Whispering to a player's ear during a big hand

manub · #1 10-22-2007, 11:52 PM

Hello there,

I saw a situation at a local cardroom and I'm curious if it was handled correctly.

Basically, there was a big hand going on on a NL hold'em table between two players. here's a short recap of the action.

Player A limps in early position.
Random players makes a preflop raise
Player B calls on the button
Big blind calls.
Player A calls.

Flop is T93 rainbow

All players check to player B on the button who bets half the pot. Only player A calls.

Turn is a 5 putting a flush draw on the board.

Player A checks, player B bets the pot, player A calls.

River is another T (no flush)

Player A checks, player B bets two thirds of the pot.

Player A agonizes for about a minute (it's a big bet compared to his stack). One of his friends walks from behind, bends over and whispers something is his ear for one or two seconds. Player A *instantly* says "CALL!". Players B vigorously protests. The floor comes over and hears the situation from both players and the dealer. Player A claims that his friend was just asking for a loan to go play at a nearby blackjack table (that friend has been seen roaming in the room and walking behind players at the table for about half an hour - it's a pretty small cardroom). The floor manager asks to see both hands. Player A turns over A9 (not an illegitimate hand but still a tough call), player B has 23s and was obviously bluffing. The floor decides that player A wins the hand and tells his friend to move away from the table. Player B accepts the ruling but angrily walks out of the casino.

What do you think of the ruling ?

Chipr777 · #2 10-23-2007, 12:08 AM

Sounds to me like it was handeled correctly. You can't prove what the 3rd party told the player in the hand and the floor asked him to step back from the table. I can't see what else could be done.

Annorax · #3 10-23-2007, 12:13 AM

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Sounds to me like it was handeled correctly. You can't prove what the 3rd party told the player in the hand and the floor asked him to step back from the table. I can't see what else could be done.

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A's friend could be kicked out for the night. A could get KITN.

psandman · #4 10-23-2007, 12:27 AM

A's friend definatley has to go, an wouldn't be totally upset if A got asked to leave as well.

manub · #5 10-23-2007, 01:50 PM

That's it? I thought the "one player to a hand" rule would be enforced more severely. So there is no way it could affect the hand in question ?

bav · #6 10-23-2007, 01:52 PM

The guy playing the hand apparently did not ASK for the info, it was volunteered. What happens if his friend just shouts out loud from across the room "call him, I saw his cards, he's bluffing"? Heck... what happens if some spectator watching from the ropes during the WSOP does a "I saw Helmuth's cards...he has 32 offsuit!"

Obviously you throw the loudmouth person out. But has that person committed a crime? And the player who now has info he shouldn't... he didn't do anything wrong. Unless they conspired to do this, in which case they're both criminals, but that won't be so easy to prove. And given how clumsy these two were with this, they couldn't possibly have planned it.

psandman · #7 10-23-2007, 01:54 PM

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That's it? I thought the "one player to a hand" rule would be enforced more severely. So there is no way it could affect the hand in question ?

[/ QUOTE ]

More severe then getting kicked out? would you like him taken in the basement and beaten?

manub · #8 10-23-2007, 01:55 PM

I agree, but still the integrity of the hand seems threatened in this case.

About your WSOP example: i'm pretty sure if that happened during a tournament, not only the spectator would be kicked out but something would have to be done about the hand itself since its integrity was destroyed. Not sure though, hence my post.

manub · #9 10-23-2007, 01:57 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
That's it? I thought the "one player to a hand" rule would be enforced more severely. So there is no way it could affect the hand in question ?

[/ QUOTE ]

More severe then getting kicked out? would you like him taken in the basement and beaten?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, how about that? Isn't that how they do it in Vegas casinos? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

No seriously I meant about the hand itself. Someone gets kicked out for shady behaviour that could be cheating, but he still keeps the money? That doesn't sound right to me.

davidlong14 · #10 10-23-2007, 02:04 PM

"Friend" s/b 86ed... "A" s/b sternly reminded of one-player-to-a-hand by the dealer...