The dealer who didn't bark

After the tournament at Sam's Town, I bought into a $1/3 NLHE game for $120. I lost most of my stack when I flopped two pair and lost to a higher two pair. I was left with $17 and two hands later it folded to me on the button. I had ♣Q ♣J and moved all in (If I raise, I'm pot committed anyway). Of course, I should have reloaded, but that's another story.

Both blinds called so there's $51 in the pot. The flop was ♣8 ♥7 ♦4. (I'm not positive of the low card, but I think this is what it was -- it doesn't affect the story - the rank of the two higher cards is accurate). Both blinds checked.

The turn was the ♣10 and the fireworks started. I remember thinking the turn was a good card for me. I have a flush draw and an inside straight draw. The SB checked and the BB bet $50 and SB folded. I didn't notice the river card, but the dealer pushed the pot to the BB after he showed 9-6 for the straight.

"Wait a minute," I said in a state of shock.

The dealer tells me to turn over my cards, so I do. She now calls the floor. She tells him she made a mistake and pushed the pot to the SB without considering my hand. The floor says he'll "call upstairs" and get the play reviewed. If the river was a 9 or a club, I win.

Instead of reloading, I decided to get something to eat. When I returned, I asked the dealer if the floor had come back and told her what he found out. She said no.

I then found the floor and asked him what happened. He said the dealer had given him the sign not to have the eye in the sky review it. Now, I never told her that I had changed my mind and didn't want it reviewed. It was only $51, but I just wanted to know what the river card was. He said he'd have them check.

I then went out and got a car wash - the review can take some time. When I returned, the floor told me what he had found out: The river card had not been dealt!

Of course, if the floor had understood that the last card hadn't been dealt, he might have been able to save the deal. The stub (deck she had been dealing from) was still sitting on top of the muck.

So, the dealer had not fully explained her error to the floor. I can only guess she thought she'd get in more trouble if she said she never even dealt the last card or maybe she was just flustered. Then she tried to cover it up, hoping it would go away, by signaling the floor to skip the review, something I never agreed to.

One word: shameful!


Images by MOJO and taken with my P&S.