K-Lo, Spence, Mark, Stuart and Chet,
I thought I'd address the group that responded to this question. In all of the years of training dealers I have always advised them to encourage players at their table to clarify their intentions. One of the issues that I've experienced is the players that say nothing, and just push their bet forward. As a dealer and a player, I've always preferred the players that clearly announce their action, especially the amount they intend on betting. The rules however, do not promote verbal declarations. Consider the player who announces a call on an incorrect bet of $20, when there was a $100 raise in front of him that he somehow missed. If he pushed his $20 forward without saying anything, he might be allowed to retract his wager...right? However, if the same player announced a call, he might be committed to the full bet. If a player behind him acts, then he's really in trouble. This is why I disagree so often with the strict rules used in tournament play. I always go back to some of the older rules that don't have reference numbers but are under rules of etiquette and ethics. If the player obviously had no intention of calling a raise, is it in the best interest of the game to force him to call?
The point I'm trying to make is, the rules do not encourage saying anything and I can understand why some players don't say a word. Perhaps we should play "mum poker,"
(don't laugh), I actually played in a house game where players were charged $$$ any time they spoke.
I like it when players and dealers announce bets and raises but I think many rules support the opposite.
How do you feel? I want to encourage clarity, but is it wise for players to comply with verbal declarations? The risks can be too great.