Calling the Game - Part I

As all good dealers know, quality dealing involves more than merely the efficient shuffling and pitching of cards. "Running the game" is a phrase one often hears from players, referring either to their appreciation of dealers who do it, or their dissatisfaction with those who do not. It's a phrase that covers a broad range of responsibilities: protecting everyone's rights at the table by enforcing the rules, paying careful attention to the action, keeping the game running smoothly in an orderly fashion – that's the short and general list.

One very significant aspect of running the game is calling the game. Dealers who articulate the action crisply and consistently do a tremendous service to their games, but when a dealer is "vocally lazy," it can have a negative impact on the proceedings. The following are some fundamental areas in which calling the game is vitally important to the players' interests:

1. Announcing raises. Generally speaking, players who raise from early position are not as concerned with pumping the pot as they are with protecting their hands; they hold the kind of cards that play well against one or two opponents, but not against a large field. By raising from early position, they seek to isolate themselves against one or two players by forcing the field behind them to cold-call two bets. They know it's much harder to call two bets at once than it is to call one at a time; after all, once committed to a first, a second call is virtually automatic – it's what's known as the "half-in rule." That being the case, raises that go unannounced by the dealer often result in the following pattern: A player who is unaware of the raise calls one bet, only to be informed belatedly that he needs to call two bets if he wishes to continue. Even though his one-bet call is not binding and he retains the right to take it back and reconsider his action (as long as no other action has yet developed behind him), the fact that his money is already out there somehow makes it feel like he's half-in – so he proceeds to "complete" a two-bet call that he never would have made had the raise been announced in the first place. And this fact is rarely lost on the preflop raiser, especially in those instances when he winds up second best to Mr. Half-In. It's important for dealers to realize, then, that neglecting to follow procedure by announcing raises can actually affect the action – and the outcome. It can also cause players who've been burned in the past to stiff these dealers in the future.

2. Announcing "kill pot" immediately before the preflop action begins. The failure to do this is something I see all the time, and it results in needless arguments at the table. Typically, it goes like this: The action begins without the players noticing that it's a kill pot. (Quick sidebar: Why do so many people place their kill blinds directly on top of the kill button? For the life of me, I'll never understand why anyone would think that the purpose of a button is to cover it up. If obscuring it from view were the purpose, why even have it?)

Anyway, the action begins and players proceed to call the regular-limit bet instead of the doubled limit. Then, after being informed that it's a kill pot, some of them want to take their bets back. Other players object that they have no right to do so. "But there's no action behind me, or at least no legitimate action, because what action did develop was likewise incomplete." Uh, wrong rule, comes the counterargument. That rule applies only to cases in which you're unaware of a raise, and there's been no raise here. "Oh, come on, it's the same thing, and you know it!" Uh, excuse me, but it most certainly is not the same thing. The relevant rule here is the one that states that a player who indicates action toward betting or calling will be forced to complete that action, and I'm getting sick and tired of people confusing these two rules. Besides, the dealer announced it was a kill pot; why don't you pay attention? "Well, yeah, sure, he announced it at the end of the last hand, but that was before the new setup came, and before the shuffle; heck, it was at least two minutes ago, give me a break, you're being unreasonable …" Floorman!

Such arguments are so easy to avoid, if dealers simply develop the habit of always announcing, just as they pitch the final couple of cards: "Kill pot, $20 to call (or whatever the adjusted limit is)." That sequence should become automatic and firmly ingrained in every dealer's routine. Again, it's the timing of the announcement that is so very crucial.

3. Calling the side pots. This applies most especially to tournaments. When a player goes all in, proper procedure dictates that the dealer vocalize the particulars of the side pot. (He may choose to announce either the amount going into the side pot or the amount going into the main pot, depending on how light the all-in player is, but in any case, he needs to announce something.) Moreover, it's important that it be announced immediately – before turning any more cards and before any further betting begins. Unfortunately, this is a procedure that's often ignored by veteran dealers who believe their experience and accuracy render such announcements unnecessary. One such dealer recently told me that he hadn't made a mistake in calculating a side pot in 20 years. That's fine, except for one thing: Even if it's true, it couldn't possibly be more irrelevant.

You see, accuracy isn't the only consideration here. Equally important is that the players be able to verify such accuracy. After all, dealer X may be infallible when it comes to side pots, but the players have all seen other dealers who aren't. (It should be noted that in many casinos, the daily and evening tournaments serve as the apprenticeship for new dealers. Under pressure, the side pots – especially those pesky multiple side pots – can be very confusing to them.) Having witnessed many mistakes over time, these players are understandably anxious that the side action be figured properly. Let's face it, they have a vested interest. So, if a dealer deals the next card and lets action begin, and only then begins constructing the side pot – and silently, at that – what does this mean for players who are watching the dealer to make sure he doesn't make a mistake? It means that their focus is divided at precisely the time when they should be free to watch the action. They're playing a tournament, for heaven's sake, and their full attention should be available for observing their opponents, for noting reactions to the latest card that just fell, for revising the odds and re-evaluating their own chances and strategy in the continuing evolution of the hand, and so on. In other words, they should be free to concentrate on playing poker – rather than being relegated to the role of (unpaid) dealer supervisor.

Calling the relevant action is important in all the games, but it's especially important in stud, more so than in any other form of poker – for reasons we'll focus on next time.