Just curious how you guys would rule for a home game. I would like to avoide answers where someone says " the TD may give a break and rule...." This situation hasn't happened to affect me, but every so often a new player does it at a non raked game I play in.

On the flop, stakes are $1 and $2, UTG grabs a stack of $5 reds, reaches out to the pot, lowers hand so chips are about 1/2 inch off the table, and proceeds to drop three seperate piles of 5 chips each.


a: its a string bet and only the first pile of 5 chips count. bets stands at $25

b: bet stands at $75, player reached out with chips, what ever he had in his hand had to go into the pot.

c: String bet, bet stands at $5

I don't think the motion of the chips falling is as important as his arms motion.

If there is no betting line rule as long as his arm is extended he can count out chips (or drop chips).

lol def not a string bet

It is almost impossible to "string bet" in my game. Why? Because the string bet rulings almost always go against the weaker / newer players. These situations become traps for unwary.

If there is any doubt - ask the player to clarify. But I don't have doubts, three piles of chips, five deep each is $75. I don't care how many chip were in hand, the player intended to bet $75.

I would be more inclined to whack the whiners wanting to rule the bet is $5 or $25. Who is the angle shooter? I can not see how it is hard to figure that out.

As for the host - - - playing "gotcha" poker rules is bad for your game. Pulling out a fifty page rules package and finding on page 35, paragraph two that players moving chips forward without a verbal declaration are only permitted to bet a single chip (or whatever the house rule is) is not likely to make the new players comfortable.

In this case the player's intentions seem clear. Maybe he/she needs some guidance about proper form if there is an extensive set of house rules. But even then, the bet should stand.

In rare cases, the bettor might actually be angle shooting. If so, the host has a bigger problem than just a "string bet" and needs to take care of this on the side. Do not let the rare misdeed create policy to punish a pretty common sort of mistake.

DrStrange

PS I feel I might also weigh in on the "I'll call that bet and raise you." situation. Too many movies have made this seem like just the way someone should act. The new guy gets told it is best to make your intentions verbally first. And so he "calls that bet and raises".

Is there any doubt about his intentions? Was there someone damaged by the clueless wording? Yet there will be plenty of advocates for "that is just a call". I'd prefer a quick lesson about how to do that better and let the raise stand. But that is just me.

OK, I like the answers, was my thinking aswell. Our local games seem to call it a string bet which I found odd. An extended arm with chips in hand, unless there is verbal amount stated, all the chips are going in.

I guess the better way to make a point on this is the bettors hand is extended and hand/chips are very close to the table ( 1/2 inch or so). Its clear he was/has to bet all the chips. Yes, bettor should be reminded that he should put all his chips on the table, then make piles.

Honestly, I think anyone who calls this a string bet and says that's only $5 dollar bet (or that it's the whole stack of more than $75) is just angling and trying to use a very precise reading of the rules to their advantage.

Unless someone is obviously abusing this, I say the bet is $75 here.

I've seen it happen at more then one game in my area. One of those rules that have been here for a long time, keeps getting passed on. If you reach out with a pile of chips, once chips leave your hand, thats it for the betting.

My biggest concern with the rule is it can be twisted where players could reach out with a pile of say 10 chips, trying to get a read on another player. As they reach out, they get a read the other player is strong, so you drop 1 chip instead of the pile of 10.

In which case, go back to what the good Dr said: "In rare cases, the bettor might actually be angle shooting. If so, the host has a bigger problem than just a "string bet" and needs to take care of this on the side. Do not let the rare misdeed create policy to punish a pretty common sort of mistake."