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The buy in was $50 for 30 people $3000 in chips, three tables of ten. Blinds starting at $25 / $50 for the first hour raising every half hour their after. I spent a few minutes before the game at each table going over some general rules. One thing I did specify during this time was for the dealer to keep control of all the muck cards, and for the players to be responsible and protect their hands.

So this leads to question #1.

A players card got swiped into the muck pile (by someone not in the hand no less, but trying to help the dealer keep a fast pace of the game). He had Pocket kings with a king on the flop of course. My ruling was he was out of the hand his cards were mucked. To harsh? Is their some leeway here?

Question # 2

As the blinds were going to be raised one table started playing the wrong level. Our other 2 tables had yet to start dealing for that level. Instead of playing $75/150 they went to 100/200. Being they had had already started betting I felt in fairness to everyone I made every one play the same 100/200 bypassing the 75/150. But we played that level for 1 hour instead of the 1/2 hour. Correct call?

Question # 3

For the final table I was dealer. As I was dealing the cards to keep a fast pace, upon coming to a player would didn't act immediately as the dealer I would tell them their options. For example if I came to the big blind I would say "check or raise." I had a player tell me to stop telling them their options they felt as thought I was putting the raise idea into their heads were they might have only checked. I felt as the dealer it was my job to make sure the player knew his options. Should the dealer be mute?

Thanks again for such a great site!

Answer:

Before I answer these questions, I wanted to mention two things about home tournaments in general and taking the role of a director, dealer or floor person. Your word is law. Even if someone doesn't agree with it, if you rule that, it goes. Secondly, don't beat yourself up if you occasionally make a ruling that isn't correct. I can't count how many times I've had rulings made against me that are totally ridiculous. And often times the rulings are inconsistent from one day to the next. Half the time one floor person will say one thing, half the time the other. That isn't to say that anything goes, since these are mainly more tricky situations, but none-the-less, they make errors all the time, so you making one now and then isn't the end of the world. (One decision that always is inconsistent is in limit holdem regarding when it is considered heads up. In heads up play in limit holdem, you can infinitely raise back and forth. Some floor people say that this happens only at the start of the betting round, others after if someone folded and made it heads up.)

Now as for your questions:

1. Your first ruling is perfect. One bit of advice I would give, which is actually a rule, is that as a player, you aren't allowed to touch any cards other than your own. And the rule is that if the cards touch the muck pile, they are dead. (Speaking of inconsistency with rulings, one time I was at an Indian casino and the floor person actually asked the player what he/she had, and removed the cards from the muck. That was totally absurd. Also, at Commerce once at the 40/80, someone tried to say that in the official rulebook, it said nothing about not being able to remove folded hands from the muck. That is plain wrong. In every decent cardroom, the rule is that if the cards touch the muck pile, they are dead. There are no exceptions. Protect your hand at all times. It isn't the dealers fault if you get them tossed.)

2. Perfect. You've preserved consistency amongst the tables. Good job.

3. I have mixed feelings about this topic. On one hand, it is fine if the dealer reminds new players what their options are and when it is their turn, on the other hand, I hate when the dealers do this to me. I think in your case, you did the right thing by helping players out. After someone asks you to stop doing that, you just quit. I'm polite and very respectful of the dealers, even if they make errors. I never curse or even snap at them. One thing that will annoy me to the point of saying something is if they keep reminding me when it is my option, or pointing in my direction. This isn't low limit holdem and I'm fully aware of when it is my turn. What cracks me up sometimes is when a dealer trying to rush the game does this to some old guy, who is in the hand on the turn for example, trying to think, and he replies with, "I know it's my &*(#ing turn!" hehehe

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