Our return to rules lessons is simple this week, acting in turn;
Rule 50: Acting in Turn
A: Players must act in turn verbally and/or by pushing out chips. Action in turn is binding and commits chips to the pot that stay in the pot.
B: Players must wait for clear bet amounts before acting. Ex: NLHE, A says “raise” (but no amount), and B quickly folds. B should wait to act until A’s raise amount is clear.
The more applicable rule for us is section B. Far too often, I see someone say bet or raise and then one or more of the players behind choose to fold before the bet amount is announced. This a no-no as you may be affecting the amount of the bet or raise. Please wait for the amount to be declared before folding. This rule also applies for those leaving the table for unscheduled breaks. Players are free to leave the table for a break whenever they like (please be there for your deal) but when you look at your cards and then walk away, effectively folding out of turn, you may also be affecting the play ahead of you. If you are going to look at your cards, please have the decency to wait til it's your turn, to fold. Unless there is some sort of emergency, players that do either repeatedly may be penalized.
Dead Man's Hand Poker uses the rules set forth by the Poker Tournament Directors Association. The Poker TDA is a voluntary poker industry association founded in 2001. The TDA mission is to increase global uniformity of poker tournament rules. The Poker TDA rules can be found here.
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