Ok so I have a weekly $1/1 cash game with buy ins ranging anywhere from $80-200. I have 4-5 regulars with the rest being new players and players that don't come every week.
This weekend I had a situation where towards the end of the session with about 5-10 minutes before breaking, one of my regulars was involved in a big pot where he faced an all in decision on the turn against an erratic, crazy player who was playing anything and everything all night.
After some time thinking the hand through and trying to decide what to do, another one of my regs who was not in the hand called CLOCK on the player facing the all in decision.

Now first I'd like to point out that the player deciding what to do had probably taken anywhere between 1-2 minutes up until this point(although I can't say for sure). Second he had been at the game since the beginning of what would end up being a 5 hour session and had been up $ up until this hand. Third, the player calling clock is a good player who usually does pretty well but when he's stuck during a session, he becomes someone who doesn't exhibit good poker etiquette.

Now when the player in the hand deciding what to do was called clock on, he mentioned how there is no such thing in cash game and "good luck trying to enforce it". At this point, obviously, attention turned my way for a ruling and I said I've always understood it as within a poker players right to call clock on someone, although I think it shows poor poker etiquette in cash games.
Now I've always understood calling clock as a necessity in tournaments since blinds go up but in a cash game where blinds aren't going up, I'm not sure what the correct ruling should have been. The player ended up thinking for about 30 more seconds before eventually calling off his stack and busting.

So obviously, I need to know what the correct ruling should have been.

The ruling is whatever you want it to be. It's your game. In a casino, you can call a clock on someone in a cash game.

In my game, I generally discourage it, unless the person habitually takes a long time, but even then I give a minute or two grace before "officially" allowing a clock. I think it's happened maybe twice in five years, not sure if cash games or tournaments.

It doesn't matter if I think a decision is easy; I respect my opponents, and will settle folks down if they're getting antsy. Nothing slows a player down like being put under pressure. "It's okay, take all the time you need." "Hey guys, let's put the conversation on hold a bit so he can concentrate." Stuff like that. That usually gets the player to act rather promptly, taking far less time than a clock would, and with a much more positive residual effect.

Some casino employees will be quick to run the clock, since they want more tips and rake. I'm not one of those people. Here's how a general conversation went with a poker-playing floor-person in one place I dealt:

Player: Clock, please.

Me: Are you calling the clock?

Player: Yes.

Me: Floor! We need a clock!

Floor: What's that?

Me: Clock over here!

Floor: Hold on.

* floor casually walks over *

Floor: So what's up?

Me: I need a clock on this player.

Floor: Oh, okay, let me go to the cage to get the timer.

...etc...

It's your money and it's not a tournament. Take as much time as you need, as far as I'm concerned.

you can call the clock, its just a dick move. give him 60 seconds, start counting out loud at 10, and then never invite the guy back that called the clock.

Agreed. You can call the clock in a home game, but it's douchey. I don't think clock has ever been called in one of my home games.

IMO, take all the time you need if it's a cash game. In a tourney, I'm also pretty lax about it unless you're a habitual offender. There's a semi-reg in my weekly tourney who takes way too long on way too many decisions. While we don't call clock on him, we'll prompt him when he's slow.

Gentle needles work too. I have the Final Jeopardy music on my phone, and I'll surreptitiously kick it off when he's really in the tank.

If I was hosting, I wouldn't allow a clock to be called on a player in a cash game. I suppose if someone goes into the tank for a few minutes, but by that point the other players would be carrying pitchforks and would gladly take the clock.

We've called a clock a few times against folks in a tourney, but it is usually against a player who has a history of tanking a lot.

Id say unless its a recurring theme from the player with the decision, where for him everything is a decision and he sweats every call fold and raise and postures to no end, then i'd be less inclined to give leniency when clock is called. But in a big decision from a player who is just trying to work it out in his head, I would tell whatever jack@ss that calls clock who isnt in the hand (more tilting than when the villain does it IMO) that he is out of line, personally i dont think in a ring game a player who isnt in that hand at that point shouldnt be able to call the clock, he can suggest it maybe to the other player (douchey still) but i dont agree with a spectator being able to put a clock on someone and have it be an enforceable thing

This situation happens to me often at my home game.It's gotten to the point where now if I take more than 30 seconds,i'll just call it on my self and this has changed my tilt factor.It really used to affect my game when people did this I believe,especially excessively.Most the donks I play with can't calculate odds,that's why their stack goes in,in the blink of an eye.They also probably think if I tank i'm gonna hero call them and be right.It 's definately poor etiquette when someone is faced with an all in decesion IMO.Might not be high stakes but 1/2 gets my adrenaline pumping.

Well technically, if you're in the hand, you're not supposed to be able to call clock.. But if it's working for you, take it down... But also, if it's the person putting you to the decision constantly calling it, I'd say something in order to enforce this rule.

Your game, your rules. We've had clocks called just to bust balls, usually by close friends in cash games. I think the mention of a clock, is usually enough of a prompt. I'm not sure there are any tough guys who are going to force someone to fold a hand for taking too much time.

Of course, I'm always looking to pick up the pace of the game. I have a low personal tolerance for un-necessary showboating, but less personal tolerance for rushing a legit tough decision.

Yes, I think anyone dealt into that hand can call the clock. Yes, I think in some cases the clock should be called. No, I don't think this was one of the cases.

+1

We had a player call the clock on himself this weekend in our home game, and it was a pretty big decision on a huge pot. I am not sure we have ever really let someone call the clock on someone else. Half jokingly call the clock but its just messing around.

it's fine.. just remember to call the clock on his dick ass when hes in a tough spot.. or attempt every angle shoot on his ****ing ass

idk for certain but i thought only players in the hand could call for the clock,

Someone once called the clock in a .25/.25 game on me (not in my home, but we were playing with my 1500$ chipset so ...). It was weird cause I play so fast it's ridiculous (hate to always remind people to fold their 39o a little quicker preflop, I mean hello), and then once you face a 200BB river shove some idiot calls the clock on you. I was just shaking my head and said ok whathever (and chopped with a straight).

To be fair, I did take about 3 minutes and he was in the hand with me, but I really almost NEVER take any time to act whatsoever while some guys habitually take 20 seconds before even thinking of making a decision in the most marginal spots.

Anyway no big deal in the end really, but if someone NOT in the hand had called the clock I would've been shut the **** up or I'm gonna call the clock on you every time from now on for sure.

Is this true? Then if you have a Family Pot you could never call the Clock.

I'd say almost the opposite. If you're not in the Hand, then STFU (this means YOU Tiffany Michelle) and let the Players with something on the line Play.

Is it really the general rule that you cannot call a Clock if you're in the Hand?

No.

I'm not sure I agree, that the other players don't have some stake in the time being chewed up.

I'm not sure what a 'reasonable' standard should be, for allowing non-involved players to call clock. Anyone have thoughts?

We normally run 15-20 minute blind levels and if someone is pondering their decision for more than 30 seconds to a minute we usually stop the clock and give them more time. How much time? It depends...

Most of us don't (and wouldn't) abuse it, so we've never had to officially give someone a minute to decide and actually count down the last ten seconds.

We allow to call a clock, we even put it in writing (along with the rest of the house rules).

Since it's clearly stated and understood ahead of time it's acceptable by all and nobody takes offense.

My group used to do this, and some nights it added a lot of time to the game. We stopped a while back, and instead we just encourage players to make routine decisions quickly, poke them when they don't, and we don't sweat it when someone needs a minute for a big decision.