The Worst Ruling Ever
There's a post on Paul Phillips' blog with this title. I also recall one of TJ's books ending on the rather odd note of him complaining under this title about some ruling that cost him $200 or something. Let me just tell you about the real worst ruling ever, and it doesn't involve me !
It was a comp in the Birmingham area, and I honestly can't remember whether it was the now-defunct Rainbow or in Walsall (perhaps someone could confirm). It was a two-day affair and as the remaining participants assembled on the second day, one of them wasn't there. He was caught in some football traffic, and had called the casino but they started without him. So he gets blinded off, right ?
Well yes. But. The ruling was that after being absent for the table for three hands, he would be blinded off every hand. And, this is the best bit, like the grains of rice on the chessboard, his blinds were doubled every hand ! Needless to say after about 5 hands all his chips were in the centre, and ended up in the grateful hands of Graham "The Wizard" Pound. Craig Grant told me he passed the nuts on this hand by the way.
And the reason for this ruling ? Apparently local players had been complaining about opponents amassing a large stack and then "gaining an advantage" by nipping off to the bar for a swift, or even a leisurely, beer.
Customer service is one thing but sometimes cardroom staff should, in my opinion, say "stop being so fucking stupid and play cards" instead of placating people with rules that haven't been thought through. If you can beat that ruling, do your worst below ! (Incidentally more kudos will be given if it didn't happen to you and you aren't just whingeing about it :-))
It was a comp in the Birmingham area, and I honestly can't remember whether it was the now-defunct Rainbow or in Walsall (perhaps someone could confirm). It was a two-day affair and as the remaining participants assembled on the second day, one of them wasn't there. He was caught in some football traffic, and had called the casino but they started without him. So he gets blinded off, right ?
Well yes. But. The ruling was that after being absent for the table for three hands, he would be blinded off every hand. And, this is the best bit, like the grains of rice on the chessboard, his blinds were doubled every hand ! Needless to say after about 5 hands all his chips were in the centre, and ended up in the grateful hands of Graham "The Wizard" Pound. Craig Grant told me he passed the nuts on this hand by the way.
And the reason for this ruling ? Apparently local players had been complaining about opponents amassing a large stack and then "gaining an advantage" by nipping off to the bar for a swift, or even a leisurely, beer.
Customer service is one thing but sometimes cardroom staff should, in my opinion, say "stop being so fucking stupid and play cards" instead of placating people with rules that haven't been thought through. If you can beat that ruling, do your worst below ! (Incidentally more kudos will be given if it didn't happen to you and you aren't just whingeing about it :-))
11 Comments:
I'm sure you may have heard this one before, but a ruling that Jac Arama encountered in Russia always amuses me. Jac was sat in a cash game and flopped the nut flush with AK of hearts. After getting all of his money in on the blankey turn, he watched a monster side pot develop between two Russian gangsters. The river (another heart) made no difference, and it was a showdown - top set (JJ) for one guy... and AQ of hearts for the other! Now, instead of doing what any sane person would do and refund everyone, the manager ruled that both Aces were dead, but Jac's king won the main pot, while the queen won the huge side pot! I'm surprised there weren't murders.
(P.S. I know this story sounds apochryphal, but I've heard it straight from the horse's mouth so don't blame me.)
I have posted this on Phillips' blog so will cut and paste it here as I'm too lazy to rewrite it:
At the EPT in Deauville they had a rule which went something like this:
If you have a handful of chips and take them across the line and drop a couple onto the table to bet/call whatever, all the chips in your hand go as a bet.
But, and here's the killer, the only people round the table who can enforce this rule are the people who are currently in the pot! (Definitely not the dealer)
So, you've got the nut flush and bet 200. Joe Bloggs picks up his entire stack and drop 2x100 chips into the pot. You call for a ruling and he is forced to put the rest of his stack in the pot. Yet, if you haven't got the nuts, you don't call for a ruling.
Surely this is the worst rule ever?
Wait a sec...
1) "Whisper in my ear what cards you mucked..."
2) "Paul thinks Sir Clive had the straight..."
Let's not leave the Master out of this discussion.
Neil being knocked out of an event in Russel Square for at least two hands,then Roy enforcing what I now call the 'Did he tut' rule and consequently bringing our hero Neil back to life...I've told that before haven't I?
House rule in Newcastle casino's is the quite brilliant...If you act out of turn...your bet doesn't go and you can no longer lead the betting for the duration of the hand (you can call, of course)...So...if you're ever on a draw and want two fee cards....
David Lloyd
Neil being knocked out of an event in Russel Square for at least two hands,then Roy enforcing what I now call the 'Did he tut' rule and consequently bringing our hero Neil back to life...I've told that before haven't I?
House rule in Newcastle casino's is the quite brilliant...If you act out of turn...your bet doesn't go and you can no longer lead the betting for the duration of the hand (you can call, of course)...So...if you're ever on a draw and want two fee cards....
David Lloyd
I'm sure it's not the first time Jac's had to do some quick talking to avoid local reprisals - and nor will it be the last.
And Fred, the second of yours doesn't count according to my "no whingeing just because it was you" criterion.
Andy.
'Neil being knocked out of an event in Russel Square for at least two hands,then Roy enforcing what I now call the 'Did he tut' rule and consequently bringing our hero Neil back to life...I've told that before haven't I?'
Maybe you ought to again, cause I can't make head nor tail of it.
It's a moody to tut when you flop the nuts...to do it three times will get even the gentle Channing up on his toes...
Basically Roy reviewed a prior decision and reversed it by using 'Did he tut...did he really tut?' as a get out.
you likely had to be there...
What I've never understood about this (and similar) problems is this : why doesn't everyone just let the guy "tut" and all fold when he does it ?
Andy.
and what if was a semi tut?
Too poxy a place to have a 2 day event but that blinding off rule is also used in West Brom. A mate of mine ran a bit late after I'd signed him in by claiming he was "in the bar". Unfortunately after 10 mins the locals had gleefully got all his chips in and he wasn't even allowed to rebuy when he surfaced a hand or two later. Only a tenner comp but it was the principle really.
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