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You are the Tournament Director Series 3: Busted During the Dinner Break

Players break for dinner and the tournament director clock is set to 45 minutes for the break. The break clock counts to zero but the TD has not yet returned, reset the clock or announced the restart. One of the dealers thinks that play has restarted and deals a hand, a few of the players are not yet back at the table. One player busts out then they realise that the break isn’t officially over and the clock hasn’t restarted. The busted player now approaches you and wants his chips back and the hand voided. How do you rule?

Matt Savage:
Sorry, while the hand was not supposed to be played it was and the action stands. Seems that the player was trying to get away with one here, had he won the pot would he have complained?

Thomas Kremser:
If the tournament hasn’t been started and the players haven’t returned, the dealer shouldn’t have dealt the hand. Following I would declare the hand void.

Dave Lamb:
It stands as played. The busted player had an opportunity to address the clock issue prior to playing the hand and while it was in progress. He also had a chance to benefit from the premature restart and has no redress once the action is accepted.

Jeff Leigh:
In this instant it is clearly the dealers error and I would rule the hand void and return the chips to all the players.

Jack Effel:
Action stands. Even though the dealer restarted the tournament prematurely, any player at the table had an opportunity to speak up. Had the player won the pot and doubled up, I don’t think this question would have made it in this post.

Thomas Lamatsch:
The complaint is coming too late. With the first action, check, call or any bet, the player accepts the hand, even if the clock didn’t start yet and a clear fault of the dealer was preceded.

The game remains valid and the player is out of the tournament.

The Mob Verdict

Interesting scenario with the TDs split four to two. Matt, Dave, Jack and Thomas L all say that the hand is valid whilst Thomas K and Jeff rule it void.

It certainly looks like the player has tried to pull a stroke here once he has lost his chips. Something that the TDs haven’t considered is the players that are not yet at the table. They haven’t had the opportunity to play their hands and they may have lost blinds or antes. However the clock has counted all the way down to zero and they knew that the TD should be back and that the action should have restarted.

We think that the hand is clearly valid for that reason.

If the dealer had dealt the hand slightly early it would be a trickier decision, but even then, the hand should probably stand so long as all players were present and had not pointed out the mistake before the hand. If it had started early and any of the players had not returned it should certainly be void.

Dealers often start a hand shortly after the start of the break because they didn't hear or notice that the level had ended. Once there is significant action no-one ever suggests that such hands should be void. Such hands stand even if some players have walked away during the hand before. If a player had walked from the table after the break had started and the dealer had gone on to deal another hand the player would have a legitimate grievance which would present the TD with a headache, but the hand would normally stand. Players are taking a small risk if they leave before the dealing at their table has ended, but it is not reasonable to expect them to take the risk of a dealer starting early.

In this case, the player is simply attempting to freeroll. All players were back from the break and none of them pointed out the dealer's mistake before the hand was played. There was no unfair advantage to any player. The hand stands.

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