Don't forget players from all tables in the chain yelling at you to fill the seats while you're standing behind the next in line with a rack, waiting for him to finish his hand. And the racked up players in the main game haven't actually left yet, they're just "about to move"

That might the biggest problem with Bravo in general.

But that might be me thinking about software development on a totally different scale.

Or the guy who's demanding you change the tv to the Wichita State vs Southeast Indiana game. You explain that there are 12 channels and that IT programs them ahead of time but all the player can do is keep repeating that it's on channel 643 on Dish Network.

Or the fish who sat himself on the main game 15 minutes ago even though he's on the bottom of the list but of course the players don't speak up because he never folds and the dealer doesn't either because he tips red birds.

Last night I'm locked in on final 1/3. Two players left and they want to keep going. Ok, small blind is here on the button, big blind here, button acts first pre-flop. Seat 7 puts out 1 instead of 3. I tell him to put out 2 more. Next time he's the BB I make eye contact, hold up 3 fingers and say "You're the big blind. 3 dollars." and he puts out 1. 2 hands later same routine. This goes on for an HOUR. Finally he says "Sometimes it's 1, sometimes it's 3, I don't understand!" so I explain for the nth time that the button is 1, if you aren't the button it's 3. "Oh, ok." He mostly gets it right for the next 2 hours.

Finally another player shows up so I try to explain that the blinds are back to normal, button, small blind, big blind. He keeps putting out 1 when he's the button, and a random 1 or 3 when he isn't. I keep trying to correct and explain but it just goes right over his head. An hour later the table is starting to fill back up and my relief finally comes.

I understand heads up is weird especially if you're new and just figured out normal play but this was trying my patience.

"Sir, it's 1 or 3 .. just wait until he puts out his blind and do the other amount." (Or always just put out a 5 and I'll take care of it)

Was this Player competitive? Sometimes it's the simple things that trip you up. GL

I just booked my first trip to Vegas since Covid started. Staying for 4 nights and am planning to enter the WSOP Employee Event. If anyone else is planning to be there, hit me up. If any of you are planning to not be there, wish me luck!

I got yelled at for not shipping a 3-way split pot to all players at the same time. "Why you gotta give me my pot last? You should do it all at once."

Sorry, I left my third arm at home tonight.

I saw an interesting one while playing. I wasn't in the hand.

$1/$2

Raised to $7 preflop. 4 players to the flop.

On the flop the 1st player checks, 2nd player bets $10. 3rd player is looking at his phone (he hasn't been paying attention all night) and as the dealer points at him he tries to check by tapping the table. As the dealer taps the table on front of him to get his attention and point out the $10 bet, the 4th player tries to check behind as well. The dealer gets the 3rd players attention and points to the $10 bet.

The 3rd player then goes back to his stack and grabs a bunch of chips and raises to $50.

I cannot think of what rule this breaks but it just feels wrong. Instinctively I feel that even though the check was illegal. It was a passive action (which the player behind followed) so in doing so player gives up all rights to being able to be aggressive and raise. I feel like he should only be able to call or fold, but I will fully admit that I cannot find a rule to support my view.

Anyone else have thoughts on this?

TDA:

Thank you!!!!!

Let's file this one under annoying players who deserve to be kicked in the nuts.

I get called in early for my shift (a couple dealers called off). When I get there I am assigned to open up a new low level limit game. The list is long so most of the players literally beat me to the table. I recognize almost all of the players and all of the players have their chips. Five of the players are retired old men who play 5 days a week. I didn't know it because I never worked this early, but they always open up a new game together. 3 of the other 4 are semi regs. They don't play as often, but I still recognize them. The ninth i do not know. I open the rack, wash and shuffle the cards.

Most of the players are out of their seats, but are milling around in the area so when I deal for the button I deal to a full table. Seat 3 wins the button. I reshuffle the cards and get ready to deal. Seat 4 has mysteriously disappeared. I tell seat 5 he is the bid blind and that there is no small blind. Seat 5 posts, seat 6 suddenly says to skip him, he is going to go to the bathroom. Seat 7, seat 9, and seat 2 suddenly say to skip them as well. All 3 players get up and as seat 2 gets up he motions to seat 1 and seat 1 says to deal him out. All 5 of the missing players are the regs who start games together. I furrow my brow, but shake it off and point to the remaining 4 players and tell them they are the ones playing. They say they don't want to play 4 handed so we can wait.

I call over a floor and let them know that we only have 4 active players and they do not want to play short handed. He looks at me like I am an alien and asks where all of the other players are (for the list he just called)? I point to an empty table a few tables away where 4 of the 5 are milling around.

The floor heads over to get them. There is some discussion and they all head back. They are going to wait for the 5th player.

Apparently, the other 4 regs are annoyed by the missing 5th reg. It seems that whenever they open a game and he loses the draw for the button and is either of the blinds or in early position, he "mysteriously" disappears and comes back when the button passes him (new players (who have not yet received a hand) don't get a missed blind button right away). He was abusing this by sitting out. The other 4 players are sick of it so they are sitting out until he returns.

As this discussion is going on the 5th reg (the small blind) appears a table away. He is looking at the table trying to figure out what is going on. The floor calls him over so he comes over sees nothing has changed (he is still small blind). The floor tells him the table was waiting for him. He pauses, looks around, and says that he has to go and make a phone call and walks away.

The other 4 regs throw up their hands, but stick to their guns. They are going to sit out until he returns. The other 4 players don't want to play short, so we wait.

Tbat day I was woken up to a phone call asking me to come into work early and I busted my a$$ to get there ASAP only to be forced to sit there. Ok, whatever.

Eventually a few seats open at other tables and other people from the list are called. One of the non-five regs calls over the floor and asks if he can get a seat at one of the other tables. He wants to play, just not short-handed. The floor sighs loudly and throws his hands up. He says one second and walks away.

After a few minutes, the small blind reg wanders back and sees that nothing has changed. One of the other regs tells him that the game isn't going to start until he is ready to play (and take the small blind). While he is standing there dumbfounded, the floor comes over and since everyone is present, tells everyone that the cards are going to be dealt and missed blind buttons will be put out for anyone who misses a blind, even though they are technically new players.

The small blind complains that it goes against their rules. The floor invokes the spirit of the game rule and says his decision is final. That satisfies the other 4 regs so they sit down and are ready to play. I shuffle and get ready to deal. The small blind walks away from the game so I give him a missed small blind button and start to deal. I get out one hand and I am tapped out.

After I get home from work that night, I go digging for our rooms rule book that I was given years ago when I was hired. Turns out I don't have the official rules (that are filed with the gaming commission). What I do have it a fairly comprehensive book on dealer procedures (~50 pages). In there it mentions new players can wait and get their first hand after the button without posting. It doesn't say anything about a new table.

Next time I get the chance, I am going to talk to the head of our poker room and ask about this. What if everyone chooses to wait out?

Anyway, I am permanently pissed at the small blind reg, he caused all of this drama over 1 dollar. WTF. I am slightly lesser pissed at the other 4 regs. I 100% get the fact that they were mad at the small blind for constantly dodging the blinds for a few bucks. I get their sense of justice. I do. However their antics affected 4 other players at the table (and me). Maybe I wouldn't be as mad if I hadn't gone through extraordinary measures to come in, but I did.

Seriously, it was a small blind.

Thoughts?

They should not let this guy get away with getting dealt for the button and then waking. In most places if you get dealt for the button you are given a missed blind if you're not there to pay it.

Even better would be to just change the rules so that new players have to post in any game. Not having to post can always lead to various abuses.

If I were floor I'd also rule he has to post if he's there for button draw. I'd also make it an official rule. Then later when somebody see's this rule and wonders wtf is this about, all seemingly dumb rules have an ******* behind them.

I'm fine changing the rule, especially for the button draw right after a game starts, though generally NL games can run without posting because the blinds are so small compared to the stacks (unlike limit games, where the blinds are worth fighting over).

I'd also be fine having the floor or PRM tell this player that not posting is a privilege, and is not to be abused. And that he is abusing it. So he can either get with the program, or never come back. Then follow through on it.

I don’t get how they could ever have a rule that encourages players to get up. I also don’t see how to makes sense to start a game with only one blind? what is even the point of doing the draw anyway?

if someone intentionally avoids posting on the initial deal after the draw they should get kicked off the table and not allowed to play for an hour or so. next time 86 them for 24 hours.

Goddamn nits.

Honestly if I was flooring I would put the four players who wanted to play, but not short, at the top of the list and closed the table.

I've played/witnessed/dealt a LOT of live poker hands, but today I saw a first: pushing in to a 1/3 game, action gets heads-up pre-flop, raise and re-raise, one guy shoves for $800 effective. Other guy tanks, and is hemming and hawing, saying, "I know I've got you beat, but I don't want to risk all this..." The player who shoved is an aggressive winning reg, but I don't know the tanker. I assume he's got TT-QQ or AK. After THREE SOLID MINUTES of this contemplation and self-torture, he makes the crying call. And turns over... pocket aces.

Aces held. And obviously the loser of the hand was... NOT amused.

I've seen someone fold Aces preflop to a large raise in a cash game because he was leaving soon and didn't want to risk his whole stack. I asked why he wouldn't just leave now if he didn't want to play aces. He said something like he just didn't want to play a big pot. So maybe if he plays a limped pot and flops or turns the nuts he's going to fold those to a big bet as well? Who knows.

Proof there is no just God or the Aces would have been cracked in some brutal fashion which is what that nit deserved.

I was silently rooting for it. I'm 95% sure the reg had AJ because he called for a queen after a flop of KT4 (and he wouldn't have queens). But no 4-out justice was delivered.

Perhaps a byproduct of having 'new' Players post would prevent SB's behavior. If you have chips on the table for the Button draw then you are considered to be 'at' the table and responsible for any Blinds that may come thru until you sit down .. if you aren't there for the draw, then you are considered a new Player and have to post or wait for the BB. I realize that almost no rooms make you post anymore, but it definitely would solve SB's behavior.

In my room there's always a potential point of 'conflict' for when the PLO table will open. At least one NL table, sometimes two, gets going before there's enough PLO Players on site (usually at least 6) but then the Floor doesn't want to break a NL game. So the PLO Players are stuck playing NL until enough NL Players to fill the seats are on site. PLO Players have discussed just getting up from NL and thus forcing the issue. NL Players don't want to play short, so then a NL table would close and put a few Players back on the list perhaps. Some of the Floors 'say' they will hold their ground and wouldn't open the PLO if they did this, but I don't see how they really could/should take this approach.

Floors also don't like opening PLO short if there there's no additional call-ins just in case one Player runs hot and a couple of Players bust. This is a damn-do damn-don't spot almost every day. We did have our first case of where opening the PLO actually broke the NL table when most of the seat fillers didn't show up for their seats.

PLO is much better for the Dealers .. How do other small/medium rooms handle this type of scenario at the start of each day? GL

Yeah, no perfect answer here. You want to offer the games the players want to play. But you also want to reward the players who show up early or on time, and not jerk them around by starting a game and then breaking it on them by adding a new game/table, especially when they know or can see exactly where the players from this new game are coming from. I have been on the other end of that, and it has pissed me off enough that I took a month off of going back to that room.

In my experience, what you describe is how most rooms handle it - tell the PLO players you'll get their game started as soon as there are enough players on the NL waitlist to replace them, and then follow through on that. In the end, it's the shift mgr's job to know the trends in the room well enough to be expert in deciding what games to open when.

If the players want to get up, fine, let them (as if you could stop them). But still don't start the PLO game up until the NL game has refilled/restarted. Explain that you're not antagonizing them, but that this is the room's process to ensure that they are taking care of all the players, and that some day the shoe may be on the other foot.

IME, as long as:
* The delay before the new game starts isn't too long / never
* The floor seems engaged and aware, and doesn't promise things then wander off for long stretches so that you wonder what the deal is

Then the players seem to accept things fine, and consider the room to be well run even if it doesn't instantly cater to their every whim.

I also have some experience where the opposite happens. The room will call for the table of the new game, and players will filter over there and drop their player cards, but then will return to the game they were playing before. Everyone ends up waiting for everyone else to sit down with chips first, or for the table to fill up, before committing to move over. So the game never gets started. That will also piss off the room managers and make it less likely they try to spread the game before a full list is standing around waiting. But if all the new game players are sitting at the same table already this is less likely, because they can all coordinate better and figure out what the deal will be for getting the game started.

The floor needs to know his room, that said, it could be an impossible situation for the floor. If there isn't enough traffic in the room then there is nothing he can do to fill up the empty spaces at NL. There is no right answer.

Maybe speak the the PLO players and come to some sort of compromise agreement (Monday's and Wednesdays a new PLO is opened as soon as possible and the NLH games will have to make do, Tuesdays and Thursdays the PLO game won't open until the NLH waiting list is full enough). Whatever, the compromise is.

Unfortunately this could lead to PLO players only showing up on nights that are good for them.

No good answer.

Is this true? I assume it is, but I have been finding myself questioning this and I have had a couple of discussions with other dealers where I work and I am starting to maybe lean the other way.

This could be because of our room, but I am not sure.

PLO pros:
1. Bigger pots which can mean bigger tips
2. There is more of a gamble culture at PLO (which leads to bigger pots, but also leads to players being looser with money and tipping more).

PLO cons:
1. The hands are much slower (more cards for players to think about, bigger pots which leads to more thinking).
2. PLO attracts odd ducks (the nicest way I can say it), they can slow the game down with their quirks.

Where I deal, we have lots of PLO regs who will only tip a dollar a pot (which is fine), but combine that with the game being slower the dealer makes less because they are dealing less hands. NLH night be better for dealers. That said, usually Friday and Saturday nights where the PLO games can get more lively, there are many more opportunities for redbirds so it can be more lucrative.

In my old room PLO was, on average, the best tipped game. It was kind of hit or miss, though. Sometimes the games got nitty and it went down to $1/hand or less. Others the reds and greens were flying especially if one specific player was there.

With an inexperienced dealer or the wrong group of players it can be maddening. Many PLO players NEVER SHUT UP and love to try and tell the dealer what to do even when they're clearly already doing it. One of my weaknesses is trying to do math in my head while people are shouting numbers at me.

One big benefit to PLO is that it's something different. When 95% of your job is dealing small stakes NLH to the same people every day, anything different is good.