time to decide.

This player was a jerk and a floorperson should have been called. At least you would get more time ;-)

[mxp2004]

[ QUOTE ]
I believe that a person in the hand CANNOT call the clock. This is to avoid allowing players to use it as a tool to intimidate others. Only players without action can call clock - when the player is taking an unusually long amount of time to decide.

[/ QUOTE ]

I wasn't aware of this rule. It seems counter-intuitive at first, although in the way that you explain it, the rule would make sense.

I witnessed an interesting application of calling time at this year's Borgata Winter Open. In the middle of a hand, the level ended, and the players were free to leave for their dinner break. Michael Binger was facing a big bet from Player A, the only other player left in the hand. As Binger was thinking about what to do, Player B (who was not involved) called the clock on him.

The floor was called over and started the clock. Binger got very angry, arguing that the request for the clock was unreasonable because (a) he had not taken that much time, (b) Player B was not involved in the hand, and (c) everyone was on break. Binger demanded to speak with the tournament director, but the floor refused. Binger eventually had his hand killed.

Player A apologized to Binger for Player B's behavior (needlessly, I thought). Player B simply said that he wanted Binger to make a decision and to find out what he would do.

[LasVegasMichael]

[ QUOTE ]
I believe that a person in the hand CANNOT call the clock.

[/ QUOTE ]

Completely untrue. A clock can be called by any player at the table, in the hand or not (in Vegas).

[bav]

Yeah, any player can call the clock in my experience. Most people not in the hand aren't willing to put themselves into the spotlight by doing so, and often the other player involved in the hand doesn't want to do anything that might reveal strength or weakness. I have my limits...if a couple minutes pass and it's a $100 decision, I'm likely going to give up and ask for a clock. If it's a $1000 decision, I'll just take a walk and give the guy however much time he wants.

[Red_Diamond]

This reminds me of one time (years ago) I used to be praying there were built-in clocks at ring-games. I was sitting in a 200 NL table and there were TWO players who always took FOREVER to decided what to do when the action got to them. Oh it didn't take them a minute to limp in, but as soon as there was so much as a 20$ bet, oh boy time to watch paint dry.... One would go into the tank for 5 minutes, then fold. Then the other would do the exact same thing during HIS decision too. Next hand.... same thing!

What really ticked me off the most, was everyone had to pay half-hour session fees. But we hardly got any hands in each half-hour because of these bone-heads. I should have said something right then and there, but at the time I was still 'too nice' of a player to come off as being rude. I've changed my ways a little now (experience helps!), whether that is good or not is another matter.

[Mano]

[ QUOTE ]
Recently I played in a 5/5NL Cash Game at a club in which it was myself and another player (which happend to be the person who ran the club) in a hand which got to river. There was about $600 in pot. On the river the player leads out all in for $500 making pot $1100 or $1700 if I called. Anyway, I start counting my chips and only 20 seconds pass before he calls time on me, giving me 1 minute to act. I ended up folding, but afterwards complained that generally you should give a player atleast a couple minutes before calling time on them. Is this standard what he did?

[/ QUOTE ]

I believe that the clock can be called by any player at any time, but it is at the discretion of the floor whether or not to grant the request. Since the guy that ran the place is the one who called the clock, you are probably SOL.

I recently saw an episode of the Professional Players Tour where a guy not in the hand quickly calls the clock on someone making a decision for all of his chip. His justification was that the blinds would be going up soon, and he was next in the big blind and wanted to avoid the increased blind. The tournament director denied the request.