In the poker room, disputes are an inevitable part of the daily routine, a natural by-product of a competitive activity. Since the fair resolution of these disputes is crucial to a cardroom's reputation, it is important that the floormen who settle them have a comprehensive command of poker's rules and relevant procedures. We've all seen blown calls, and it's an unfortunate fact that in some instances they are the result of sheer incompetence. But when passing judgment on a floorman's ability to make quality decisions, armchair quarterbacks should keep in mind that a floorman's ruling can only be as good as the information presented to him by the dealer. It's easy, after all, for experienced, knowledgeable players to know what the right call is in a given situation, since they have the benefit of witnessing events as they unfold, but the floorman enjoys no such luxury. He comes into the situation cold, and his call is based on an after-the-fact account (or accounts, since he is often presented with conflicting versions). In the end, he must rely on the dealer's description of the situation. In other words, the dealer must be able to paint him a picture.
That metaphor is quite suitable, I think, for the ability to paint such pictures skillfully is something of an art. If we are to keep it from becoming a lost art, we need to train dealers to recognize what goes into an appropriate depiction of a dispute – and what doesn't.
In this and an upcoming column, we'll look at some things that dealers can do to make the floorman's job easier, and to help him make good decisions. I have half a dozen things in mind, but we won't get to the last one in this column, because No. 6 merits an entire column all its own. But let's begin:
1. Pay Attention to the Game. Obviously, you have a better chance of recounting the relevant details of a conflict if you know what they are. In a disagreement over an alleged string raise, for example, the floorman is going to ask you exactly what happened regarding the raiser's chips entering the pot. If your eyes were on the ballgame on TV at that moment, you're going to look pretty silly when your answer is: "Well, I don't really know." And your floorman isn't going to appreciate you putting him in a spot where he has to make a decision in an informational vacuum. In the absence of your official account, he'll have no choice but to take one player's word over another's. As a result, one party may end up feeling slighted and resentful, as though the judgment that went against him was a character judgment. Your inattentiveness could very easily have caused the floorman to make an enemy.
2. Be Prepared. When you call for a floorperson to make a decision, it is rare (especially in large rooms) for one to appear instantaneously. Typically, you'll have at least a few moments before he or she arrives. This time should be put to good use, by reviewing precisely what happened, and rehearsing in your mind the best way to convey the essence of the dispute. Avoid starting your story in the middle and then jumping back and forth. Effective stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end, and you're telling a story here. Put yourself in the floorman's shoes and imagine what information you'd like to receive if you were the one walking blind into the middle of this fray. That should help you to shape your story more effectively.
3. Be Complete, but Concise. Always keep in mind that while a floorman needs to know all the relevant facts, an irrelevant one will serve only to confuse him, for he will quite naturally assume that it is being included for a reason. If the reason isn't evident to him, he may become even more confused as he chases a detail that doesn't really matter. Learn to edit your summary of a situation to a manageable length, framing it in terms of essentials. There's no need to spend 90 seconds embellishing the details of a simple burn and turn, especially when your agenda for doing so is to communicate not so much what happened, but why it wasn't your fault. Smuggling such explanations into your account of events distracts from the immediate matter at hand. If you think you must offer an excuse, save it for later – away from the table.
4. Always Remain Impartial. A professional dealer must rise above the fact that, say, one of the disputants has an abrasive personality, or that another has stiffed him for the last six months. Your role here is that of a neutral reporter, and your account to the floorman must be unbiased. This brings us to:
5. Don't Get Caught Up in Arguments With the Players. It is inevitable that some players will want to contradict your version of what happened. If you believe it's important to emphasize to the floorman that their counterversion is simply not true, you mustn't be timid about contradicting them right back. But generally speaking, in those cases, you should continue to direct your comments to the floorperson. Sure, there will be times when you'll want to address a player directly for the sake of his own edification, if you think he made an innocent mistake or misunderstood something – and if he's the kind of person who won't mind being told so. But, pick your spots. If he's being unreasonable (and/or dishonest), don't get caught up in arguing with him, and don't allow yourself to be provoked. Continue to address the floorman, and keep the edge out of your voice. Remember: The more poised and professional your demeanor, the more the floorman will respect what you tell him.
That's all until next time. In the meantime, have a wonderful Thanksgiving.