Playing 1/2 cash game at the MGM. Three players are involved in a pot with about $100 in it, and on the river the board reads 8A8x9 rainbow. UTG checks, mid pos. checks, and the button checks and turns over the 8d and puts it on top of his other card and says "I got the 8". Dealer looks down and repeats what he says, mid pos. mucks, and UTG flips over A9. Dealer grabs buttons cards, buries them in the muck, and pushes pot to UTG. Button tries to stop her, but isn't quick enough. Dealer calls the floor, tells them what happened, that she saw his 8 and others at the table confirm, and they rule that he has to flip over both cards and he's hands dead. UTG rakes the pot and tips dealer $15. Button gets pissed and cashes out.

Just wondering what others would do in this situation as the dealer, floor, and UTG.

BTW UTG is a dealer there and I saw him dealing the next day.

Dealer should ask button to show or muck. If it's obvious button doesn't know the definition of showing down, dealer should point out that it means showing a complete hand, not just one card.

Wow, button is an idiot but I don't think the dealer could have handled this any worse. And the fact button checked behind an 8 on that board means a huge fish just left the game. If I was a player at that game I would be extremely pissed at the dealer.

Dealer's action is poor at the best of times; she should never be taking a player's cards. She should ask for them to be shown or mucked. However, this

makes it downright suspicious. Button is correct to take chips and leave; seven of the other eight players at the table would also be correct.

Sounds wroing but it usually does take twocards to win. Where was the other card? Did he leave it face down, did he push it forward without protecting it?

I think the guy with the 3 8s' got hosed but rule one is always protect your hand. Hold on to it until you get the pot pushed to you.

Remember, leaving is an option but going over the floor guys head is also an option. If you really feel you've been wronged, ask for the shift supervisor. You might be able to get the room manager to listen to you as well.

That's so messed up. The button deserves a nudge in the nads/warning for not tabling both cards. However, it's a horrible mistake by the dealer to trash a half-tabled hand that was clearly beating UTG's hand, and a even worse decision by the floor to not award the pot to the button.

And then, to top it all off, when it is discovered that UTG deals there ... I'd complain to the shift supervisor and the NGC if I was on the button (but I'm a bit of a prick). There's a reason we can't deal and play at the same casino under my province's gaming law ... to avoid cases like this!

Don't be a douche and just turn both cards over at showdown, why do morons always show one card even though everyone should know the rule that both cards have to be shown. The dealer should have flipped over his other card if he was too stupid.

As a dealer I would tell the player you have to show both cards to win and make sure that they showed the other card before I mucked their trips. As a floor I would be really torn on this because the rule states you must have two cards to have a hand and therefore to get a pot. But if the dealer said that he/she saw the 8, then I might give the pot to that person in the name of fairness. I think it's really important for the floor to use and interpret the rules to the best of their ability and to be as fair as possible. The fact that two of the people in question here and benefitting from this worked at the MGM would make me even more likely to give it to the button. However, he needs to protect his hand and show both of his cards...I'm really torn on this, but I might give it to the button.

I somewhat agree with the sentiment (although ignorant inexperienced players are GOOD for the game and I don't want to see one lose the pot like this). The cutesy only-show-one-card-because-revealing-my-kicker-is-an-information-leak stuff drives me up a wall.

But FWIW the Horseshoe Tunica will not let the dealer touch a half-tabled hand. Standard practice is apparently for the dealer to say, "I can't turn over your hand," to clue the player in that he needs to show the rest of it. Not sure how widespread that is.

Given the identity of the pot winner, this stinks to high heaven. The poster suggesting a report to the NGC is not being a prick at all; such a report would be very much in order under the circumstances.

This would be one of those examples of a case where awarding the pot to the guy who showed one card would be justified. This is EXACTLY the kinda thing that gives poker a bad, bad image. Dealer intentionally screws a player with the winning hand, and then profits $15 from it, while his coworker/friend takes the whole pot...Brilliant PR and a perfect example of why poker rooms need to be REALLY careful when they allow their own staff to play in the room. This is the kinda crap that happens and that the floor should stomp the willies out of.

Please, everybody, at the showdown TURN BOTH OF YOUR CARDS UP!

I still have nightmares about a hand I (mis)played several years ago. I was the chip leader in a multi table with a final board of Ah Ac Kh Jh Ks.

In a big pot the other guy showed a 9c 9s and I showed one card, the Qh for my missed straight/flush/straight flush draw.

The dealer kept asking me to show the other so he could award the pot. I said the other guy has a pair of nines, the pot was then pushed to him and it then instantly dawned on me as to what a dummazz I had been!

I still break out in a cold sweat as I recall this hand. JUST TURN YOUR CARDS OVER.

Where was the mandatory chorus of the dealer and 8 players chanting this? Every time I've seen someone show one card, the rest of the table goes musical.

Nono... please keep doing what you're doing. I once snagged a large pot at Wynn just like the above.

My straight turned into trash on the river and it went check-check. I announce straight and proudly turn it over, KNOWING the other guy has a boat. He flips one card proving he has the boat on this double-paired board and tells me "you have to bet your monsters yourself--I'm not going to bet them for you". He then pushes the cards to the dealer. Dealer tells him "it takes two to win". Nothing. I tell him "gotta show two to collect a pot". Nothing. Finally it dawns on me--he has NO clue he just showed a boat and he thinks he still has two pair. The players at the table are stone silent as I quietly explain to the dealer "he's mucking his hand--please take his cards". Took about 3 tries to get the dealer to actually do this, and he double checked with the player and didn't take them until the player specifically said "I'M MUCKING I'M MUCKING!". I remain amazed to this day nobody at the table blurted out "YOU HAVE A BOAT, DUDE".

So yes... keep showing one card.

He put the 8 on top of the other card and left them both in front of his stack. As soon as he took his hand off of them the dealer grabed them and mucked them. I really felt bad for him because he had no idea that he had to show both.

I also thought it was pretty scummy for UTG to not at least split the pot with him, as UTG had even said that he saw the buttons 8.

[Bav said:

So yes... keep showing one card. [/QUOTE]

This hand was at an Orleans Open and Suzie Issacs was at the table. She gave me an eyeroll when I folded my winner, and my biggest fear was that I would be featured in her next Cardplayer column.

Now I just muck my winners so noone will know!

This is borderline theft imo. I think a chat with the NGC wouldn't be out of line.

Dealer should be forced to pay button out of pocket.

I would have loudly said to player turn the other card over.

When people try to win a pot by turning over one of their cards - is this them being embarrassed that they actually got somewhere by playing 85o?

At showdown, the two players before the button are supposed to reveal their cards first. Out of courtesy (or some other reason), button shows the 8 first. A9 guy tables his hand for whatever reason (perhaps wants to see both of buttons cards or was just showing that he had something), but as OP describes, button did not even have a chance of showing his other card. The dealer just took it away from him.

Gee, almost sounds like an inside job....

After reading this, I think the only time I'll ever be playing at the MGM will be to add their chip to my collection. This wouldn't happen to me because I know how to table my hand, but if I saw this happening at my table and still had cards, the house isn't getting those cards back without security or an NGC official coming to the table and taking them from me.

Yes, Button should have just shown both cards.

But Dealer, Floor, and UTG essentially conspired to steal the pot from the Button.

Harper983,

I would like the opportunity to resolve this matter. Please give me a call. I may be reached at (702)891-7407.

Thank you,
Mike Green
Director of Poker Operations
MGM Grand

Call from a pay phone...

This has been entered into my Poker Hall of Shame series.