I would like to ask something but I don’t know if it would make sense. What will you do if you want to use the facilities or want to get some of the free grub? Will you leave your chips or take them with you in case?

Another thing, what if while you are gone, one of the blinds passes you by, ante up one more time?

Thanks,
Norman Morisset
Norman,

You leave your chips at the table. If the blinds pass you by while you are gone, it depends on whether you are in a cash game or a tournament. If you are in a cash game, you must post the small and big blind to receive a hand. Otherwise, you must wait until it is your big blind again to play. If you are in a tournament, you will continue to be dealt and your blinds and antes posted while you are gone. When you come back, you play as normal.

Assume that at a $1/$2 no-limit game, buy-in is $100. Say you’re doing very well and are actually up the buy-in four times. However, because of some reasons like fear and lack of confidence, you thought of reducing the chips you have put in.

Well, I personally believe you can just leave the table and re-join for the normal buy-in at NHLE, however I’m not so sure if it’s the same thing at live cash games. Any idea? I heard once that the chips must remain in play, is this true? Also, is it a good thing to keep a few chips to secure the bankroll?

Thanks!

Regards,
Raf Bobwin
Raf,

In a live game this sort of thing is frowned upon. Many casinos ban it. If you want to take some of your chips off of the table, get up and leave the game and cash out. If you want to come back in, go back through the brush to obtain a new seat if you are in a live game. If you are online, just quit the table and buy back in with a new buyin.

As far as whether it is a good idea to secure some profit, sometime it is good, and sometimes it is not. It depends on whether it makes you play differently. If you want to secure some, and come back in and plan to play normally, then fine. But if you plan to come back into defend from losing your winnings, then don’t do it.

I played poker Monday night. There was a not so common hand that had 4 players after the flop, player 1, 2, 3, and 4. If I can remember it right, player 1 was the first to act. Eventually, player 2 bet out of turn and then went all in and so then moved his chips into the pot without hesitations. Player 1 then followed player 2 and so also went all in and then moved his chips of course into the pot.

Eventually, two players have acted out of turn as the action should have been to player C with the hand of player 2 intended to be checked.

Our rules went as follows:

1. Player 2 acted out of turn.
2. Then there was still an action right after his bet although player 1 now acted out of turn.
3. The bet of player 2 was binding due to player 1′s action.
4. Because of the incident, players 3 and 4 can play their hand.

What’s your thoughts?

Thanks!

Regards,
Browner
Browner,

This is how it should have went.

1. Player 2 acted out of turn. Player receives a warning for acting out of turn.
   
2. Player 1 has an option to either check or bet. If the player checks, then player 2’s bet is binding. If player 1 bets, then player 2 has the option of taking his bet back and acting accordingly.
   
3. When player 1 bet, player 2 had the option of taking his bet back and folding, calling the all-in of player 1, or reraising if he had more chips.
   
4. Play continues as normal to player 3 and 4.

At home together with some friends, I usually play poker. In a recent game, there were three players left, player 1, player 2 and me as player 3. Player 1 has somebody to help him all throughout while me and player 2 have no one. At mid part of the game, I noticed that the person helping player 1 was keeping half of the chips. Do you think that was legal? Personally, I believe it wasn’t at all.

Thanks in advance!

Kaye Welbourn
Kaye,

This is outright cheating. I am surprised you are allowing this to continue. Also, they are removing money from the table. This is also frowned up in cash games. In some casinos, players that take money off the table must cash out and come back into the game after going through the list.

In poker it is supposed to be one player to a hand. Receiving help is cheating.