Ruling that put me in a tough spot.

[Al_Capone_Junior]

Bullpucky. The "presumption" is that there is a default ruling, and that the muck has magical properties that cause hands to become forever and irrevocably dead. You made what you felt was the fairest ruling given the specific situation you encountered. Remember, the floor can make any ruling they deem to be in the best interest of the game, even if strict interpretation of the rules might indicate a different ruling. Good decision man.

Al

[swope]

every casino ive played at has one addition to its rule list:

the floor reserves the right to make rulings contrary to the stated rules if its determined to be in the best interest of the game.

that one caveat has ended innumerable drunken arguments. you did what was in the best interests of the game, boom.

[Chipr777]

[ QUOTE ]
the floor reserves the right to make rulings contrary to the stated rules if its determined to be in the best interest of the game.


[/ QUOTE ] ty sir. nice hand.

[pfapfap]

I agree with all of this, that the decision was right, it was in the interest of the game, and within the scope of the most commonly used rulebook.

At my room, it would be a muck. Even if one tiny little micrometer of one of the cards grazes the magical muck pile, it's a muck.

This is, of course, ridiculous, but that's how it is. If it's like this at your cardroom, then you made the wrong ruling. If the people running your room aren't insane, then you made the correct ruling.

[DrewOnTilt]

[ QUOTE ]
I made the wrong ruling and I was unaware that the default ruling was that mucked cards stay there.

[/ QUOTE ]

Replying blind here:

I believe that this is incorrect. If the cards are easily identifiable, my understanding of common cardroom rules is that it is the floor can use discretion in ruling the hand live if doing so is in the best interest of the game.

The rule of thumb is that the pot should be awarded to the winning hand; calling a hand dead that was accidentally mucked potentially violates this good general rule.

I'll allow the dealers and floor staff who post in this forum to elaborate/explain/correct me here, but I believe that you made the correct ruling.

[youtalkfunny]

[ QUOTE ]


At my room, it would be a muck. Even if one tiny little micrometer of one of the cards grazes the magical muck pile, it's a muck.

[/ QUOTE ]

A cardroom manager once told me that the dealer's hands are an extension of the muck! If OP works in that guy's room, he made the wrong call.

If he lives anywhere else in the free-thinking world, he made the right call.

One more thing, OP: NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR A BAD CALL. It's hard for novice floorpeople to grasp this, but there's a reason why everyone advises you to "Make your ruling, THEN WALK AWAY."

If you're not sure of a rule, DON'T LET THE PLAYERS KNOW IT. You need to pronounce your ruling with the confidence of an Ayatolla, as if the ruling were coming from God himself. As if your wisdom was unquestionable.

Like they tell baseball umpires on a bang-bang play that nobody could possibly be certain about: Make your call, and sell it if you have to. The more unsure you are, the more confident you need to appear.

[bav]

I understand the "make your ruling, then walk away" sentiment but be ABSOLUTELY sure you have ALL the facts and fully understand the situation before you do this. Nothing ticks me off more than a floor dude coming over, listening to the story, missing a key part of it, then declaring with the confidence of an Ayatolla what his ruling is when he's dead wrong and the whole table knows it. There should be room in the floor dude's rule book to allow for "oh, I'm sorry...I missed that part of the story" on appeal.