1/3 hand I'm BB. Limps to SB who has a $1 chip in front of him and silently tosses out a green $25 chip. Dealer says "Raise $26".

I pause and look at dealer and say "Isn't that just a call. Single oversized chip". Dealer says "No it's 2 chips because he has a chip out there". I say "No I'm pretty sure if we ask a floor he'll rule it a call" and fold my hand which was garbage anyway. Floor happens to be walking by so I called him over. Action has stopped, dealer explains the situation and floor rules "It's just a call".

The outcome wasn't really affected. On the flop SB bet and limper folded and limper said he wasn't calling a raise anyway.

I felt bad though - not necessarily for wanting the actual rule to be followed but for kind of showing up the dealer.

I kinda disagree with the rule - not the ruling though - because SB's intent is pretty clearly to raise. If dealer had said "Is that a raise?" before I acted and SB said yes and dealer said "In the future say raise if you're throwing out just 1 chip" I'd have said nothing and moved along. In that case dealer acknowledges the rule and informs the player.

Mostly in the heat of the moment I'm kind of annoyed when an experienced dealer disagrees with me on a ruling I'm 90% sure is going to go the way I said and 100% sure is the rule in this room. I kinda wished I'd waited until after the hand finished though so it doesn't look like I'm trying to use rule nittery to my own advantage.

To me that's not being nitty at all. Not at all if I'm in the hand and certainly not if I'm next to act.

My words may have been slightly different though in what I said to the dealer though.

The point where I would stop feeling sorry for the dealer is when he either lies to your face or seriously doesn't know the rules.

He seriously didn't know the rule. And this is a guy I'd guess has 10 years experience and is generally a good dealer.

He did learn quickly though. Similar situation came up 10 minutes later and correctly said "That's just a call. We just went over this a few minutes ago"

1. If there's any ambiguity pending, you shouldn't take any action, even if the ruling doesn't affect your decision.

2. In general, I let people do what they intended to do, rules be damned. In this case, I'd hold the action until SB declares call or raise, or someone else calls the floor. If SB declares raise and nobody contests it, I would let it go.

3. As played, the dealer needs some sort of correction. The gentlest one would be pointing out that you need to hear "raise" from the SB, not the dealer. The more strict one is to point out the dealer has the rules wrong. I usually start off on the lower level and escalate as needed.

4. I would never call the floor myself. Ask the dealer to do it.

I generally find that
"I must really not understand this rule, would you mind calling a floor to explain it? I've had it told me different ways before." or something of the sort works well.

Gives the dealer a chance to save a bit of face by claiming that he it might have been different in the past (even though we know it wasn't) and it generally keeps the vibe at the table less hostile and more easy going.

And this.
I just wait. Simple things like "I don't mind waiting a few seconds, I don't want to start a cascade of action." works well. People nod, they've all been there. They understand.

I like that kind of phrasing a lot irtm. I'll have to remember to try that.

In my day job (software) I've learned how to give feedback in a more "think about this other option" way and it really helps people accept it.

I also agree with calli that I generally want people to be able to do what they intended. I also want them to know that what they did is technically incorrect and might be ruled in a different way at a different time. If we can accomplish that and still let them do what they intend then everyone wins.

I've had dealers stop the action and look right at SB, "Did you mean to call or raise?" and proceed from there. I'm totally cool with that, protect this fish and/or regs who aren't paying 100% attention (until we eat them up in the normal flow of operations). But a dealer who either doesn't know the rules and isn't open to being corrected, or is simply digging in their heels after an error? Not much leeway from me.

Why did you fold?

I folded because I'm okay with this proceeding as a raise. My interest is not in getting to see a free flop but in the dealer and player understanding the actual rule.

I'm always speaking up in this situation, not only to teach this dealer the rules, but more to see a cheap flop when I'm already in the hand and the guy potentially has a big pair and I can flop 2pair and get some money from him. I'm never just letting it go and folding when I know it's not a raise.

Would be simpler if : Player just said raise or call with the single chip move.
OR : If the dealer would just ask the player his intent when a silent single chip bet is made.

How hard is this really? And how much time is wasted by this over and over again?

1. It's clearly a call
2. No idea why you want to fold there given the situation

Yes, it's not too unusual, even experienced dealers can get things wrong

I think you underestimate how badass you look when you lean back, toss in one chip, and then put on your sunglasses while the CSI Miami theme plays, "YYEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Hell I forgot how cool that looks when folks at a 1-2 table do that. Yeah!!

I've had different interpretations at tables in the past, but now I definitely know