By Kelli Mix | Published on August 17, 2009

Ruling! #8 – An Abandoned Pot

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.