Exposed cards and straddles

[W0lfster]

Hello there,

Just wondering in regards to exposed cards I think we can all agree that killing an exposed hand is out of the question but what happens if a card leaves the table and it stays face down on the floor? Is this regarded as exposed and therefore must be played face up for the remainder of the hand?

In addition, when it comes to straddles, is this regarded as already acting on your hand? The reason I ask this is in case there is an underraise all in by another player preflop. If everyone calls can the straddler raise or only call?

Thanks.

[Dave Miller]

If a card flies off the table while being dealt, it is treated as a regular exposed card while being dealt. In other words, even if it lands face down, it must be shown to every player and replaced with a burn card. The reason is simple. What if it was face up and only the player who was dealt that card saw it? Obviously if it’s an ace, he will claim it was face down. Therefore he doesn’t get the option to choose. It gets replaced and exposed to everyone.

If the player is fiddling with his cards and one falls off the table, then it is ruled a dead hand.

If at showdown, a player is merely trying to table his hand and a card bounces off? That is a judgement call.


Straddles are not allowed in tournaments. Ever.

In cash games, straddles are considered an extra blind, and if nobody raises, the straddler still has that option to raise.

[Nick C]

Dave,

I don't believe a person who straddles can raise unless another player raises the initial straddle.

I also would not kill a hand that was accidently exposed.

[Dave Miller]

The entire point of a straddle is to retain the option to raise when nobody else raised. Otherwise, it would be called a blind raise.

And I’ll repeat that straddles are never allowed in tournaments.

Kill an accidentally exposed hand? No.

But if a card goes off the table due to player fiddling or other negligence, then it probably should be killed, although can be up to the floor’s discretion. Reason? While it might be unlikely to happen, it prevents card swapping.

[Nick C]

Dave,

Always nice to hear from you. I believe that a card off the table (very ratre) by a dealer must be replaced. the player has no option to keep the card face up or down. However, a card dropped by a player during a deal must be kept by that player. I see no reason to justify killing the hand.

As far as the straddle, I guess I will have to get into it a little more. I rarely even play anymore so I might be out of the loop, so to speak!

Thanks for always being there...without you, there would be little to talk about.

[BROOKS]

If the card was exposed during the pitch (flying off the table, landing on the floor - face up or down is considered exposed), then as others have already stated - it is replaced with the burn card,
If this card somehow lands on the floor in the middle of the hand (by the player somehow dropping it), then that is different. The players hand is not killed, but I do not see any reason to expose this card. If anyone saw it, then they saw it, and technically they have an ethical obligation to speak up and say so. I do not think we need to force this player to expose that card for the remainder of the hand.

In regards to straddles - definitely not happening in tournaments. But in a cash game, they are considered a 3rd blind. Which means they have last action. Even if no one has raised, they still have the option to raise, just as the BB would have when there is no straddle and they have last action. As Dave said, that is the entire point of a straddle

[Nick C]

I have to admit I was wrong on the straddle. The straddler (?) will have the last raise option on the initial round.
I looked back at earlier posts on this subject. The biggest issue I found was the difference in straddle amounts in limit vs pot limit and no limit.

Hopefully, we will never have to deal with straddles in tournaments!

[Boris]

Hello folks,

In case of a card flying out of the table during dealing phase, I'd rather consider 2 options:
1. Both suit and rank are known before getting out of dealer's sight : misdeal
2. Suit, rank or both are unknown before getting out of sight : misdeal and change the deck.

An unknown card getting out of the table can be maliciously replaced by a player who is picking it from the floor.
If any game material is getting out of sight of the dealer, this should always be a supervisor call.

[W0lfster]

Thanks for your replies everyone!

I get the impression that dropped cards are dealt with as being exposed and playing with them that lands on the floor could be a judgement call based in the intention whether to kill the hand or not.

In regards to straddles, what is the ruling if a player restraddles? Can the restraddles check if everyone calls preflop?