2/3 NL
Hero opens 55 for $20, 4 callers

77Q

C/C/ Hero bets $45, Villain call

A

Hero bets $110
Villain calls

Q

I just give up... Check. Villain checks behind, I turn my hand over and say nothing.

Dealer says "Queens and sevens". Villain has headphones on, looks at board, looks at my hand, re-looks at this hand. Mucks

Dealer pushes pot to me, and the table informs the Villain during the next hand that it was a chop, I played the board. Rumblings begin of "You should've chopped it... I'd have given Villain half the pot" etc

Summy or Nah?
I turned my hand over, I mean what more can I do? I'm not there to hold Villain's hand and make sure he knows how to read the board

You turned your hand over. Dealer declared the hand correctly.
His fault for wearing headphones and not paying enough attention.
As long as you described the events correctly, it's fine.

It’s totally up to you. Some people would chop or give a rebate. I wouldn’t unless I considered the villain a friend or a vip.

He has gained from the fact that he hasn't shown his hand. Can't have his cake and eat it.

As played, keep the whole pot.

You didn't do anything wrong.
Villain looked and mucked.

I would chop it, but I play 5 days a week with mostly the same guys in the same places. I need friends to keep getting in games. I also like the idea of being nice in general. Hard to fault anyone for not choosing though.

"The table" shouldn't have even said anything here. Totally inappropriate.

When an opponent makes a mistake like this, which accrues to my benefit, before voluntarily sacrificing the benefit, I tend to think what most of the player pool would do if the situation were reversed.

Some in the player pool would never ever agree to chop the pot with us. Some might immediately agree to chop with us. A lot would require a lot of cajoling before they agreed. It doesn't seem to me that there's a clear moral or ethical obligation for us to agree to a chop, if events occurred as described here.

Further - while I don't mind when opponents play with headphones on, I do get annoyed when they slow the game down because they didn't hear something that now needs repeating, or they need to clarify someone's bet, etc. For crying out loud - take the headphones off when you're in a hand.

Also - poker is a social game. The rec-fish come for a good time. There's nothing "good time" about some nitty grinder playing from within a self-made cone of silence. I try to chat up the rec-fish to keep them happy and playing longer, which accrues to all players' benefit, including the guys who can't be bothered to remove their headphones while they're in a hand.

If people wear headphones while playing, knowing that they're slowing the game down, and not really helping to keep the fish in the game, it seems to me that they should accept the risks which come with the distraction.

I almost never give a rebate when someone doesn't table his hand. And headphone players get away with way too much as is.

Other players should know the etiquette, its fine to tell villain to be more careful, but they shouldn't be telling you to give the money back.