Poker Forum

WSOP-2006, I made a ruling on John Phan's play. It was NL Hold'em event. Level 1, blind was 25-50. John Phan was on big blind, pre-flop action, every body folded to small blind, small blind called, John Phan took back 2x25 chips toss a 500 chip in the pot. This looked like such obvious raise. But the person at small blind asked dealer to called floor whether the one chip rule will be applied or not. I made quick ruling "this is a call, the 500 chip equals to 50 at this point.". My ruling made John Phan really unhappy. I'm a poker player too. I know this is an obvious raise, but player could also use the TDA and WSOP rules to take a shot on this case:
1) If the small blind fold, the big blind would takes the pot.
2) If the small blind call or even raise, the big blind could claim he just need use the 500 chip to get change, he need save the 25 chips for the small blind. He wants to fold and get change back.
The philosophy of the poker rules are stop or avoid players take shots on their play.
I made this ruling according the TDA-Tournament Director Association rule as well as WSOP-2006 rule #10: In limit games, an oversized chip will be constituted to be a call if the player does not announce a raise. In no-limit, an oversized chip before the flop is a call: after the flop, an oversized chip by the initial better put in the pot will constitute the size of the bet. In pot-limit and no-limit, if a player states raise and throws in an oversized chip, the raise will be the maximum amount allowable up to the size of that chip.

Actually this was an incorrect ruling. The 50 chips were already out there. Action had come back to him and he pulled the 50 back and put out the 500, that is a raise. The oversized chip rule is when the action is to the person is initially calling. John had an OPTION and he had money already out there. He took back 50 and threw in 500. Thats a raise.

Not that it matters now since that happened a year ago...