Well defined rules are an important part of any well-run poker room. Be it to prevent disputes, prevent cheating or simply to avoid any unnecessary confusion, it is vital to have a clear set of rules which are understood and implemented by the floor staff.
But should there also be a place for common sense? I suspect most players would say yes, and after a ridiculous incident at ANZPT Perth over the weekend it’s easy to see why. The hand in question saw well-known American professional Jim Collopy check down the river holding Q-Q on a 6-10-5-2-10 board and motion to reveal his cards, but as he went to do so they slipped out of his hands onto the table in front of him face down.
According to local rules at Crown Perth, this constitutes a muck, and much to Collopy’s disgust this was the rule which was enforced – despite the fact that every single player at the table agreed he had been intending to show his cards and they had simply slipped.
Jim Collopy was on the wrong end of a controversial ruling in Perth over the weekend
Unfortunately, there are literally hundreds of different rules in casinos around the world – some good, some truly horrendous – and it is no surprise that players get frustrated when they lose money courtesy of someone else’s horrible decision.
A quick search of the internet reveals some classic examples. Among the worst was a cash game hand played at the Rio in Las Vegas during the 2012 WSOP, where a player threw his cards into the muck on the river, then jokingly announced he was all-in. Although he had only put US$300 into the pot, the floor staff proceeded to insist that he was in-fact all-in and he was essentially forced to hand his remaining US$5,000 over to his opponent. This is despite the one universal rule of poker – once your cards hit the muck, they are dead.
Andras Koroknai benefited from an awful ruling at the 2012 WSOP to finish sixth and win US$1.6 million
There was also a bizarre ruling during the Main Event of the 2012 WSOP that many consider to be the worst decision of all-time. Deep into the tournament, Andras Koroknai and Gaelle Baumann were involved in a hand which saw Koroknai announce he was all-in, then immediately throw his cards into the muck before Baumann, who held K-K, could act. Incredibly, the tournament director ruled that Koroknai would only lose the 60,000 chips he had previously invested in the hand and he wasn’t eliminated from the tournament. All who witnessed the decision were stunned and to make matter worse, Koroknai later eliminated Baumann on the final table bubble!
While we understand that it can be easy for staff to get caught up in the moment, or to simply fall back on the letter of the law rather than take the time to consider, it beggars belief that common sense isn’t allowed to prevail in situations where the majority of the table agree. It would certainly earn praise from the wider playing community and prevent players who have invested thousands from seeing their cash unfairly whisked away in front of their eyes.
