So question to the dealers. It seems different poker rooms rule this differently. Tournament NLH:
Player calls, next players goes all in, next player doesn’t hear all in or see allin button as he’s watching tv and calls the BB amount instead.

Some rooms say he called the allin. Other rooms say he called the big blind amount exactly so his bet stays if he folds but doesn’t have to go allin.

Is this correct?

Thanks in advance and I hope that’s clear enough.

Couple things to consider here.

Did he say "call"?
Then he's all in.

Did he throw one big chip out?
That's always a call of the last bet made, so he's all in.
A small chip may still be a call of the all in:
TDA rule 41: Silently betting chip(s) relatively tiny to the bet (ex: blinds 2k-4k. A bets 50k, B then
silently puts out one 1k chip) is non-standard, strongly discouraged, subject to penalty, and will be
interpreted at TDs discretion, including being ruled a full call.


Did he put out two chips for a T2000 big blind call when the all in bet is T50k?
Then the T2000 will stay and he can reconsider the all in call.

There are always outlier room rules, but these rulings would be considered pretty standard TDA.

The pretty straightforward part: If the player doesn't verbalize the call but puts in the exact amount of the BB, that should never be ruled a call of the all-in. I think these days most rooms also don't make the player forfeit his chips anymore?

Now if the player verbalized a call we might need a "best interest of the game" ruling to not hold him to a call of the all-in. Another interesting question is in case he called with a bigger chip, like a 1000 at the 800 big blind level, would a room that makes the player forfeit chips take the full 1000 chip or just the 800 call?

Yeah, the OP is missing the third option of "neither", which is way better than the forfeiture BS that can't even be defended by its practitioners.

Also, adding to the list of follow-up considerations is whether anyone has acted behind the undercaller.

According to TDA 51 B, in this situation the TD can either hold the player to the full call or allow them to forfeit the chips they put in and fold. I know this is not popular on this forum, but this would be the correct, standard ruling in a tournament. Of course any cardroom can have their own rules but they tend to follow TDA.

Bleh, your interpretation that those are the only two prescribed options is likely right. I don't know why they leave it open earlier in that paragraph just to constrain the options later.

Tournaments!

Yes .. This is a 'It Depends' situation based on 2022 TDA Rule 51 .. assuming we are still Pre-Flop and the Player DID NOT verbalize 'Call' in the process.

Without some language in the 'Dealer Handbook' for this Room or Sponsoring Tour then this is a Floor Call and the Floor can determine what happens to both the chips in the middle and options the 'offending' Player may have. And the same Floor may rule differently in the same tournament for what may appear to be the same circumstance as well as the 'policy' be different from Room to Room.

Why poker gives this 'pass' to a Player when action changes may be found in the minutes of the discussions that TDA holds every 2-3 years. While I understand that the BB is considered an opening bet for continuity from street to street, I personally don't think that it should be. (Just like I don't really consider a (re-)raise PF as a 3b)

In the Midwest at the majority of the Rooms I play in, during a Tournament, the chips would stay in the middle and the Player would be able to Call or Fold (not Raise). BUT .. BUT .. in a cash game the Player would be able to pull back the chips and have all options. While this seems a potential angle, it is what it is as of right now in these Rooms. GL

It is going to be a ruling from the Floor. And the ruling can vary. Even if a player says "Call" if they then put out chips that would match the first bet but not the raise the Floor will often just make the player pay the first bet amount because it is obvious that was the intent of the player. And there are times the Floor will rule it is a call of the final raise which is more of a technicality but is backed up by the rule.

And as Madlex has alluded there are some rooms where the dealer will allow the player to fold at no cost if the players in the hand all agree it is OK or at least nobody disagrees (and sometimes they will call the floor and it won't be OK...). I will often say out loud I don't think the player should have to put in any chips if I am in the hand (as either other player) and usually there is no disagreement and the Dealer will turn the other way.

I'd expect 'call or forfeit' the amount put there as the standard tournament ruling.