Are players entitled to know the stack sizes of other players?

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Millie232

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I host a weekly poker tournament at my university where I deal (the Students' Union has forbidden me from playing as a professional player, which I think is fair since I'm also the president of the society, so it'd be iffy) in low stakes tournaments of about £1-5, where prize pools are usually £25-100 per week. The situation arose where one player asked how many chips another had and the player who was asked refused to give a count. I, as the dealer, leant over and started counting their chips, at which point the player in question told me they didn't want the other player to know.

This player is not a newbie, they are a solid poker player with much live tournament experience in real casinos, which is why I was a bit confused when I was told that he thought that he was allowed to obscure his chip count from other players. I insisted that other players are allowed, and the player eventually agreed. My assumption (and experience) is that, if asked, the chip counts of any player should be made available to other players upon request. Is this the case?
 
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AlbieTross

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I would say yes because that can determine how you'll make your move. Say you have a stack of 15,000 in the small blind and the big blind only has 500. Perhaps you want to be a big stack bully or change how you play depending on the size of the stacks of your opponents. I personally wouldn't want to play at a table that wouldn't allow me to view the stack sizes of other players.
 
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FrothyGoodness

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Entitled ? Hell no. The ONLY time someone should be able to get a count on somebody's chips is if said person has moved all in and wants a count to see if it's worth calling. Otherwise screw off. Most places have players keep their larger chips out front or visible so players can guesstimate their chipstack
 
psy0nyd3

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Although I don't know the standard rules my understanding is that you do have a right to know. Effective stack size is very important especially on turn and river decisions. I am not sure whether you are tasked with simply estimating or given the opportunity to call a chip count.

My suspicions are that it is legal to call a chip count.
 
SPANKYSN

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I have seen players request a chip count in televised tournaments. If the player asked does not comply, I have seen the dealer count the stack.
 
belladonna05

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In any tourney I've played, they have the right to ask, the player can refuse, as to not give any tells, but they can ask the dealer for a count.
 
Datdude1

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What are we in, a secret society or something? If you're at a table and I'm in a hand with you I have 'Every' right to know your chip stack, I didn't ask to see your cards. Knowing someone's chip stack is a part of the poker strategy that will determine if you call or put someone in an 'all in', ...let's grow up and play some poker people.
 
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I'm interested as to what the standard rules are with this... My understanding is that chips must be visible, without higher value chips being obscured and that if a player refuses to give a count then you can ask the dealer.

I'm not certain about this though!
 
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FrothyGoodness

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I'm interested as to what the standard rules are with this... My understanding is that chips must be visible, without higher value chips being obscured and that if a player refuses to give a count then you can ask the dealer.

I'm not certain about this though!



yes everything has to be Visible . You can make yourself look like you are shortstack then throw out some 10k chips. Here at my Local in a Tourney , you can ask for a count all day but the Dealer cannot grab or reach for a players chip unless the player he is requesting upon has gone all in .
 
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yes everything has to be Visible . You can make yourself look like you are shortstack then throw out some 10k chips. Here at my Local in a Tourney , you can ask for a count all day but the Dealer cannot grab or reach for a players chip unless the player he is requesting upon has gone all in .


So as of yet we aren't any closer to a definitive answer to Millie323's question... :D
 
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FrothyGoodness

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So as of yet we aren't any closer to a definitive answer to Millie323's question... :D



It's been answered. It Depends where you are. As far as an opinionated answers it has still been answered
 
Chief talking bull

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There is a reason why the dealer will tell you to put your big chips out in front. So the play is fair. I'm not so sure about stopping the action so that someone can count someone else's chips when they are not in the middle of a hand though. An estimate should be enough.
 
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It's been answered. It Depends where you are. As far as an opinionated answers it has still been answered



I don't think the question as to whether players are entitled to a chip count has been conclusively answered.. :/

People seem to have mostly deviated to the 'big chips out front' discussion which wasn't really the question..
 
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Adieadie

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Hello

Yes because that can determine how you'll make your move.
 
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FrothyGoodness

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I don't think the question as to whether players are entitled to a chip count has been conclusively answered.. :/

People seem to have mostly deviated to the 'big chips out front' discussion which wasn't really the question..



I mean , The end result is. It Depends on where you play. As I said at my local and wherever I have played the dealer is NOT allowed to touch your chips unless you are all in. you can ask for a count all day but Unless the player is all in he can only request the count of the chips that have been put out. So being Entitled is out the door.

End Result. Depends where you play.
 
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You should be able to clearly see my stack, but if you ask me how much I have, I will always say that I have no idea....
 
KUN_AGUERO_KROOS

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Honestly, 99,99% of the times someone asks "how many chips you got left", that player is trying to get a read.
 
MikeCarasone

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Absolutely entitled to know. The opposing players stacks dictates what action to take. You can make important decisions based on stack sizes.
 
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So to summarise it seems :-


If a player is All in, their chips are part of the pot and the dealer is free to count the chips if requested by the player next to act in the hand, or when Called by one or more players.

In general play the larger value chips should be placed to the front of stack and clearly visible to the rest of table, thus to make a guesstimation easier for players at table.

A player can ask another player "How much you got behind ?" Or "How much you playing ?",
BUT it's entirely that player's discretion as to how they answer the question (assuming their chip stack is clearly in view to the whole table).
 
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FrothyGoodness

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So to summarise it seems :-


If a player is All in, their chips are part of the pot and the dealer is free to count the chips if requested by the player next to act in the hand, or when Called by one or more players.

In general play the larger value chips should be placed to the front of stack and clearly visible to the rest of table, thus to make a guesstimation easier for players at table.

A player can ask another player "How much you got behind ?" Or "How much you playing ?",
BUT it's entirely that player's discretion as to how they answer the question (assuming their chip stack is clearly in view to the whole table).



that's exactly it. I actually just asked the floor Thursday night about it. Rules are pretty much what I have been describing. Players Want to have that Entitlement but It's a part of the game.
 
fishfood80

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I host a weekly poker tournament at my university where I deal (the Students' Union has forbidden me from playing as a professional player, which I think is fair since I'm also the president of the society, so it'd be iffy) in low stakes tournaments of about £1-5, where prize pools are usually £25-100 per week. The situation arose where one player asked how many chips another had and the player who was asked refused to give a count. I, as the dealer, leant over and started counting their chips, at which point the player in question told me they didn't want the other player to know.

This player is not a newbie, they are a solid poker player with much live tournament experience in real casinos, which is why I was a bit confused when I was told that he thought that he was allowed to obscure his chip count from other players. I insisted that other players are allowed, and the player eventually agreed. My assumption (and experience) is that, if asked, the chip counts of any player should be made available to other players upon request. Is this the case?

At most poker rooms your big chips have to be made visible to other players so you can get a rough estimate of chip counts but a player isn't obligated to tell you his stack size. In the instance of an all in the dealer can give you an exact chip count when your deciding on whether to call or not if asked. And sometimes a player will tell you what he has but I'd always advise making sure yourself if big chips are visible because some players will try to get one over on you.
 
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At most poker rooms your big chips have to be made visible to other players so you can get a rough estimate of chip counts but a player isn't obligated to tell you his stack size. In the instance of an all in the dealer can give you an exact chip count when your deciding on whether to call or not if asked. And sometimes a player will tell you what he has but I'd always advise making sure yourself if big chips are visible because some players will try to get one over on you.
If a player asks for a count. You must allow a count. Period. TDA rules state a smuch. As a player hiding chips or not wanting to allow a count that's a shitty thing to do and not only forbidden In poker but just bad sport.

Make sure your players keep their big chips up front. Or stop inviting them back.
 
frnandoh

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In my town we have to let our chips visible even without allin.
 
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myquickwit

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Hiding chips, or not allowing the table to know how many chips you have is cheating. This would never be allowed in any real casino.
 
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