An Interesting Ruling and a New Year's Win

Kevin, a faithful reader, e-mailed me with a question about an unusual situation that came up in a game he was playing at a private club. What made the scenario especially interesting was that one of the players in the pot made the ruling – and he also was the person running the game. In a $1-$2 blinds no-limit hold'em game at a full table, six players took the flop for $2 each. The flop came A 9 3. Everyone checked to the button, who was someone who bluffed too often (but not this time, as it turned out). Sure enough, the button fired out a $20 bet. The small blind folded, the big blind raised to $60, and the next player to act went all in for $200. Then, the next two players folded to the button, who called all in for his last $150.



Now comes the unusual part: Since the big blind was the only player left to act and both of his opponents were all in, he turned over his cards to get a read on the other players. He thought for a minute or two and then said, "One of you must have a set," but he still did not act on his hand. The button responded that he would help the big blind make up his mind, and then turned over two nines for a set. The third player in the pot got very upset, demanded his money back from the pot, and revealed that he had A-K.



Since the big blind was running the game as well as playing in it, he thought it over for a while and then decided to return the other two players' raises. He pushed his $60 bet into the pot, and split the rest between the other two players. Both players seemed happy with the decision, but was it the correct one? Kevin questioned this ruling because he thought the player with the A-K was not hurt when the player with the set of nines turned his hand over. His chances of winning the pot were actually increased, because the big blind then folded. Therefore, Kevin reasoned, the remainder of the hand should be dealt out and the best hand should take down the pot.



It is obvious that the big blind should not have exposed his cards to begin with. I have no clue as to why the pocket nines showed his powerful hand, either. If this had happened in a casino cash game, the hand most likely would have been played out, exposed or not, with the best hand winning the entire pot. In a casino, I agree that the hand should be played out, but in the club – as long as both players were happy with the ruling – I would not be such a stickler for the letter of the law. Of course, nobody who is in a pot should be in a position to make a ruling in the first place. Oh well, this is the type of situation that makes poker fun – and creates more than one justifiable opinion.



I got 2006 off to a good start with a tournament win at the second-annual New Year's Eve party and tournament hosted by Mike and Anne Spinetti in their beautiful Las Vegas home. At 8:15 p.m., the cards were in the air as 53 of us posted our $25 buy-in to play a no-limit hold'em tournament. Last year I busted out early when my pocket kings got cracked. This year I was determined to do better. About halfway through the event, I got short-stacked when I lost with bottom set against middle set. Since my friend Ron McMillan was at another table ribbing me about outlasting me, I decided to prove him wrong. I hung tough and made the final table, where I met up with Ron, as well as my old friend Milt Meyers and a student of mine, Doug MacQuown. As luck or fate would have it, we were the last four standing. With several breaks, including a midnight countdown on the roof, where we watched fireworks from the Las Vegas Strip, the tournament lasted into the new year.



I suffered a bad beat and became the short stack when I lost to a two-outer on the river, but I made a remarkable series of all-in wins and became the chip leader after Doug went out. I thought I was going to get heads up with Ron, but Milt took a K-7 and beat Ron's pocket eights, and I outlasted my longtime friend when he went broke shortly thereafter. Along with Mike Sexton's Christmas bash, the Spinettis' celebration is one of my favorite parties each year. If you can get on either invitation list next year, maybe we'll meet in the winner's circle – and certainly will have a blast.

Tom McEvoy is conducting a poker seminar at Hollywood Park Casino on April 2. Call (888) 293-2186 for information. McEvoy is a representative of PokerStars.com and the voice of ProPlay, an innovative way to learn winning poker strategy. You can find out more at www.ProPlayLive.com/TomMcEvoy.