Tales From the Felt: The Thin White Line
I have played ufabet in over 100 cardrooms, in at least a dozen states, and six different countries. Inevitably, the more places that I play, the broader the range of inconsistencies I encounter with regard to house rules. These inconsistencies are confusing not only to most visitors, but to many local players, as well.
Wherever I go, the issue that seems to create the most trouble is
the interpretation of player action. Such interpretation is not an exact
science. Did a player intend to fold? Did a player intend to check? Did a
player intend to call? Did a player intend to raise? Once, I saw a floorman
called to the table after one player made a subtle hand gesture. The gesture
could have been interpreted either way. Three players thought the player
checked. Three other players thought the player moved his hand unintentionally.
The players started arguing. The blank look on the floorman's face said it all.
What really happened? It depends on who you ask.
Floor people are forced to make their judgments based on eyewitness
accounts, well after the fact. It's virtually impossible to make decisions that
treat all players fairly or take into account what may have been an involuntary
human response to the pressures and distractions of the cardroom. Much of the
confusion about player intent would be resolved by instituting a simple change
inside all cardrooms. In fact, if what I'm about to propose would be
implemented universally, I believe player that disputes and floor decisions
would be reduced significantly. Questions would rarely be raised about a
player's intent or action.
Here's the idea: Place a large oval on top of the felt that rings
the entire table. This means a thin white line separates players from the pot.
Any chips that move across the line (and go inside the oval) are considered to
be part of the pot. Chips are not "in action" until they actually
cross the line. Once chips move across the line, they are irretrievable.
Having a line (or oval-shaped border) means that actions prior to
moving chips across the line are non-binding. This includes cutting and
counting-out chips, as well as subtle hand gestures that can sometimes be
mistaken to invoke action. The line would reduce, if not totally illuminate
various forms of angle shooting, since no bet is actually binding until chips
enter the pot. You can take any number of chips out of your stack; you can move
chips forward; you can move chips backward. No bet is made until chips cross
the line. Of course, all verbal declarations of any kind must be binding.
What gave me the idea to propose this to the poker community
at-large, was my recent visit to the Biloxi Grand in Mississippi. There, I saw
the white line atop every table. The line drawn is about 8-10 inches in front
players. There is plenty of room for chips, drinks, and assorted trinkets
behind the line in front of each player. During my eight-day visit to Biloxi,
there were no incidents of player misrepresentation or arguments about player
intent of any kind -- something that left a great impression on me.
Tony Collins, Vice President of Mississippi Poker Rooms for Grand
Casinos-Park Place Entertainment, is a leading proponent of the line. Collins
explained that he first saw the white line used many years ago in a few small
California cardrooms. He decided to try the line when he took over poker
operations in Biloxi.
"We had a pot-limit Omaha game with $25-50 blinds, which was
a big game," Collins said. "Since pot-limit players have a tendency
to move their stacks around, it was confusing at times to the other players.
Moving chips around called into question what exactly was a declaration of a
bet. I thought the best way to avoid confusion was to use the line on a trial
basis and see if it would make a difference."
The concept proved an immediate success. Soon thereafter, all
tables were equipped with the line. Later, the line was introduced in the poker
room at the neighboring Gulfport Grand -- by player request. Collins
anticipates that eventually all Grand properties in Mississippi will use the
line.
Collins pointed out that games naturally flow better with the
line in place. Dealers are not burdened with the time-consuming task of
reaching for stray chips, which are not always at arms length. In conventional
games, dealers frequently must ask players to push their chips forward. This
slows down the game considerably. "When players start pushing their chips
forward (so they cross the line), we noticed they would also fold their card
there, as well -- and that improved the flow of the game," Collins added.
Some players may not fully understand why these kinds of changes
are necessary, particularly in areas where there are contradictory policies
that address betting procedures. Atlantic City, for example, may very well be
the epicenter of cardroom confusion. In one Atlantic City cardroom any forward
motion with chips in-hand constitutes a bet. In another cardroom, chips can be
moved around freely and must be placed clearly in front of the player and
before it's considered a bet. One cardroom has a rule that you cannot check
with chips in your hand -- although I've noticed it's rarely enforced (another
point of confusion). Another cardroom has a betting policy for live-action and
an entirely different policy in effect for tournaments. Some tournament players
have been shocked to discover that taking large stacks of chips in the hand and
thrusting them forward -- that is, counting out chips well in front on the
table constitutes a bet of the entire stack. The official rule is -- once the
hand moves forward with chips, the action is binding. Visitors to Atlantic City
are sure to find such rules confusing, especially those who play in other
places and may be used to different policies.
Even an experienced Atlantic City player such as myself (I've put
in well over 5,000 hours in Atlantic City cardrooms) is not immune from making
a mistake. Recently, at one casino, I was not aware the cardroom had just
changed their house rule -- that a raise had to be verbally declared. I had
taken a large stack and began counting my chips in front of me and then moved
them forward. My raise was not allowed, since I did not declare my intent to
raise. Multiply my mistake by thousands of other instances and you see the
severity of the problem. Inconsistent rules and contrived confusion benefits no
one, and is highly irresponsible from a management standpoint, especially since
there is now something that can be done that will address this issue.
Why has the white line not been instituted in other cardrooms?
Good question. In all the places I've played, Mississippi (and a few cardrooms
in California) are the only states where I've seen the line used. My best guess
is the line has not gained popularity because many poker room managers are
simply not aware of its existence. Other managers who might have seen the line
first-hand -- or may have heard Tony Collins lobby for its use at the World
Poker Industry Conference last year, in Las Vegas -- might still not fully
appreciate its value. But the line is something that can improve overall operations
inside all cardrooms, in live action and in tournaments.
The white line makes things easier for everyone -- players and
cardroom employees alike. Players would more easily understand what constitutes
a bet, be able to clearly see which players are involved in a hand, and not
have to worry that a betting motion in one cardroom may violate a rule in
another. Management also benefits by not being burdened with so many messy
floor decisions and borderline judgments. Dealers would benefit by not having
to constantly strain to reach for chips and stray cards. The game would flow
better and faster. Isn't that what its all about? Avoiding confusion?
Eliminating contradictions? Speeding up the game? Making things easier for
everyone? The "thin white line" is a concept that's time has come.
Since some poker managers might be curious about how to make a
line on the table, here's a brief summary: There is no need to order customized
felt or employ silkscreen printing. Tony Collins points out that simple fabric
paint can be used, which is available at any arts and crafts store. Once the
line (or circle) is painted, Collins recommends covering the table for at least
a day or so.
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