A Question of Ethics and Rules

Here is the scenario: You are playing in a poker game and are not involved in the current hand. When the two remaining players turn their hands up at the end, one has a straight, the other has trips. No one, including the players involved, notices the straight, and the dealer starts to push the pot to the player with the trips. Should you say anything?

Recently, I was playing in a tournament in which a situation similar to this happened. I wasn't at the table at the time, but sat down in my seat during the hand that followed. I mucked my hand and another player at the table told me what had happened.

Player A raised from first position with A-8 and was called by one other player with 9-8. When the flop came 10-8-8, Player A moved all in and Player B called. The hands were both turned up on the table (this tournament had a rule that forced players to turn their hands faceup if all action was complete), and the dealer dealt out the turn (Q) and the river (J). Player B had a straight, but didn't notice it, and the pot was pushed to Player A. Player B was eliminated from the tournament and left the table.

The player who was telling me the story is a World Series of Poker bracelet holder, as is Player A. As we got into a discussion about the situation, all of the other players at the table told me that, in fact, Player B did have a straight. Needless to say, my reaction was, "Why didn't anyone say anything?" Player A shook his head and said, "I didn't see it," but I could tell that he had. The player telling me the story told me he had seen it, but didn't want to say anything. This was the prevailing thought from all of the players: They didn't want to say anything, as they didn't think it was their place to do so. Many of them also said they thought it was the dealer's responsibility to read the hands.

In many of my previous columns, I have advocated that the only job of a dealer is to run a smooth game, call the floorman if a problem arises, and be courteous and helpful. A dealer cannot be responsible for reading hands; that responsibility ultimately falls on the players.

Throughout my years of playing poker, I have often spoken up when a hand that was placed faceup on the table by another player was read incorrectly. Since I play mostly Omaha eight-or-better, these types of situations happen regularly. With counterfeited lows and so many combinations of hands, Omaha eight-or-better sometimes becomes a complicated game. Reading hands is not only complicated for the players in the game, but can also be a test for the dealer. I can guarantee that my speaking up has only cost me money in the long run. Many times, I have spoken up when a player has not noticed a winning hand, even if it was against me and cost me the pot.

So, why would I do this if it cost me money? Because it is the correct and ethical thing to do. When a hand is placed faceup on the table, it is the responsibility of all players in the game to ensure that the best hand wins the pot. There is no rule that says a player must speak up, and there is no need for such a rule, as it would be silly to think everyone notices everything. For an experienced poker player to say he doesn't think it is his responsibility to speak up is a bad thing for poker. The influx of beginning poker players is great for poker, but without proper guidance from the experienced players, these beginners will start to learn things that are not correct.

Tip of the day: If you notice a hand that is misread, speak up and correct the situation. Not only is it the right thing to do, it may come back to benefit you in the future when someone does the same thing for you.

Editor's note: Michael O'Malley can usually be found playing online at partypoker.com as Rzitup. To learn more about Michael, go to www.rzitup.com.

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