What are pretty good excuses you would ever return someone's buy in? I play a weekly home game/tourny, $25 BI, 10 guys, so there really never is major issue, but.... this monday night, one of the guys wives called and asked him to come home immediately cause one of their kids got sick. So he ran off, left his chips to be blinded away, but we put his money off to the side and returned it to him the following morning. Doesn't really make a difference, but he was one of the more consistent/regular players.

In the sort of example you give, I return his money if he asks for it, without hesitation. I probably even make a light offer to return it unsolicited. "Dude, you want your buy-in back?"

I don't believe home poker to have rules carved in stone.

I would take his $25 out of the pot and use it as an entry for him next time he played. Same thing as giving it back, it just gets moved to the next time he plays. Home games w/friends are way different then games between strangers.

+1
lock him in for the next game!

Give it back in cash or as a free buy-in next time, even if he doesn't ask. It's the decent thing to do, and I would expect nothing less from a cheeseburger stakes game between friends.

But when did he leave? Not to be callous or anything, but if he was there for a significant period of time, I'm sorry but he doesn't get his buy-in back.

In our game, the first 6 blind levels are the re-buy period (20-30 minutes depending on number of entrants). If the call came in during this period, I would have no problem with him getting his buy-in back. Once the re-buy is over period is over, sorry but he's out of luck. Blind him out and maybe he gets luck to make the money. Also, if he re-bought during this time, he only gets one buy-in back.

Otherwise, what's to keep someone from calling his wife/girlfriend during the break and saying "I'm running bad, get me out of here."


PS We had this happen once in our game. It was just after the re-buy period. He did not get his buy-in and/or his add-on back and he was in reluctant agreement with it. However, the TD took his chips off.

I think you have to look at this situation more. How early was it? Had he been involved in a lot of action. And is this the kid doesn't feel well or is the kid needs medical attention...

Look suppose this guy had doubled up quickly, and then his wife called and he decided to stay (kid sick may not really be a big deal) told her he wouldn't be out to late and played on. But he takes a big hit is short stacked so he says he he'll be right home. Now you are basically giving him a freeroll. I

Refund his buy-in this time, but decide and inform your players on the policy going forward for this type of situation.

I would set a certain blind limit where you are allowed to leave and get your buy-in back, but only under emergency situations. I would only allow someone to use this once every 20-30 tournaments. Do not let it become a recurring problem!

Both arguments presented are right - its the type of thing your going to have to make a call on the fly.

You could try and put restraints around it regarding time played and what not - but in the end I think the human element will need to make the final call.

Sarge

Unless he's down to like 4 big blinds or something, you should really pay him back. Things like this are why I like cash games much better.

Valid point on the minor details. The first phone call came during level 3, and the second phone call came durin level 5, 20 min blinds. He had just doubled up to the original starting stack of 10k, and he didnt rebuy. We allow rebuys till the end of level 6. We play out 13 levels, at which point we either have a winner or split according to chip stacks. He was one of the more active players in a group, any given night. This was the first time this ever happened to anyone in the game (5 years now). And it wasn't medical attention, just a sick kid that the wife needed help because they also have a newborn.

PS: I agree with giving the money back. I voted that we run off his chips incase he actually made it back. we all live kinda close. But when he wasnt able to make it back in time and his chips had finished, the fact that his starting stack was pretty much in tact, didnt change the outcome much.

Ship it back to him it seems like a friendly game!

Well, then he gets to freeroll on me once, because I'm a nice guy.

I don't mind being a sucker from time to time. The alternative is too gruesome to contemplate.

Buy in goes back to him. Happens again? Buy in does not go back to him.

Point well taken. Next time the buyin will be kept till the following week.

I'm not saying not give him the buy-in back.... I'm just suggesting that its situational......and that you shouldn't just have a blanket rule that anybody who says "I have to go its an emergency" gets their money back. Knowing who the people involved in this are is a big part of it. If the guy is a regular in your game you probably have a pretty good idea about whether this guy would be heading home even if he were the chip leader.....

I'd give him back his money, or save it for next time is fine too. That's good policy for friendly home games. Keeping his money here is pretty much out of the question.

I don't have a blanket rule that says that anyone who leaves gets their money back.

I read the OP's post, and based on what he had to tell us, I'd have offered the guy his money back.

*shrug*

In a lot of cases, I'd do the same - more often than not, I assume. That's because I'm a nice guy, and even though we play "serious" poker a lot, the event and my friendships are worth more than a buyin generally.

I'm guessing he was so worried about his child's well-being that he wouldn't even care whether you gave it back or not. The fact that you and the other players agreed that it would be the best thing to do is a good thing. I would definitely say in the case of a family emergency at a friendly game you should give the buy-in back. Hopefully in any game though!

I have to remember to have my wife call me a couple of times during our next tournament. Or shoot, I'll just jump a little like my phone vibrated and pretend to answer it.

Now, if you play with people like me, be careful with this policy.

While eneely is joking, I think the assumption we're working on is that Poker Dad hasn't done this before and is a generally trustworthy person. If either of these conditions are not true, I may be more inclined to say, "Tough luck."

But then, untrustworthy people typically do not get invites to my low-stakes friendly games, so #2 is usually not a factor.

I do believe eneely is joking as well, but he makes a good point not to take this lightly. If anyone bends the rules doing this, or is caught lying while doing this; that would be devastating to the game, their friends and to lie about an emergency is pretty bad.

In the case that was explained by the OP I think the situation was legit. Hopefully we all don't play with "friends" that would use this excuse to jump a game. I'm sure most of us that play poker have enough gamble to come back short-stacked or take losing with pride.

I'm not going to sell my soul for $20 or $40 or even more. But you know the joke...

A man meets a woman at a bar and asks, "Would you have sex with a stranger for $100?"

"No!"

"What about $1,000,000?"

"Well, for a million, sure."

"OK, we've determined you're a whore. Now we're just negotiating price."

I have played with a couple of people who would pull something funny to get their buy-in back. But they are people who did not last in our game because the fit wasn't right. Have a good handle on the people you play with and you'll know if they are capable of a stunt like this. If not, give them their money back and wish their kid a speedy recovery.

Totally the right thing to do at a home game. Life, Karma and friendship are > than poker.

I give my brothers BI back when I play the home game with him. Thats because he sucks and I fell guity taking the money more often than not, these are all rec players.