I played at Turning Stone this week and they had a third man walking rule so that is something to potentially be aware of. They only allowed a third player taking a break 5 minutes to return.

Wow, that's a ridiculous rule.

'Normal' 3rd Man Walking is that the Player gets picked up at their first missed Big Blind, so 5 minutes is steeper than that. Players just roll their eyes when the Dealer announces that rule since they usually know what they're doing and step away after/on their B. GL

I played there a couple weeks ago I'm pretty sure it's 10 min., I remember being told that when my friend and I tried to get u when someone was already gone.

That is a completely normal and good rule. It allows a player to go take care of urgent business while also keeping it from having 7 players all gone for dinner for an hour.

Many would prefer it be a second man walking rule.

Plus it appears some rooms now have a modified first man walking rule (though it is 15 or 20 min in Chicago, maybe.)

Personally, I am fine with 2 or even 3 players away and a 4th needing to take a quick break. Then again, I don't have a problem playing short handed...even have played heads up cash long enough to keep a table open and refill.

even if it is 5min, it is still effectively 10min. If invoked at 5min, dealer calls over floor, floor checks how long player has really been gone (clocked out to lobby) which is normally a check at the podium, then has to call security, go count the chips while eye in sky is "watching', then you are picked up. Plus if the first man out is over his allowed time (something else that has to be checked), he gets picked up first and then 3rd man walking is now 2nd man.

IME, floors hate to pick up someone if they have only been gone long enough to get in a smoke or restroom break, only to have them show up before the process is complete and the efforts all wasted.

TLDR, very seldom is 3rd man walking actually picked up if he is gone 4 min over his allowed time.