Reshuffling the Deck
AUSTIN–I’m still in the Texas heartland, and I couldn’t have left here without playing some cards. All went well while playing an un-raked game at a bar that gives out awesome cheesy truckers’ hats to its patrons. I had “Brad Beats” sitting to my right — his hat said “If I wanted to hear an asshole, I would fart” — and he and I got into it about a rule that I know all too well.
You see, I made a mistake and dealt the turn prematurely. Right right, I know what you are thinking … But Dan, we have gone over this one time and time again! I know. But apparently Brad Beats hasn’t been reading his Pokerati everyday like he should, and he thought he knew the right way to rectify this dealer misstep.
Cool, I will bet you $100 you are wrong, I retorted.
“Dude, I’ve seen this happen two times in Las Vegas, so I know I am right!”
OK, then how ’bout $1,000? I’ll even give you 5-to-1 odds. (It’s fun to have a potential prop bet where you are virtually certain to be holding the nuts …)
The dispute was whether or not, when reshuffling the errantly exposed card … do you include the discards? Or is it just “the stub.”
Ever the political arbitrator, Lavigne in Austin — who was wearing a hat that said “At my age sex isn’t really like the 4th of July … it’s more like Thanksgiving” — offered to call Bob Ciaffone (who is on the Board of the Texas Poker PAC) to settle the matter, but in the end, not to spark a brawl, Sweet Texas Jimmy just mucked his hand to make it irrelevant, and we agreed to look it up later.
Anyhow, Brad … just wanted to let you know I will now bet you $1 million dollars that you are wrong, and give you infinity odds.
If only making poker legal was this easy …
Brad Beats says:
April 5th, 2007 at 2:12pm
Actually, the bet wasn’t that I was wrong — it was that you were right and I was wrong. In the end we both were wrong. Since you just wanted to reshuffle before dealing the replacement card. And it did happen to me twice.
I wish you would have paid attention to the hat.
DanM says:
April 5th, 2007 at 2:27pm
Brad, that’s so not true. You never let me get in my explanation of how it really works. But I was OK with that … because you were a little drunk and wearing a cool hat. But had you taken any bet, we surely woulda clarified the terms up front.
Not to one-up you on this, but some of us have seen it happen more than twice in Las Vegas and multiple casinos around the country. In fact, some of us have spent more than two years as a tournament director, where he had to handle this situation multiple times. In fact, some of us have discussed the theory on this rule and debated whether the original river should stay as the river, or be made into the turn (as prescribed by Robert’s Rules, version 7 5.8).
Just sayin’ …
If you would like to study this rule further, you can find more here.
Fresh Princess says:
April 5th, 2007 at 2:41pm
This has happened to me several times over the years. It has always been handled in accordance to rule #8. Adding cards to the deck would change the odds.
Brad Beats says:
April 5th, 2007 at 3:00pm
Sorry, Dan, I know it’s your blog so you get some license to lie, but your prescribed resolution was to reshuffle the card (sans discarded cards) and then dealing the turn. Clearly not in compliance with the rule you love to keep linking to. As I previously stated – we both were wrong, and I thank you for the clarification. I stand corrected.
Now can we discuss which one of us made any money last night?
It wasn’t you. And I do read enough of the blog to know that’s not an uncommon occurence…
Jamie D says:
April 5th, 2007 at 3:08pm
“Do I smell a fart or do I smell love?”
Fresh Princess says:
April 5th, 2007 at 3:16pm
Seriously! Where’s the love, fellas? brothers?
Brad Beats says:
April 5th, 2007 at 3:19pm
It’s still there. Dan was hurt at the table recently and has a hard time showing his feelings.
I still love you, Dan. I’ll be first in line to by Dan’s Rules v0.1.
DanM says:
April 5th, 2007 at 3:22pm
Yes, Brad, I have little more to say about this. because i would’ve needed a full 20 seconds to explain yesterday, and I did not get that. (I am sure my radio cohorts Tom and Karridy are laughing.) Seriously, I wasn’t able to finish the sentence that explained pulling the natural river aside to keep the integrity of the deck … which is why I was willing to wager simply that you were wrong.
I tell you what … I’ll let you slide by paying just half the bet. So you owe me a half-million times 1/2 infinity. Cool?
By the way, this is a perfect example of why regulated poker (protected via video cameras) is a good idea. Not only would we have had floor personnel on hand, but we could always go to the tape.
Ed says:
April 5th, 2007 at 3:41pm
My rule for when Dan screws up a hand and I have the nuts is:
Rule #632: If Dan screws up the turn (again) throw your hole cards — that gave you the nuts — at him and as he is flinching kick him in HIS nuts.
It is almost as good as the rule about catching him dealing off the bottom.
Ed
Fresh Princess says:
April 5th, 2007 at 3:46pm
You deal off the bottom?
DanM says:
April 5th, 2007 at 3:51pm
How else can you expect to get the desired river card?
P.S. i can’t believe how many people play without cut cards here in austin! even more reason to regulate!