The Scenario

There are two players involved in a pot. After the flop Player A, who is first to act, decides to have a stab at it and makes a bet. Player B stares him down and then asks for a chip count. While Player A is counting his chips, Player B mucks his cards but cups his hands to make it look like he still has cards. He then states that he is all-in. Player B has no cards but neither Player A nor the dealer notice this, and he mucks his cards without spotting the scam. The dealer pushes the chips towards Player B, but an observant bystander points out what occurred. Who should win this pot? And what is the ruling for this type of behavior?

Kelli’s Ruling

There is a famous hand that T.J. Cloutier calls his “mystery hand” where he was heads up against an opponent for a large pot when suddenly the dealer mucked T.J.’s cards on accident. His opponent did not notice, so T.J., with his great poker face, kept right on betting and his opponent eventually folded the hand. The dealer awarded T.J a large pot without cards. This makes for a great story, but the reality is a player should not be awarded a pot without an active hand. The dealer would likely have awarded the opponent the pot had he not felt guilty about his first mistake. Protect your hand at all times, even from dealers.

Related posts:

1. Ruling! #1 – Is a Mucked Hand a Dead Hand?
2. Ruling! #2 – I Guess You Got Me
3. Ruling! #11 – Verbally Binding

The Scenario

A player falls asleep at the table due to his medication and is unable to be awoken. He is in the big blind and there has been no raise pre-flop. What should happen?

Kelli’s Ruling

Wow, that must be some heavy medication! In this scenario the player would be treated the same as a player who walks away from the table after the cards are dealt. Once he does not respond, the dealer should muck his cards and deal the community cards. If the player continues to be unresponsive the floorperson can rule that the player be treated as an absent player, meaning don’t even deal the cards to the player. Most dealers however will typically just keep dealing and mucking the cards in case the sleeper finally wakes up.

Related posts:

1. Ruling! #11 – Verbally Binding
2. Ruling! #7 – Two Burn Cards Before the Flop
3. Ruling! #8 – An Abandoned Pot

The Scenario

During a hand Player A announces “all-in” and moves his stack forward. Player B then repeats this and says “all-in” in a quiet puzzled tone as he considers why he’s done it. Player A then demands that it should stand and Player B be held to account for saying “all-in” – even though it seemed he was merely repeating what player A said. What is the ruling and at what point does such a statement become loud enough to be taken as binding?

Kelli’s Ruling

In poker, verbal is binding, so you should always be careful of what you say, especially when it comes to words like, “Call, Raise, and All-In.” It would be difficult to ask the dealer to take tone inflection into consideration – if the dealer hears all-in, regardless of how it is said it can be considered a verbally binding statement. Had the player said something like, “You’re all-in?” that would be different, but saying just “all-in” and repeating the words “all-in” can sound exactly the same. Now, If it was said so quiet that the dealer can’t even confirm he heard it then, no, it is not a verbally binding statement. The bottom line is say what you mean and mean what you say – don’t rely on the rest of the table to interpret your meaning.

Related posts:

1. Ruling! #6 – I See You… are Very Strong
2. Ruling! #4 – Showing for a Reaction
3. Ruling! #13 – The Mucked / All-in Scam

In order to host a perfect poker game you will need to invest in a good poker table. The kitchen table was great when you were practicing with the family, but now that you have regular guests coming to play poker it’s time to upgrade the accommodations. In order to select the right poker table for your game, there are several factors to take into consideration.

How Often is the Game?

If the game is once a month, you can get away with purchasing an inexpensive table topper or a table that collapses and is easily stored. However, if you are running a regular poker game more than one night a week you will likely want to invest in a quality poker table that can remain in a stationary place.

Number of Players

How many players frequent your poker game? Ten or less, and one table will suffice; however, if you expect 18 or more players you will obviously need to purchase an additional table. If you are planning on running multi-table tournaments you will need several tables and cost will be a big factor in your decision making.

Most tournaments are followed up with a live-action game. In this situation it is common to purchase one expensive, quality poker table for the live game and several inexpensive table toppers for the duration of the tournament.

Types of Poker Tables

There are several poker table options on the market today.

Roll Up Poker Table Toppers

These table toppers are typically blue with a rubber backing that sticks securely to any surface. The toppers are usually sized at 70’’x 35’’ and are conveniently water resistant. They can be placed on any oblong table and easily rolled up and stored when not in use. The toppers do have a tendency to curl up around the edges and not lay perfectly flat. They can be purchased online for approximately $45.

Folding Poker Table Toppers

These mass produced poker table toppers can be purchased at almost any chain store for less than $50. They typically come shaped like an octagon when opened up and sized at 48’’ they can fit 8 people. These toppers have a green felt in the middle and are plastic around the edges. Most include chip and/or drink holders for the players and come with a handy carrying case for easy storage. You can also order oval models that include a padded rail for a little higher price of around $90.

Collapsible Poker Table

These poker tables are used without the support of another table and can be set up as a self-standing poker table in any location. They are a bit smaller than a professional poker table, but you can fit 10 players at one table if you are passing the deal. If you are using a house dealer, you will likely prefer the table with only 9 player spots and a middle position for the dealer. With the padded armrests and a slightly padded felt top, these poker tables feel almost like a “real” poker table and can be purchased online ranging from $200 to $500.

Professional Poker Table

Professional poker tables are much more expensive than any of the above listed options. The quality is far superior and most will last a lifetime. The felt will wear over time, but can be replaced. These poker tables are usually sized at approximately 96’’x 48’’ and fit ten players and one dealer comfortably. The tables are set lower to the ground and are very sturdy. Many online sites will allow you to customize the look of the table to meet your specific needs. A basic table without add-on’s ranges in price from $2,000 to $6,000. The following options will add to the price: mahogany wood, a dealer tray, drink holders, a tip tray or rake slot.

Premium Professional Poker Table with Extra’s

If you really want to impress your poker friends or take your home game to the next level, consider investing in a table with a built in automatic card shuffler, lights around the rim or at each player spot, or lipstick camera’s. For a price of approximately $10,000 you can order the complete works and have a table ready for a televised tournament. Of course you can shop around for a good deal, but these tables come with a hefty price tag. But if you’ve got the cash and love poker, then why not!

Custom Poker Table Toppers

If you decide to splurge on a professional poker table, but hate that the table takes up wasted space, you can purchase a customized dining top. This custom topper will completely cover the poker table allowing you to use the table for other purposes without the risk of harming the felt. Many home games use the kitchen or dining room table, but with this your kitchen table can quite literally be your poker table. How cool is that?

Poker Table Felt

The main surface of a poker table is not actually covered in true felt, though that is what most people call it. Felt would not be a smooth surface to deal on, in fact, the material would damage easily and small little balls of lint would quickly cover the surface. There is a similar type material called velveteen found on lower end tables. The material predominately used is a speed cloth that is made mostly of polyester and olefin, though you can also find a nylon velvet speed cloth or crushed velvet. Both types of velvet cloth are very soft and a little cheaper, but the cards really do not slide as easily as on the patterned polyester speed cloth (seen in the picture). There is also a non-patterned speed cloth that is solid and smooth for those players who do not prefer the feel of the patterned cloth. The most common complaint of the solid speed cloth is the surface is so smooth that the cards sometimes fly off the table when dealt.

You can purchase speed cloth by the yard in an array of colors, but green is by far the most popular selection. The price is less than $20 per yard or you can purchase a full pre-sized piece to match the size of your table for about $40 – $60. If you are unable to decide which color or material to use for your table, order a sample packet, which is offered by most companies for less that $5 and includes a small swatch of each fabric.

Custom cloth is a unique way to advertise or decorate the face of your poker table. Any name, logo or picture can be printed directly onto the felt, but it comes at a charge ranging between $250 to $500. Pre-designed options such as a sports team or playing cards are a little less expensive. Complicated or multi-colored designs or large photos will be much higher in price.

Extra’s

There are a lot of factors to consider when ordering a poker table for your regular poker game. Once you select a poker table, you will want to find chairs that fit around your table and are comfortable for your guests. Some poker tables will offer matching chairs. In addition, small drink tables, like the one to the left, will not only make your players feel special, they will also protect against spills on your brand new table. These table can be purchased online for around $100 each, but you really only need to have a few on hand since players can share the tables. Table covers can be purchased for less than $50 and are a good investment for protecting your poker table from dirt and dust.

Related posts:

1. Buying the Perfect Poker Chips
2. Buying the Perfect Playing Cards
3. The Slow Guy at the Poker Table

Poker chips, also known as tokens or checks, are commonly used in lieu of cash in even the lowest stakes home games. These small, easy-to-handle discs make the game flow at a faster rate. Most cardrooms no longer allow cash on the table except in higher stakes games where players are permitted to keep $100 bills alongside their chips.

Custom chips are a worthy expense that will not only reduce the liability of someone counterfeiting, or ‘running chips into the game,’ but will also improve the overall quality of any homegame. There are several factors to consider when purchasing a set of poker chips.

Quantity of Poker Chips

Poker chips can be purchased in sets (100 up to 1000 are common) or per chip. Regardless of whether you buy a set or individual chips, you will need a general idea of how many chips to order. You want enough chips to cover the number of players. If you are running tournaments, you will want to order what is equivalent to one chip stack per player up to the maximum players permitted, plus a few extra replacement stacks.

Here is a sample calculation:

Maximum 30 player tournament order at least 33 stacks of chips. If that equates to 20 chips in various denominations per player, then 33 x 20 = 660 chips, so you know you want to go with no less than a 700 chip set. Keep in mind, rebuy/add-on tournaments will require additional stacks or some higher denomination chips that can be “colored up”.

When calculating how many chips to buy for a live action poker game, you will need to overestimate a bit. You never know if your game will suddenly escalate to higher stakes one night. You do not want to run the risk of running out of chips, so it is better to overestimate the number of chips you will need for your poker game. Ordering will be based on the stakes of the game and the number of poker players expected. On average you should have at least 100 chips per player, with the majority of your poker chips comprised of the two lowest denominations. I recommend purchasing at least 20 high denomination chips to ensure you do not run out during a heated poker game.

Type of Poker Chips

There are four common types of chips: plastic, composite, ceramic, and clay chips.

Plastic Poker Chips

There are really two types of common plastic poker chips available. The cheapest is the set commonly found in a round carrier. If you are playing friendly ‘kitchen table’ poker, these plastic chips, which can be purchased in any major chainstore will suffice. The second is Diamond chips that are made of plastic, but standard casino size and are a bit heavier than the cheaper plastic chips. These chips are solid in color and perfect for friendly poker games.

Composite Poker Chips

This is the most common poker chip purchased and used in regular homegames. They can also be found in chain stores and often come with a dealer button, deck of cards and a cut card. These chips are often adorned with dice, diamonds, or card suits on the edges of the chips. They are colored to match industry standards. They typically weigh 11.5 grams due to a metal insert. These chips work fine for a small stakes poker game or tournament where the risk of someone ‘running in chips’ is minimal. The most common complaint about these chips is they are slippery.

Customized composite chips with the metal insert are a common option for serious homegames. These are by far the most popular chips ordered on the internet. There are thousands of design options available for these chips. The designs can be put on label stickers, hot stamped, or engraved into the chip. The most popular weight is 11.5 grams. There is also a softer variation of this chip that does not have a metal insert for those players who do not like the ring of a metal inserted chip.

Ceramic Poker Chips

These chips have a smooth porcelain feel to them and are used in many casinos. The biggest benefit to these chips is they can be graphically designed with detail you cannot reproduce on other types of chips. They are also highly durable and will stand the test of time. There is a higher cost for these beautifully decorated poker chips, but they’ll look great in any serious home game – so if you can afford them then it’s probably worth the extra cost.

Clay Poker Chips

Clay chips, used mostly in casinos, are the most expensive type of chips available and generally are regarded as the best quality chips. These chips are made using a compression molding process where unique designs can be molded right into the chip. Clay chips are easiest to handle, stack, and do chip tricks with, making the $1+ per chip price tag seem worthy. Contrary to the popular belief that the heaviest chips are the best quality, clay casino chips usually weigh between 8 and 9 grams.

Color of the Poker Chips

Try to maintain the industry standard when selecting the color of your chips. This helps reduce confusion among players who are used to betting five dollars when they toss a red chip into the pot and one hundred dollars when they bet a black chip. You will need about four different colored chips to play in a standard poker game and the two lowest valued chips will compromise the largest percentage of your set.

• $1 White Chip
• $5 Red Chip
• $10 Blue Chip
• $25 Green Chip
• $100 Black Chip
• $500 Purple Chip
• $1000 Orange Chip

After selecting the dominant color of each chip, you will also have the option of selecting a secondary or tertiary accent color, which is usually around the edge of the chip. Each additional color adds to the price of the chip. Be sure to select accent colors that completely differ from the accent colors on the other chip denominations. Chip denominations can get easily mixed when stacking them if the accent colors are too similar.

Weight of the Poker Chips

If you decide against expensive clay chips, the weight of all other poker chips is one of the most important factors to consider. Lightweight chips are typically cheaper, but heavier chips are more durable. If you plan on hosting frequent poker games, you will be better off in the long run investing money in chips that will not need to be constantly replaced. In addition, players prefer to play with heavier chips which are easier to maneuver and riffle.

Common Poker Chip Weights:

• 7.5 grams
• 8.5 grams
• 9.0 grams
• 11.5 grams
• 13.0 grams
• 13.5 grams
• 14 grams

Poker Chip Design

Standard Designs

Chip manufacturers offer numerous designs that can be printed on the face of any poker chip. You can buy them pre-designed or for a higher price you can provide a picture or graphic artwork for customization.

Stickers

You can purchase round stickers in almost any design to place on the poker chips you choose. You can even buy blank chip stickers and customize them yourself on your own computer. If you go this route, consider buying chips with a recessed center so the stickers are easier to place and harder for players to damage.

Chip stickers make it easy to replace a chip that has been battered on the face, but keep in mind they are just stickers, so they will be easier to batter in the first place. If you decide on using stickers to mark your chips, be sure to stick to the common color denominations rather than one chip color with different labels. Otherwise, someone could sneak chips out and replace the stickers with higher denominations and sneak them back later and scam you out of money.

Gold or Silver Foil Stamping

Chips can be hot stamped with gold or silver lettering, usually only on chips with a solid colored center. It is common to use initials or dollar denominations. Keep in mind if you choose to have the dollar value stamped on the face, you lose the flexibility to change the value of the chips. Also, be aware that the gold & silver sometimes flakes off the chip with wear, especially with low quality manufacturing.

Engraved Poker Chips

Engraving your chips will make it less likely for someone to sneak chips into your game or counterfeit your chips. Manufacturers will allow you to engrave anything you want on the chips for a set price per chip. It is common to have your name, initials or place of business engraved on the face of the chip. You have to pay double if you want both sides engraved. If you really want a customized chip that will make counterfeiting difficult, scan your signature and have it engraved on the chips.

There are a lot of factors to consider when ordering a poker chip set. If after reviewing the above information you still cannot decide on what fits your needs, order a sample set. Most reputable chip suppliers now offer a sample of one of each type of chip they offer for a price of less than $10.00. Clay chip samples run closer to $20 per sample set. This will give you a chance to feel each chip and closely inspect the design work on each style so that you will find the perfect set for your game.

Related posts:

1. Buying the Perfect Playing Cards
2. Buying the Perfect Poker Table
3. Ruling! #5 – Where Are My chips?

The Scenario

In a cash game a player talked on his phone throughout the night. He would whisper into the phone and pause when he played. I was sitting to his immediate left and during the middle of a big hand while there was noise at our table I heard him tell his buddy, “Hmm, this guy under the gun just raised me $150 and I got Queen’s…uh huh” He paused for a few seconds and then re-raised. The other player folded and the guy whispered into his phone, “You were right.” No one else at the table heard, but this guy just got advice on how to play the hand from his friend. What should have been done?

Kelli’s Ruling

Well, to be honest, this is an etiquette issue more than anything. First, it is poor etiquette to remain on the phone throughout a game no matter what. I hate that cardrooms allow this. Second, it was your responsibility to point out that the player was violating rules by asking advice on a hand. The best way to handle it is to simply tell the dealer, “I think this guy on the phone is taking advice from his friend, can he be asked to get off the phone?” The guy will likely deny it and probably get mad, but he certainly wouldn’t risk getting caught again. As for the hand he won, the most the floor would do based on hearsay is warn the player. From that point on though, I promise all the other players would be listening closely in case he was stupid enough to try it again.

Kelli Mix is a poker player and author of the ‘Game Day Poker Almanac – Official Rules of Poker’. Kelli is from Georgia, and is the state director for the Poker Players Alliance.

Related posts:

1. Ruling! #2 – I Guess You Got Me
2. Ruling! #4 – Showing for a Reaction
3. Ruling! #5 – Where Are My chips?

The Scenario

In a poker tournament where the blinds just went up from 500/1,000 to 1,000/2,000, Player A placed $1,000 into the pot, Player B quickly said, “Call,” and also placed $1,000 into the pot. Player C raised to $3,000 and Player D calls. Suddenly, Player E says, “The blinds went up, the pot is completely wrong.” What happens?

Kelli’s Ruling

This is a real mess that the dealer should have caught, but it’s not uncommon for the players and dealers to not notice a raise in the blinds. There is a rule in Robert’s Rules of poker section 3.5 that reads:

“All wagers and calls of an improperly low amount must be brought up to proper size if the error is discovered before the betting round has been completed.”

So, since the betting round is not complete, Players A & B should have to put in the proper call of $2,000, Player C must make the raise $4,000, Player D call the $4,000 and then Players A & B can either call or fold to the additional raise amount when it comes to them.

Now, with that said, there is an argument to the fact that when 3 or more players act, there is what’s considered “substantial action,” that would cause some tournament directors to allow the wagers to stand. In addition, when that many players are wrong about the blind amounts, it is likely that a proper announcement was not made. But, if you want to “go by the book,” and don’t mind the anger of several players, adhere to the method above.

Kelli Mix is a poker player and author of the ‘Game Day Poker Almanac – Official Rules of Poker’. Kelli is from Georgia, and is the state director for the Poker Players Alliance.

Related posts:

1. Ruling! #6 – I See You… are Very Strong
2. Ruling! #5 – Where Are My chips?
3. Ruling! #7 – Two Burn Cards Before the Flop

The Scenario

While playing in a poker tournament, three players were all-in. Player A held 56, Player B held JJ, and Player C held AK. The flop came AKJ, at which point Player A said, “I can’t win,” and left the tournament table. The turn and river came 29 and Player A had the winning hand after all. Who should get the pot?

Kelli’s Ruling

This is considered an abandoned pot, but since cards speak, Player A does still win the pot. You should not award the pot to a losing hand. The chips should be pushed to his vacant seat and blinded off in the same fashion as if the player left unexpectedly for an emergency. If Player A returns, he can actually continue playing his stack. If this situation occurred in a live action game, the floorperson should rack and remove the chips from the table and follow the state’s gaming commission rules for abandoned winnings.

Kelli Mix is a poker player and author of the ‘Game Day Poker Almanac – Official Rules of Poker’. Kelli is from Georgia, and is the state director for the Poker Players Alliance.

Related posts:

1. Ruling! #2 – I Guess You Got Me
2. Ruling! #5 – Where Are My chips?
3. Ruling! #4 – Showing for a Reaction

The Scenario

During the deal a card is exposed and is swapped for the top card, and the exposed card becomes the first burn card. The hand continues, and after the flop, turn and river, where betting action occurred, one player realizes that there were two burn cards before the flop and not one. The dealer had placed the first burn card (original exposed card) face down on the table and burned another card on top, before doing the flop. This changed the sequence of the cards. One of the players complains and says “this hand should be dead”. What is the ruling?

Kelli’s Ruling

The board cards stand in this situation since action has occurred. Here is the passage from Robert’s Rules of Poker section 5.6 that addresses this exact situation:

“If the dealer fails to burn a card or burns more than one card, the error should be corrected if discovered before betting action has started for that round. Once action has been taken on a board card by any player, the card must stand. Whether the error is able to be corrected or not, subsequent cards dealt should be those that would have come if no error had occurred.”

Kelli Mix is a poker player and author of the ‘Game Day Poker Almanac – Official Rules of Poker’. Kelli is from Georgia, and is the state director for the Poker Players Alliance.

Related posts:

1. Ruling! #3 – Three Hole Cards
2. Ruling! #9 – The Blinds Went Up
3. Ruling! #4 – Showing for a Reaction

The Scenario

Two players are involved in a hand. After the river player A makes a large bet, and player B says “I see you,” but before he places his chips in the middle, player A quickly turns over his hand showing the nuts. Player B carries on “are very strong, and I fold,” and claims that he was never intending to call, and that he merely said “I see you are very strong”. What is the ruling?

Kelli’s Ruling

Most games use the terminology bet, call, fold, or raise. “See”, is an outdated term that is rarely used, so I would not assume the player intended to call the bet if he were quickly interrupted by the player flipping up his hand. With that said, IF it DOES happen to be a game where the term, “See”, is commonly used and the player was so slow in speaking that it came out, “I see…you are very strong,” then it’s considered possible trickery and I would rule it a verbal call and the player must pay up. The same would hold true if a player faced with a bet said, “I call…this a very tough decision,” Verbal is binding, so be careful not to use words such as, “Call,” or even “See,” except in the proper context, or be prepared to pay the consequences for your mistake.

Kelli Mix is a poker player and author of the ‘Game Day Poker Almanac – Official Rules of Poker’. Kelli is from Georgia, and is the state director for the Poker Players Alliance.

Related posts:

1. Ruling! #2 – I Guess You Got Me
2. Ruling! #9 – The Blinds Went Up
3. Ruling! #5 – Where Are My chips?