You Make The Call

[Rottersod]

3 players to the river. On the river BB has $100. MP has $500. Button has $500. Board is 55562 rainbow.

BB goes all in for his remaining $100. MP goes AI for his $500. At this point BB for some strange reason decides to flash his 5 to the table and says "save your money boys." Button immediately calls and tables JJ while MP tables TT and starts yelling at the BB.

You're the Floor. What's your ruling?

</font><font color="white"> This happened the other night at our home game and we had to make a ruling but I want to find out what the consensus here is. It was an ugly situation and we probably lost a regular because of it. <font color="white"> </font>

[RR]

[ QUOTE ]
3 players to the river. On the river BB has $100. MP has $500. Button has $500. Board is 55562 rainbow.

BB goes all in for his remaining $100. MP goes AI for his $500. At this point BB for some strange reason decides to flash his 5 to the table and says "save your money boys." Button immediately calls and tables JJ while MP tables TT and starts yelling at the BB.

You're the Floor. What's your ruling?

[/ QUOTE ]



Depending on his history the guy flashing the 5 needs to either receive a stern warning not to do that again or needs to be shown the door. The size of the pot matters also. If there is $10k in the center when this happens it is not a big deal, if it happens with $100 in the middle it is huge.

[gobboboy]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
3 players to the river. On the river BB has $100. MP has $500. Button has $500. Board is 55562 rainbow.

BB goes all in for his remaining $100. MP goes AI for his $500. At this point BB for some strange reason decides to flash his 5 to the table and says "save your money boys." Button immediately calls and tables JJ while MP tables TT and starts yelling at the BB.

You're the Floor. What's your ruling?

[/ QUOTE ]



Depending on his history the guy flashing the 5 needs to either receive a stern warning not to do that again or needs to be shown the door. The size of the pot matters also. If there is $10k in the center when this happens it is not a big deal, if it happens with $100 in the middle it is huge.

[/ QUOTE ]

Care to explain the last sentence? I don't really understand.

[RR]

[ QUOTE ]
Care to explain the last sentence? I don't really understand.

[/ QUOTE ]

If it was a great big game there wasn't anything funny going on, he wanted to let them save the little bit on the end and didn't understand the implications of showing it. If these bets were large for the game it becomes more likely he wanted to let the JJ know he wasn't going to see 4 5s for the side pot.

edit to add: I am assuming a cash game here as touranments have specific penalty rules in place to deal with this sort of thing.

[BigBluffer]

According to Robert's Rules of Poker, in the Poker Etiquette Section: "The following actions are improper, and grounds for warning, suspending, or barring a violator: ... Revealing the contents of a live hand in a multihanded pot before the betting is complete."

http://www.pokercoach.us/RobsPkrRules11.doc

The situation in the OP seems to be applicable here since the hand that was (partially) revealed was live, it was a multihanded pot, and there was still action pending.

Declaring the BB's hand dead, as suggested above by chucky and TheMuppet doesn't seem to be an option.

[Rottersod]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Care to explain the last sentence? I don't really understand.

[/ QUOTE ]

If it was a great big game there wasn't anything funny going on, he wanted to let them save the little bit on the end and didn't understand the implications of showing it. If these bets were large for the game it becomes more likely he wanted to let the JJ know he wasn't going to see 4 5s for the side pot.

edit to add: I am assuming a cash game here as touranments have specific penalty rules in place to deal with this sort of thing.


[/ QUOTE ]

This was a cash game and there was only $140 in the pot before the river because the flop came up 555 and everyone slow played their hands. On the turn the BB and MP checked and button bet and was smooth called by both. So the big river bet and call by MP and button was worth the extra cash.

I'd like to hear more replies based on this updated info. We had to make a difficult decision and there were some angry people.

[Khabbi]

According to my interpretation of the rules of poker the main pot should be awarded to the BB. The side pot should be awarded to the Button.

Any other decision to me would be subjective. I try not to have to make those types of decisions, that's why the rules come in handy. Unless there was already a house rule or precedent for killing hands that are exposed prematurely or voiding action as a result of exposed hands there really isn't anything you can do in this situation other than abide by the rules.

[RR]

[ QUOTE ]
This was a cash game and there was only $140 in the pot before the river because the flop came up 555 and everyone slow played their hands. On the turn the BB and MP checked and button bet and was smooth called by both. So the big river bet and call by MP and button was worth the extra cash.

[/ QUOTE ]

In this case I would strongly consider 86ing both the all-in player and the JJ player. Depends on if there is any history relationship between those players. A reasonable solution if this really was an "honest mistake" would be for the all-in player to pay the TT $400. There isn't any rule requiring him to do so, but that would be an honorable way to settle it.

[chucky]

BB should lose the pot for flashing with action left to come. Split the pot between 2 remaining players.

[TheMuppet]

I would rule the BB hand dead, and change the AI from MP to a call (giving him back $400) and then award the pot to BTN.