Live game of spread limit hold'em.?

Question

Pot was raised and called before the flop for $25. Check bet $35 on flop, called. Check, bet $75 on turn.

River card is shown. First player now checks (hand motion rapping table) but then bets $125. Original raiser now says call and the bettor shows a full house. The caller now says you checked the river and pulls his $125 in chips/call back.

If you are the floorman called over to make a ruling? Does the betting action stand? Can the player unmake his call. Did the player never make a bet?

Answer 1

Another "it depends" question.  I think (and I'm no expert here,) that the dealer is supposed to keep a running narrative of what the betting action is, even if no one's paying attention to him/her.  If the dealer acknowledged the $125 bet it should stand.  

The caller should have asked for clarification before putting his $125 call out but I'll go out on a limb here and say that his putting the chips out to call the "bet" should stand.  Once chips are in the pot they are in the realm of the dealer and should no longer be handled by players until the dealer pushes them to the winner (I know that for a fact.)  

If nothing else, the caller had no right to take his chips back until the matter was resolved.  Also, I believe the cardinal rule is that actions speak, not words.  Along that line I'll also guess that the initial $125 bet was also in the pot <action not words> and should stand.  Bottom line, this is the dealer's call.

(...and overall, you can tell I'm kinda guessing my way through this whole scenario.)

UPDATE

Chad C should win this question just for "douchebaggery"

Answer 2

As soon as the player called the bet he acknowledged its existence as a bet, and without a ruling or any other action from the dealer it is now a valid bet.  If the player considered it a check he would have said check, and then he might have had a case.  But by CALLING instead of CHECKING he basically admits that he knows there is a bet out there and is calling it.

Answer 3

Adam, you are mistaken.  Actions speak, yes, but words are binding as well.  If a player motions a check or verbally says "check", that action is binding.  Just like if I were to say "raise" without touching my chips, I must now put out at least twice the bet.

For a situation like this, its obvious the player calling was attempting to get a free look at his opponent's hand, knowing that if he won he would take the bet, but if he lost he would play the "you checked your hand" card.  If the dealer was not paying attention or didn't make a ruling, the floorman would come over and would hear both sides of the story and have to make a decision.  His initial check was binding, but because the dealer didn't seem to notice and the other player called, the bet and call should be live, unless the dealer overrules or the floorman comes and makes a decision.

Answer 4

The dealer should have stopped the bet when it happened.  Since the bet was allowed and the second player called, it becomes a legal bet.

Player 2 was angle shooting.  This is douchebaggery at its highest form, and he/she deserved to lose the extra money since I doubt the bet would have been pulled back had player 2 won the hand.

What was the actual ruling on this?

Answer 5

I'd say since the loser of the hand put his chips in, past the line, he should loose the hand, you don't put your chips in unless your playing the hand, he tried and failed, no refunds in poker.