About the #57 and before we can read the version 3.0, can you clarify me on one example:
Player A open bet 200
Player B raises 450
Player C says "5"
What is it for you? 500 or 5000?
GG: Great example so let's do a couple twists on this. First let's look at a straight declaration of 5 without B's raise:
SITUATION ONE:
Game is NL-THE 25-50.
Preflop 3 players smooth call the big blind: Pot size = 150
Post-flop Player A opens for 200: Pot size = 350
Player B smooth calls the 200: Pot size = 550
Player C declares "Five".
So, the new rule requires it be the highest legal increment of 5 that is covered by the pot size. In this example:
500 is covered by the pot size of 550.
5000 is not covered by the pot size of 800.
Thus the unclear bet is ruled as a raise to 500 total.
SITUATION TWO:
Game is NL-THE 25-50.
Preflop 3 players smooth call the big blind: Pot size = 150
Post-flop Player A opens for 200: Pot size = 350
Player B declares "raise to 450": Pot size = 800
Player C declares "Five". Note he does not say "Raise five".
This has to be a Rule 1 decision incorporating pieces of a few betting rules. There are a couple reasonable rulings here IMO:
1: Because the pot size is less than 5000, you could construe "five" to mean 500. So saying "five" is equivalent to saying "five hundred" here. Note per Rule 40-C and 46-A, declaring a number and pushing out that same amount of chips is treated the same. In this situation, pushing out 500 in chips: Under Rule 44-C could be seen as silently pushing out a 500 overchip. Under Rule 46-A, pushing out less than 50% of a raise is a call unless "raise" is first declared.
Thus, for all these reasons you would rule this just a call of 450.2: An alternative ruling that also has some merit is ruling it "a raise
of 500 for a total of 950. Don't like this quite as much as it could be seen as a violation of 46-B where declaring raise and an amount is the total bet. Also this ruling doesn't serve to create any discipline in betting, a major goal of Rule 1 decisions.
3: Some might rule that the player is clearly intending to raise, and since 500 is not a legitimate raise amount then the raise is to 5000 total. But it's early in the game, there's been no prior bet in the 1000's, and that's a heavy over-bet of the pot, so under Rule 57 is it a "reasonable meaning" of "5" to mean 5000 here? Not sure it is, however 5000 is smallest legal raise total amount that begins with "five".
4: Lastly of course you can ask the player to clarify his or her bet, something I like to avoid because the player now has information from his competitor's reactions.
Overall I like Option 1 because it enforces betting discipline, and 500 is IMO the most reasonable bet here given the circumstances. Since 500 is not at least 50% of a raise, I'd rule it a call of 450. I don't hate Option 2 but Option 3 seems like overkill.
Thoughts?