Did someone say chips? I LOVE chips. Especially free ones. :lollypop:
But seriously, I have zero qualms about taking a sit-out's chips. The only exception I'll make is if I'm heads-up with someone, and it appears that they've lost connection. Then I will stall for a bit to give them a chance to come back online.
That makes sense. I have never experienced this heads up, but in the spirit of fair play I might do the same, if it happen. However with 3 or more players, if I dont take the chips, someone else will, and obviously play can not be halted, just because someone is sitting out.
So if the sit-out player is on my left, and it folds to me in SB, of course I am raising 100% of my range and picking up the dead chips. No way am I going to give him a walk or check it showdown. It is after all his responsibility to sit in.
Also sometimes people just choose to sit out for whatever reason, especially at
freerolls and low buyin event. Maybe he bought in for a dollar, did not expect to run deep, and now he dont have time to finish it, because he is going to a party with his girlfriend. This is not the problem of the other players.