Can you pull chips out of your pocket in the middle of a hand?

teepack

teepack

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I was playing at the Commerce Casino in LA in July and was in a hand with two other players. One of the other two in the hand had not been at the table long - maybe 10-15 minutes - and had come from another table, so he already had chips. Halfway through this hand (after the flop), he reaches into his pocket and starts pulling out chips as I'm getting ready to bet. I looked at the dealer and just asked, 'Can he keep putting chips on the table?'

The dealer said yes, but it just seemed odd to me that he could start fishing chips out of his pants pocket in the middle of the hand. I decided to check, and when this dude fired out a C-bet, I immediately folded, as did the other guy in the hand.

You can't just add chips to your stack in the middle of a hand, can you?
 
Jillychemung

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Not in a no limit game. In a limit game, sure. Had the player announced to the dealer how much he was playing and just hadn't been able to get the chips out yet? And if the player was a reg, you'll find a lot of dealers that will let them slide on strict enforcement of the rules.
 
vinnie

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No, you can't just add to your stack in the middle of a hand. You can play without the chips physically out in front of you (if you're waiting on a chip-runner, for example), but it should be clear before the hand starts how much you're playing. The only way this should have happened, as has been said, is if the person said they were playing a certain amount and they were still retrieving it from their pockets when the hand started.

I have played in open-stakes games, family games used to be played that way, where cash could come on to the table in the middle of the hand. It then had to stay on the table, and you didn't have to match it (you could go all-in instead of bringing out more money yourself). It's something that used to be common. Somewhere my family got the idea that it was standard. Now that the concept of strict table-stakes is more well known, even they have stopped that practice.

Anyway, it shouldn't have been allowed unless you missed the guy stating how much he was sitting down with.
 
6

6bet me

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If you're involved in the hand, then absolutely not.

Otherwise I could just sit there with a 30bb stack, look at my cards and say "hmmm pocket Aces, I'll top up to 100bb for this hand", or "only pocket Tens, I'll just limp-shove my 30bb stack".

You would have a MASSIVE advantage if you were allowed to top up in the middle of a hand, especially if you could do that postflop. If I have top pair I'll just play with 30bbs. If I have a set I'll top up to 100bbs. You know the gist.
 
teepack

teepack

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That's what I figured. And he made no announcement about having more chips or playing with X amount behind, he just started fishing chips out of his pocket after the flop. He probably only pulled two or three $5 chips out, but I just didn't think it was right.
 
Mr.$t0k

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it is not even on a human, such an attitude to the players at the table is not allowed!
 
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