I'm doing well, thank you. How can I assist you with the game today?
The dealer calls you over and says "We forgot to move the button from the last hand. However, two players have acted on this hand with the button in the wrong spot. What do we do?"
The dealer says that he accidentally burned two cards on the river. As you arrive at the table there are four burn cars. One player has be all in, and the game has stopped because the dealer noticed the error after the bet. What do you do?
The dealer says that he accidentally burned two cards on the river. As you arrive at the table there are four burn cars. One player has be all in, and the game has stopped because the dealer noticed the error after the bet. What do you do?
This scenario involves a procedure error by the dealer but does not influence the outcome of the game directly since the identity of the cards is not affected. Given that a player is already all-in, and neither player can act upon seeing the river, there isn't a substantial reason to declare a misdeal.
The action would continue and the cards will play as per usual. After the round, a reminder should be given to the dealer to avoid such errors in the future.
The other player argues that since the actual river is know, it's the fourth burn card, that card should be flipped up as the river.
In this case, significant action hasn't occurred because no other player has made a bet or a call. Thus, in compliance with casino procedures, this would be considered a misdeal because the player is at the wrong table.
The player should be directed to move to the correct table without a penalty because they did not affect the game in any meaningful way. The current game should be restarted with a new deal. The posted big blind will be refunded and moved with him to the correct table.
As for the other player's argument about the fourth burn card, burn cards are indistinguishable from each other and are not considered as part of the regular deck during a round. Hence, the burn cards remain irrelevant to the game, and they cannot substitute in as a board card or a player's hole card.
I player spills his drink all over his cards. What do you do?
First, I would direct the dealer to pause the game. Then, I would instruct the player to step away from the table while the spill is cleaned up to ensure safety and prevent further disruption to the game. I would ask the casino's cleaning staff to handle the spill immediately.
Regarding the player's hand, if the dealer can still identify the cards clearly and they're distinguishable from the other cards despite the spill, the hand would continue as normal after the cleanup. We would provide the player with replacement cards from a new deck and continue the game. If the cards aren't distinguishable anymore, the hand would be declared dead and we would start a new hand once the cleanup is done.
If the cards from the entire deck have been compromised due to the spill, a new deck will be introduced to the game. The player might also be responsible for any damages that arise from the spill, depending on the casino's policy.
A player asks you to come over to the table. It's 3:15am. The player says that it's not fair that that house is still collecting $2 for the high hand of the hour, when the promotion only runs between 10am-3am. Why are you still collecting the money for the promotion, if we the players can't win it during those hours. Don't you think that's unfair?
As a floorperson, your duty is to ensure that the rules of the house are enforced and to address any concerns of the players while maintaining a congenial atmosphere.
Respond to the player by saying, "I appreciate your concern about the high hand of the hour promotion. The $2 we're collecting doesn't actually go directly towards that promotion. Those funds are part of the general rake that the house takes from each pot, which helps to cover operating costs like dealers' wages, utilities, and maintenance. The promotion is just one way we use some of those funds to give back to our players. I can see how our hours for the promotion can be confusing, and I apologize if this wasn't made clearer. I'll make sure to pass along your feedback to our management team, as we always strive to improve our service. Thank you for bringing this to my attention."
Ensure that you handle the situation delicately, as poker players are protective of their stakes. The aim here is to clarify the misunderstanding and reassure the player that the house is not overly profiting from the promotion.
It's the flop. The flop has come out, a bet and a call has taken place. Then a player notices that for some reason there are two burn cards instead of the expected one burn card. What do you do?
Since the action has been taken after the flop, it is deemed significant action (a bet and a call have already happened). There have been two acts that increase the size of the pot, which qualifies as significant action.
According to the rules, if significant action has occurred, the game continues onward regardless of any previous errors. The game can't really be corrected at this point, as it would disrupt the play and fairness of the game. Therefore, the hand should simply continue as it is. The error of having an additional burn card doesn't affect the fairness of the game.
In order to prevent such scenarios in the future, the dealer should be reminded of the correct procedure of burning cards, which is to burn one card before the flop, one before the turn and one before the River.
A player has made a "button straddle". However, no one noticed he did it, and the dealer had not announced the straddle. Three players have now called the single BB. What is the ruling?
First, I would verify with the dealer and player who straddled to confirm that a "button straddle" indeed occurred.
The definition of "significant action" states that two moves that increase the size of the pot must occur. In this case, three players have already called the big blind which is significant action.
Since significant action has occurred, the game must proceed as it is and the straddle is invalid. This is because according to the casino rules, once significant action has occurred, the game proceeds forward and we don't make up for mistakes from previous hands.
Remember, it's always the responsibility of the players and the dealers to ensure that they're aware of all wagers and actions on the table. Inform your dealer to be alert and announce any straddles in the future to avoid such confusion.
You're called over to the table. The dealer says that the player gesticulated with their hand, and the dealer interpreted this as a check. The dealer called "check" and the next player acted and also checked. Meanwhile, the first player said, "I didn't check!". What should happen?
As a floor-person, I would rule that the player did make a non-verbal gesture that was interpreted as a check. Even if the player did not intend it as such, it has affected the subsequent actions of players at the table. As the player didn't verbally declare any different intention before the next player acted, it would be too disruptive and unfair to other players to reverse the sequence of actions. So the check would stand, and play should continue from there. I would also remind the player to avoid ambiguities to please remember to make clear verbal declaration of their intentions in the future and be mindful of unintentional gestures that could be misconstrued.