Dealer misunderstood and mucks winning hand

[Nick C]

K-Lo,
 I'd never embarrass the dealer in front of others, but our private session might be memorable!!!

[Brian Vickers]

Player A Bets
Player B says "(inaudible)" and tables his hand (A-K).
Dealer mucks B's hand and pushes the pot to Player A.
Player A never shows his hand, but releases the cards to the dealer.
Player B then says "what are you doing, I said 'I call'?"

In your original example, you said player B had "the winning hand" but how do we know it if A-K wasn't the exclusive nuts on that board?  Player A may have had the winning hand (or the same hand), but the hand never went to showdown to prove it.  For all we know, Player A actually did have the nuts that hand.  Player A, IMO, did not leave his hand unprotected, and Player B apparently waited until Player A's cards were mucked to bring up the problem.  Unless this dealer was just ungodly fast and paid that little attention to his surroundings then it sounds like Player B may have been angle shooting here.

[K-Lo]

Player A Bets
Player B says "(inaudible)" and tables his hand (A-K).
Dealer mucks B's hand and pushes the pot to Player A.

Somehow, Brian's situation seems easier for me.  B should speak up as soon as his hand is mucked and the pot is being pushed to A;  if B says nothing, then he has failed to protect his hand;  A had the last live hand and keeps the pot.

However, say it played out like this:
Player A Bets
Player B says "(inaudible)" and tables his hand (A-K).
Player A never shows his hand, and releases the cards to the dealer thinking B has folded.  Player B's "A-K" is still tabled. 
Dealer pushes the pot to Player A.  Player B then says "what are you doing, I said 'I call'?"

In that case, in my opinion, A has failed to protect his hand and B should get the pot.   

I think the specific facts and the timing of the acts performed by the dealer really do matter.  Fun times.

[Nick C]

I don't know how AK gets the pot. If he put his money in, I'd give it to him...but he didn't. Sounds like a bunch of dummies playing, and dealing!
Neither player deserves the pot, maybe you should leave it in the center for the next hand! That might teach them a lesson.