What about a dealer just looking at mucked cards?

dukenukem · #1 10-18-2007, 05:51 PM

I play in North Centrarl Florida. When NL started in July, a few dealers were looking at preflop and later mucked cards. I thought this was bad because some of those dealers were buddies with some of the players and could pass on important information. I wrote an email anonymously to the card room manager, and for a while the muck reading stopped. Now it has started again.

Thoughts?

sapol · #2 10-18-2007, 05:54 PM

Agree, it's not their job and it slows down play.

esch · #3 10-18-2007, 06:01 PM

What's wrong with people? Just ask the dealer in a nice way to stop doing that. That solves the short-term issue.

Long term, just keep following up with the manager and individual dealers as it happens. Help the other players understand in a non-nitty way that this is kind of a bad thing. Appreciate that the dealers might just be curious/bored out of their mind and the actual magnitude of the issue.

If this is some low stakes game, get a life. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

btw, dealers should not be making a habit of this. Especially if they can also play in the same room or communicate with players. On the other hand, how often is it significant that one folds K3o to a raise preflop. It's the stuff one calls with and folds on later streets that is 10x more useful.

budblown · #4 10-18-2007, 06:15 PM

[ QUOTE ]
What's wrong with people? Just ask the dealer in a nice way to stop doing that. That solves the short-term issue.

Long term, just keep following up with the manager and individual dealers as it happens. Help the other players understand in a non-nitty way that this is kind of a bad thing. Appreciate that the dealers might just be curious/bored out of their mind and the actual magnitude of the issue.

If this is some low stakes game, get a life. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

btw, dealers should not be making a habit of this. Especially if they can also play in the same room or communicate with players. On the other hand, how often is it significant that one folds K3o to a raise preflop. It's the stuff one calls with and folds on later streets that is 10x more useful.

[/ QUOTE ]

Free information is still free information. No excuses for looking at mucked cards. Period.

dukenukem · #5 10-18-2007, 06:16 PM

Is it the players' job to manage the dealers by speaking directly to them about a significant problem? One at a time? As mentioned in another thread (jkamowitz's "Dealers Commenting on My Play"), speaking directly to the dealers just makes them stop doing that for one player--maybe.

Plus, there is the matter of getting along with the dealers at a small card room.

As for the stakes involved (1/2 NL, $100 max buy-in) let me humbly point out that what is small stakes for advanced, experienced, well bankrolled players might be the next level up the ladder for others. Would it really matter, in principal, if it were just $2-$4 limit?

Finally, as for the information of who is routinely mucking what from which position not being useful, maybe a little imagination is in order.

FISHCAKES · #6 10-18-2007, 08:50 PM

This is a huge deal and must be put to an end. Im not syaing that there is anything nefarious going on but in some cases a dealer looking at the mucked hands is preparing to stack the deck for the next hand. I have noticed it more so in home and private games and sometimes the dealers aren't technically cheating, they are just trying to create an action game by dealing out alot of paint cards. No need to accuse anyone of anything but let the floor know whats going on and ask them to put a stop to it.

schnukums · #7 10-18-2007, 09:55 PM

Just to clarify. Their looking at the players they know hands or their looking at other players cards. I see alot of players show a dealer that they know their hand and that to me is somewhat unneeded. But dont think Ive ever seen a dealer look at a random players mucked cards. That to me is completely unneeded and you would have to address that problem with the dealer and the floor if the problem prosist.

Photoc · #8 10-18-2007, 09:57 PM

Why do these threads keep popping up when everyone knows the answer already? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[ QUOTE ]
What about a dealer just looking at mucked cards?

[/ QUOTE ]

They aren't supposed to do it, just call the floor or go talk to the floor away from the table. Simple solutions.

Phat Mack · #9 10-19-2007, 03:28 AM

Dealers aren't supposed to look at mucked cards because doing so could conceivably enable them to set up the deck. I'd tell the floor, and I'd keep an eye on these scumbags. There's no other word for them.

Gonso · #10 10-19-2007, 05:18 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Dealers aren't supposed to look at mucked cards because doing so could conceivably enable them to set up the deck. I'd tell the floor, and I'd keep an eye on these scumbags. There's no other word for them.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree that dealers shouldn't be peeking at mucked cards, but chalking them up to scumbags who are trying to rig the game is kind of overreacting a bit, don't you think?

And I agree with Photoc, obviously OP knows dealers aren't supposed to do it or he wouldn't be sending emails to complain about it.

OP, you're in a spot where there are presumably a lot of new dealers who probably weren't trained very well. Take it up with the floor directly since it's an ongoing problem.

I don't really care whether another dealer were to look at my cards personally, just so long as other players don't see them. If it did bother me though, I'd say something. Maybe they think it's okay or something... I've never seen it as a widespread problem TBH. But hey, if it justifies another thread about bad dealers, I guess that's all that's important...