In fairness, I sort of said it was okay (by asking why he's blaming the regs), but I stand by it. The floor either certified it as a three-max game, certified it as a private game, or didn't have the guts to control the room he or she is responsible for controlling.

The regs were exploiting a situation perpetuated — if not created — by the floor. I'm not certain I wouldn't have done the same. Proportionally, their blame is a blip.

Granted, we've learned more information since I said that.

I'm Alex, a Captain in the British Army that has served his country in Afghanistan. And you are Fish Taco?

I'll introduce you to these 2 guys if you want they are probably still there. PM me for details. I hope you all live happily ever after.

You are nobody if you are not a Captain in the British Army.

Better to be Kim Kardashian or equally as glamorous - a forum troll these days.

From what little time I've spent in london poker rooms I can imagine this happening.

Its likely the floor thought he would get more trouble from these two clowns for letting you play than he would from you for not letting you play.

So you're not even a real king?

So OP, you're saying that there was only that 3 man 2/5 game going, and there were 3 others on the list to play 2/5 (maybe 4 with you?) and the floor wasn't calling the names on the list to join the table? It sounds like to me that the whole fault of this lies with the floor management. They must have OK'd this "private" game, or else how could they not be calling the other names on the list to go play? So I'd say your anger should be directed fully at management in this case, not really the players. (even if the players put the floor up to it--a decent floor wouldn't have allowed it).

I agree, although most respectable players I know wouldn't have made it a private game in the first place, and then got angry with and verbally gone to town on someone innocently trying to join it.

You should name the casino - not sure why you wouldn't

I guess it can't be the Vic.

So it's most likely Hippo?

Why not go in and speak to them and ask why they did this.

I've heard a lot about this type of thing in certain London clubs. There are some rooms where a small group of players run the room because the staff are afraid (and powerless).

You obviously know how this works, so what's the point of the thread?

if "didn't get anywhere" with the floor means the floor told you it was indeed a private game, then you should have minded your own business and played the 1/2. even the most inexperienced floor should be able to speak english and be able to tell you whether or not the game was private. it seems likely you just didn't like their answer and were jealous of the regs getting to sit with someone you perceived to be a whale. too bad.

OP mentioned that the floor did't do poop for him when he asked them about this "private," game.

In general Poker is a gross display of humanity. We tolerate drunks, *******s, people falling asleep, smelly people, loud and annoying mornons all the time and all just to get the odds more in our favor. This is generally accepted as part of the game.

There are articles written on bum hunting - is this wrong? Is it wrong to allow someone who cannot keep their eyes open to continue to play poker? Is it wrong to talk someone into folding a winning hand at the table? Everyone is going to draw the line somewhere. The closer you get your line to anything goes, the better poker player you are going to be.

For your situation, player were acting very sleezy, but I tend to say anything goes. Floor is clearly wrong for allowing them to make a game private when there is a list waiting.

You don't ask for permission; you apologize later. The proper line is to sit and see if the floor makes you get up. I wouldn't let it get to security being called, but I would ask why, and what the repercussions would be if I didn't comply.

Implied odds of regs getting physical and you winning a lawsuit.

But the real question here is if you care about being disallowed some of that whale blubber, of if you truly sympathize with the poor fellow losing his money (voluntarily and fair&square, truthfully). Only you know the answer to that.

Was this poker game in some dudes garage?

ive never even heard of this kind of thing at a real casino or poker room, ever. unless it was being filmed for twitch or TV.

This is why there are rules prohibiting private games in public spaces at many US casinos.

If the regs followed the law and casino rules, there's nothing you can do except suck up to the regs so they cut you in.

I have no idea about norms or laws in the UK but if the floor was enforcing some made up "private game" crap, that's atrocious. So yes, talk to the shift manager or just sit down and dare the bozo floor.... no, never mind, better just ask for the shift manager.

Second worst thing there was tailing the dude to the cash machine. What the hell are they planning to do if he changes his mind? Tell him he's not allowed to leave? These jackasses need to learn better customer service.

Other than those two items, I don't see what they did wrong. Why did you think confronting them directly would be better than finding someone in authority? Or was the cardroom short staffed and this floor was the person in authority?

At least in the United States, floorpersons don't usually have absolute authority over the operations of the poker room. No idea about the UK. That's why I'm curious if there was a shift manager, casino manager, whatever, perhaps not immediately visible. Can't hurt to ask.

Do the gambling authorities in the UK exercise any real regulatory power or just go along with whatever the rooms want?

The colluders sound like really cool guys actually. Spying on a whale to make sure he reloads. Lol. Talk about commitment. They were probably buying him drinks too and trying to up the stakes.


OP you seem like a major buzz kill. People are trying to gut a whale and you damn near spoiled it.

Your much better off at 1/2 where everyone plays "nice" while they limp in with aces and check back the second nuts

So what would you expect them to do if he starts to veer away from the cash machine? There's transparently manipulative in a fun way and transparent in a creepy way; not sure which one this fits under.

I think they should go over there and buddy up with him and convince him to stay. If he is a semi reg, they could even loan him money interest free, just to have another shot at burying him.

Yeah. Definitely go with the collusion route if you can get a seat here