Weird and Wonderful - Part 2

A little while back when the Russell Squarepoker room in London was open, Roy Houghton was the card room manager. Roy has had some excellent ideas, one of them being the double-chance no-limit freeze out and another being the Grand Prix, where you can qualify for the final only by playing in one of the satellites that are held all over the country; so, for an entry fee of £100, you could be playing for a piece of £60,000.



What a terrific value, I thought, so I had a go at a couple of these satellites before I won a place in the final.



There were about 60 of us battling for what, at the time, was a huge pot. I was sitting at a table minding my own business when the dealer accidentally mucked the cards from the man on his left. The innocent victim screamed for a ruling, but I couldn't see the point myself. His cards were truly buried, and even if they weren't, once cards have touched other cards, the hand is dead, isn't it? Well, not in Russell Square.



Roy listened to what had happened and then asked the player to whisper to him what his cards were and then promptly searched the discard pile for the missing hand. I nearly fell off my chair. Roy explained that he was trying to protect novices, and although I know that he was working hard to encourage new punters, I still think it was out of order.



We were in Vienna and Tom Gibson (my better half) was playing seven-card stud when he ran afoul of an unusual local rule. All the betting was complete when his opponent announced one pair of aces. Tom, who had one pair but was drawing to a flush, which he missed, said, "You win." At this point, he gathered together his exposed cards and then realised that he had made two pair, to claim the pot. But, alas, when in Vienna, do not pick up any cards or your hand is dead!



Somewhere there is logic behind this rule, but I haven't yet worked it out. Equally, there must be some sense behind the next rule, but I have to admit that as of yet, it eludes me.



I was playing in a cash game in Stockton-on-Tees a while ago. The game was shorthanded, with about six players doing battle in a good-natured affair.



As often happens after drinking numerous cups of tea, I felt the call of nature, so I left my chips on the table and went to the bathroom. Upon my return, the dealer kindly informed me that he had blinded me off in my absence. "What do you mean?" I asked, somewhat perplexed. "Blinds are unavoidable whether you're present or not. As long as your cash is on the table, you are liable," he explained. I was stunned. I have never encountered a situation like that in cash games anywhere in the world. Obviously, it makes sense to have to post what blinds you've missed in order to get back in the game, but to post "in absentia" has got to be the most asinine of rules, especially in a shorthanded game.



After reading last month's column, a couple of high profile players recounted their sad tales from Tunica.



Last year, Tom Ryan, one of Paris' resident Paddies and no stranger to Tunica's big cash action, was involved in the following hand. The game was pot-limit Omaha and he had about $20,000 in front of him. His opponent, an Eastern European, had a similar amount. In Tunica, once a pot becomes heads up, it can become no-limit, with the option resting with the caller at each betting opportunity. Tom's opponent wanted to go all in on the flop, and Tom, who had a wrap, now had the option of calling the all-in bet or making it a pot-size bet. He chose the latter. The turn was a rag, and once again the Eastern European made an all-in bet, and once again Tom decided that discretion was the better part of valour and decided on the cheaper option. The river gave Tom the nuts and his opponent announced "all in" again. Needless to say, Tom was now delighted to call the all-in bet.



At this juncture, the player screamed for the floorman to give a ruling. The floorperson arrived, heard what had happened, and decided that because the Eastern European was new to Tunica, he would have to pay only the pot bet, at a cost of $8,000, to Tom.



How can a player make three all-in bets, have two of them reduced, and when the final one is accepted, plead ignorance and get away with it?



This year, Dave "Devilfish" Ulliot was equally nonplussed with the following ruling. He was involved in a big pot-limit Omaha game and wanted to raise preflop, so he tossed a $1,000 chip into the middle, saying, "Make it a thousand."



What Dave had not realised was that someone had already beaten him to it and had made it $1,500 to play. Unfortunately, the original raiser had his hands out in front of him so that they covered his chips. Devilfish, sitting at the opposite end of the table, couldn't see what had happened. He was not particularly concerned and proceeded to reraise, but was not allowed to do so, so he tried to make it up to the $1,500, but no luck there, either.



A ruling was sought, and the floorman duly came over. The first raiser wanted the $1,000 to remain in the pot and Ulliot's hand killed, to boot. Several players complained that no one could see the raise, but to no avail; Dave lost both his money and his cards. That's a bit harsh, I think.



Why can't cardroom managers announce their peculiar local rules when they are hosting festivals that attract outsiders? It can be so expensive and annoying to run afoul of them, and if you're like me, you're inclined never to play there again. Who needs the aggravation?



Lucy "Golden Ovaries" Rokach has long been one of the most successful tournament players in Europe, with 14 major European titles to her name in the last five years alone. She hails from the Midlands in the UK, but can usually be found on the European tournament trail.