Five minutes is LONG time to wait in a low stakes cash game. I don’t think I have ever seen someone tank that long without a clock called.

agreed with the others

if it's someone who doesn't tank he can have the time he needs to make a big decision - i'll always give these people the benefit of doubt and not call clock

if it's someone who hems and haws for trivial decisions, i'll tell them i'll start with clock any time they tank, once in a tourney i had to call clock on a guy preflop repeatedly, standard spots like he'd try to button steal and and get 3bet and he'd sit there sipping his coffee for 3 minutes before folding

i've called clock on myself a number of times where i had a big decision and couldn't decide what to do, didn't help the decision, but it sped the game up at least

That’s why I posted. Happens way to often with 3 people in my room. That’s why I was trying to get some perspective of maximum time (I think 2 min is fair for most part.)

So I’m trying to get a concensus of pretty much in general what players here think is a fair max. And not because habitual. Just a max in general.

Except in extremely unusual circumstances, two min is plenty time to wait is cash games. IMO.

In practice you’re going to make a lot enemies calling the clock on everyone after two minutes. That may not matter to any of you but it does to me.

I have personally called the clock less than five times. Then again seldom does anyone in these games tank two min. Had a clock called on me one time. It was longer than two minutes. But I was actually waiting on the other player to act. I rivered a monster and missed his check while rechecked my hole cards. But I never considered calling clock on him because such events are rare here.

Not sure what games you’re playing in where a lot of players frequently take more than two minutes for a decision. I probably wouldn’t play in that game even if it was soft because it sounds boring AF. But if I did and everyone was happy with playing 15 hands per hour, I probably wouldn’t say anything either.

In regular games, tanking more than two minutes isn’t common at all though. Especially not by “a lot of players” that you could turn into enemies. I’d say the vast majority of games have zero to one habitual tanker. I can’t remember ever playing in a game where even half the table frequently took more than two minutes to make a decision.

Two minutes is a really long time and a pretty rare tank. Like I probably more expect the tanking player to say "Oh it's on me??" when somebody finally calls the clock than for him to have actually been thinking about something that whole time.

I’ve been a dealer. There’s at least one two minute tank every down. You guys are cappin or don’t know what two minutes looks like.

At 1-2 1-3 and 2-5 I very seldom see 2 min tanks.

Derail...this discussion about keeping speed up make me think of this. Went to Big Easy room recently. The list showed “1-2 speed NL”. So I ask what is speed nl. They say it is nl but the dealers push the game to speed it along.

Then I sit at a game. Third hand I see two Vs get all in. Next thing I know they are discussing once or twice. One guy wanted to show hole cards then decide. The other wanted to decide first. Any speed the dealer might achieve was lost before they got around to wasting time dealing two boards.

Oh damn! How many hands do you deal per down?

I tracked about 45 hands every hour. More at a limit table, less at a no limit table. Believe me when I say that I wish I could call the clock on players lol

Yeah at my room roughly 30-35 hands an hour for limit - 5 players in every hand all the way to the river takes time.

The 2-100 spread limit game (closest version of NL per state laws) plays about 35-40 hands an hour.

I've never felt the need to call a clock on anyone. Habitual tankers don't seem to be much of a thing in my area. Heck, the number of guys doing the hat, hoodie and sunglasses routine at the cash games has almost disappeared. Makes my day just thinking about it.

Calling clock really tilts some people. This can be a benefit.

If the tanker is a winning/breakeven player and even sort of a jerk, anything I can do to get him to either play faster, tilt, or quit is worthwhile. I call clock quickly in those situations, as quickly as the cardroom rules allow.

Happened tonight.
$2/$5, guy in question is a serial-tanker, dealers even jokingly call him "Tank"

4-5 times a night the guy will tank for 3-5 mins on rivers

Today I finally had enough, and simply said "How bout like 1 more minute or so then a decision?"

Guy loses his mind on me... That's the downside

"It's been 2 minutes [It had been 5+] F-ck you... You piece of sh-t" etc etc
He folds and continues to play the next 6 hands as slow as possible, like 45 seconds pre before limping $5 and stuff

Just the absolute worst. And of course while he's tanking people get up from the game, he kills the vibe/flow, the people there to give away money and have fun getting frustrated. So someone needs to say something, but of course now I gotta sit by this hayseed who wants to shiv me

That's a tough situation. Some people appreciate it when you give them a polite heads up before calling clock. But in this case, given he is such a well known tanker, its unlikely he will. I'd suggest talking to a floor away from the table, and see if he could maybe monitor the situation and possibly speak to the tanker away from the table. (Not pull him away and make a scene, But catch him away from table). But he may have already done that, given how much the guy tanks.

If that is the case, just tell the dealer "clock" each time he tanks until eventually either he or the floor will get tired of it and he will stop or the floor will take more aggressive action.

I would find out the minimum amount of time (usually it’s one minute) to call the clock and start calling it as soon as that time hits. No need to needle, or he will be able to rationalize that you’re the one being the *******.

That's a tough one, first if possible I'd simply change tables if this guy is there. Don't need the hassle.

Second can you speak to the floor about the guy?

Third approach is just start calling the clock on him every single time and then call the floor over as soon as he curses you out. Where I play, you're not allowed to tell people to go eff themselves or that they are POSs (jokes between friends excepted) so you could get the guy kicked out for the day if he can't control his mouth when "provoked". If you are friendly with other regs, I would try to get them in on this plan so he's losing his chit at different people each time, that way it's obvious who the problem is. This depends on having a floor that enforces civil behaviour though.

Tanking (unless frequent or excessive) at a cash table doesn't really bother me. Or, at least, I'm more lenient with it than tournament play.

I rarely ever tank, but when I do, I always immediately say "Sorry, everyone, but I might take a minute or two here."

I have never called a clock on anyone.

But I suppose if it took more than 10 mins I might (but probably not)

I used to call clock but now I don’t as I agree it kills the vibe. Now instead after a minute or two I say something like “where are we?” which I consider less abrupt and a more polite way of saying hurry up. Usually gets it done.

I have come to the conclusion that, in a cash game, there is no amount of time elapsed before calling the clock which will avoid being cursed out by the player whose action it is. It is beyond aggravating and one of the worst things about live poker.

Im a pretty impatient person..

Youll have to take my word for it.

I will never call the clock on someone ever again(i dont think i have in maybe 10 years or ever i legit dont remember). Theres literally no upside.

I actually find ir funny how tilted people get over it. Its usually the nittiest of nits who probably is thinking its cutting into his hourly of 1bb. But its not. And the last thing you would want to do is affect the decision adversely and have someone not go on tilt. So i say let chips fall where they may and let them tank.

Its one of those golden rules thing for me. Like if someones tanking against me and gets clock called and it changes their decision thats tilty. So i would never want to impact their decision and impart this on someone else.

It also cuts off the persons line of thinking which is uninetend but its always a binproduct of this situation. Idk just kinda seems wrong.

Whats the world record for tanking like 8mins? 12mins?

Has an entire dealers down elapsed? Doubtful.

I say let them tank. Even the players that are bad for the game deserve this respect.

I have more of a problem w habitual tankers. Thats an extra reason why time should never be called in a single situation.

If it’s a time game tanking is ****ed up and disrespectful.

Assuming a big bet/pot, I wait until roughly twice the normal amount of time people usually take and then look at my watch. If three minutes go by I tell the player it's been 3 minutes, that's usually enough. If asked if I'm calling a clock, I'll answer: not yet.

I figure on waiting for two more minutes, but 15+years of playing NL, that's never happened.