Making the Correct Call at the 2006 WSOP Could You?
World Series of Poker Logo (TM Harrah’s Entertainment Inc.)
My gaming background spans over 40 years and ranges from shill to an owner; yet it was exciting and rewarding to work as a Supervisor at the 2006 World Series of Poker. Experiencing the WSOP as an employee was shocking and overwhelming. It was the largest single poker event in the history of the world. There are not too many gaming companies that are capable of handling an event of this magnitude and complexity for seven weeks. I came away from the Series very tired, but with a sense of pride in being a part of Harrah’s 2006 WSOP Team.
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with many, many talented gaming managers, but the overall management team of this years event was the best poker tournament management team on the planet. I certainly do not mean any disrespect to some of the other outstanding guys like Jack McClelland, Dave Lamb, or Matt Savage. I am talking about a team that had to operate for seven weeks under a very strict timetable, in a very stressful atmosphere. People like Jack Effel, Jimmy Summerfield, Dennis Jones, and Janice Sexton are the most talented, experienced and dedicated people that I have ever had the pleasure to work with.
I learned something from them every night that I was on the tournament floor, and wrote down every game ruling that I was asked to make during the play of the WSOP. I would like to share some of them with you.
Keep in mind, when you are called to the table by the dealer or the players your ruling could have an impact on the outcome of a particular player’s tournament finish, thereby costing him thousands of dollars.
I never lost sight of this responsibility and there were a few times that I asked for a second opinion from one of my supervisors. In fact, one night I moved Doyle Brunson from one table to another one to balance the tables. I was correct in moving Mr. Brunson because he was going to be the big blind at his present table on the next hand. I placed him in the proper seat at the new table but neglected to tell him to put in the big blind. Phil Hellmuth, very nicely and very politely, advised me that Mr. Brunson should put in the big blind. I called for a second opinion. Dennis Jones helped me make the correct decision, at least in part because I took the time to listen to Phil and to respect his vast experience and knowledge.
Many times when you are called to a table the players are already in a very heated argument. The dealer’s explanation can be confusing and incomplete, with important details missing. The table can be in an uproar, with everyone trying to tell you what happened. You try to listen to the dealer but get a very confusing set of facts, but you have to make the best decision you can based on the information you have at hand.
1. Seven-card stud: A card is exposed on the initial dealing round. WSOP ruling …
2. No-limit hold’em (NLH): Player 1 bet $700, Player 2 went all-in for $2,000. Player 6 thought it was only $700 to him. He said “I call,” and put in $700. The other players said his bet was not correct. WSOP ruling…
3. NLH: Player 3 bet. The action was to Player 6. Player 7, out of turn, said, “raise.” Player 6 wanted to know what his options were and what would be the consequences of his actions on Player 7 WSOP ruling…
4. NLH: The big blind was moved to balance a table. He was moved one seat to the left of the button. What did the player being moved need to post? WSOP ruling…
5. NLH: The big blind money is sitting in front of Player 1. Both Player 1 and Player 2 claim the money belongs to them. The dealer does not know who put up the money. Who gets the money? WSOP ruling…
6. NLH: The dealer pushed the side pot to the wrong player. The winning player claimed the pot after the next hand was being dealt. Does he get the money? WSOP ruling…
7. NLH: The dealer burned and dealt the flop before the action was completed. Player 3 wanted the flopped cards to remain as the flop. WSOP ruling…
8. NLH: The dealer burned and turned the turn card before the action was completed. WSOP ruling…
9. NLH: Time requested to be called on a player by another player. WSOP ruling…
10. NLH: The dealer exposed the last card being dealt to the button. A player at the table asked for a misdeal to be called. WSOP ruling…
11. NLH: The dealer was shuffling the cards when it was announced to increase the blinds and the antes. A player said the blinds and antes should be raised at that time. WSOP ruling…
12. NLH: Two players remaining in the pot. Player 1 bet and said to Player 2 that he had a pair. Player 2 folded his hand. The other Players complained of collusion. WSOP ruling…
13. NLH: A card dealt to Player 1 was seen by Player 8 as a red jack. Player 1 did not want to give up the card. WSOP ruling…
14. NLH: Part B of the previous situation. Player 1 threw both of his cards face up in the direction of the dealer. He did not say that he was folding. WSOP ruling…
15. NLH: Part C of the previous situation. Player 1 then used the F-Bomb. WSOP ruling…
16. NLH: Dealer dealt the second card for Player 2 into the cards of Player 1. The cards were completely mixed and Player 1 looked at all of the cards. WSOP ruling…
17. NLH: Player 1 put in a $1,000 chip to call a $500 bet without declaring a raise. Did he have a raise? WSOP ruling…
18. Limit Omaha/8: The button calls and the small blind says, “all-in.” The big blind immediately folded his hand. The small blind then said that he was only calling because in a limit game he could not go all in at that time. Is the big blind’s fold binding? WSOP ruling…
19. NLH: The wrong antes were placed in the pot by each player. After the next hand was started, the mistake was realized. The winning player wanted the additional money for the antes from each player. WSOP ruling…
20. NLH: A fouled deck was discovered as the hand was in progress. The deck had two fives of clubs. WSOP ruling…
ANSWERS
1. If either of a players first two cards are exposed in seven-card stud, it is a misdeal.
2. Every player must protect his or her own action. Once the player puts his chips into to the pot in turn, he is committed. The player may fold his hand and lose $700 or complete the call and put in the full $2,000.
3. Action out of turn may or may not be binding. If the action from Player 3 to Player 7 does not change, the called raise by Player 7 is binding. However, if the action preceding Player 7 is equal to or greater than his called action, he is not bound by his verbal, out of turn, called raise. If Player 6 does raise, Player 7 may fold, call, or raise.
4. The player should have been moved into the dead small blind position and taken the big blind. The button will remain in the same position twice, and the player that was moved would then take the small blind on the next hand, then thebutton in turn.
5. This is a judgment call. I asked the dealer and the players if they knew who put up the money? No one knew. I gave the money to the player that was in front of the money.
6. A player has no claim to a pot after the next hand is dealt. The player is responsible to say something before the start of the next hand.
7. The action before the flop is completed. The flopped cards are put back into the deck and reshuffled. The flop is again made without burning another card.
8. The remaining action is completed on the flop. A new card is burned and the river card is dealt. The incorrect turn card is moved to the side until the action is completed. When the action is complete, the incorrect card is reshuffled into the deck and a new final card is dealt. A burn card is not dealt.
9. Look at the tournament clock and let the player know that he has one minute to act on his hand, and at the end of that minute, he has 10 seconds to act. If he fails to act at the end of the 10 seconds, his hand is dead.
10. If one of a player’s down cards is exposedon the button, the cards will continue to be dealt in succession. The exposed card will be replaced by the first burn card. In a flop game, the button can receive two cards in succession.
11. If the dealer has already started to shuffle, riffled at least once, that hand will continue at that level. The next hand will be at the new blind and ante level.
12. The first time this occurs, a warning should be given to both players that if soft action continues, a penalty ranging from 10 minutes to disqualification will be imposed.
13. A card dealt to a player that is seen by another player must be replaced.
14. Part B. The exposed red jack is used as the burn card. The new card would be dealt up because the player’s other card is live and any live, exposed card turned up by a player forces them to turn all other cards up at that point. His hand would not be dead because you can not kill cards that are put on the board face up. The player could play the hand, but he would receive a 10 minute penalty for his unruly conduct.
15. Part C. He would receive a 10 minute penalty for using the F-Bomb. He would have a total of 20 minutes in penalty time.
16. If substantial action has not taken place, it is a misdeal. If substantial action has taken place, the hands of both players are declared dead and action continues.
17. An over sized chip is always a call unless otherwise stated by the player.
18. lt is the player’s responsibility to know the game they are playing and its rules. It was the player’s responsibility to wait until it was his turn to take action.. I would also caution the first player regarding verbal action and proper poker etiquette.
19. Action was taken on those antes and the next band has started. The player has no claim to money from the previous hand. The antes and blinds will be corrected in this hand.
20. ln a hand with a fouled deck, you reconstruct the pot and return the money to each player. It is a dead hand.
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