TDA Rule #1: Floorpeople are to consider the best interest of the game and fairness as the top priority in the decision-making process. Unusual circumstances can on occasion dictate that decisions in the interest of fairness take priority over technical rules.
It’s Day Two of a Venetian Deep Stack event. I’m moved from a broken table to Seat Ten, to the right of the dealer. Starting with 70k, I quickly build my stack to 350k. A couple more players are eliminated. I’m feeling really good about my positive momentum and the fact I’m probably a medium stack now amongst the 13-14 remaining players. I feel very much in the hunt for the $28,000 first-place prize.
However, with the blinds and antes at nearly 40k each hand (the same amount lost by each player per round), even I have to keep pushing all-in in favorable situations. At this point I will push all-in with premium hands. With borderline hands, I’ll push all-in against the short stacks to my left. Seat One is vacant, Seat Two has about 200k in yellow (two tall stacks), and Seat Three has about 150k.
The action folds to me on the button. I have QT off-suit, a borderline hand. I notice Seat Two is interested in playing but, as a short stack needing to double up, could be on a broad range of hands. I don’t mind racing with a short stack, as I will still have chips and an opportunity to double up again should I lose. I push all-in. He calls with aces. I lose the hand.
Then an interesting thing happens. As I wait for the dealer to count out his chips, I realize nobody’s moving. The dealer turns to me and…
She informs me that Seat Two has me covered. I’m in shock. Did I miscount? Does he have red chips on the bottom of his two stacks? So, I ask…
“How can he have me covered?”
The dealer leans back. Next to her in Seat One are about 12 stacks that easily cover me twice. Apparently these belong to Seat Two. I never knew these chips existed! After all, I don’t have x-ray vision, nor would I strain my neck to look for chips positioned in a vacant seat!
TDA rule #37: Players must keep their higher-denomination chips visible and identifiable at all times.
I believe about 800,000 in chips is a very substantial denomination. In fact, at this very late stage of the tournament, it’s a very important piece of information that I require to make important decisions when playing for $28,000! In fact, I’ve just busted out of the tournament knowing full well I don’t make that play against an interested big stack. This missing piece of information cost me my tournament life!
I stand up, very much in shock. As I’m rounding Seat One in disbelief, the floor-person is already at Seat Two asking him to position his chips in front of him – he saw exactly what had happened. When asked why they are in Seat One, he says something to the effect they inhibit his ability to look at his hole cards. He says this nonchalantly, as he drags in all my chips – my tournament life!
It’s at this point things get a bit heated because, as I’m trying to plead my case to the floor-person, Seat Two keeps interjecting with his opinion on the matter. I believe it was during this confusion that play was allowed to continue. I realize I’m fighting an impossible battle. After all, none of these players are going to side with someone knocked out at such a late stage of the tournament and the floor-person’s only way of correcting this situation is letting me back in the contest – which certainly puts him in a difficult position. I, meanwhile, am being eliminated due to someone’s direct violation of a TDA rule. In desperation, I’m causing a “scene”, something I’ve never done in the ten years I’ve played poker (5 years full-time).
I watch helplessly as play resumes and the tournament director is finally called over. I don’t envy the position he’s in. He didn’t see the events unfold – events which were relayed poorly by the floor-person. It was also a nearly-impossible situation by this time. A couple hands have already since been played. I actually believe this plays a big part in his explanation…
First, he mentions “poker is a visual game.” That’s true. And, visually, I certainly had a very clear idea of how many chips Seat Two had in front of him. If I needed a count of Seat One’s chips, I would have asked. Except for one thing – there’s nobody sitting in Seat One! Why would I need a count of the chips in Seat One – chips I don’t know exist. I don’t have any reason to believe there are chips in Seat One.
If I could see through solid objects (the dealer), I could logically deduce, just like everyone else at the table – that they belonged to Seat Two. This is why everyone seemed to know except me, the player in Seat Ten.
I challenged anyone to sit in Seat Ten and tell me they could see those chips. Nobody moved an inch.
The tournament director also mentions it’s my responsibility to ask for a count. A count of what? The chips in front of Seat Two?! I could easily see he had a little more or less than 200,000 chips in the appropriate seat. If he’s not violating TDA rules, I can then reasonably assume by about how much I have him covered. That’s all the information I need. What if he’s keeping chips in another seat, another table, in his locker…am I responsible for those, too?!
And, just like that, my very legitimate shot at a nice lump sum is no longer…


Here’s a summary of incompetence by The Venetian staff:
1. A player violates TDA rules, hoarding the majority of his chips in another seat. The dealers and floor-person allows him to do this, assuming everyone at the table can see these chips.
2. The floor-person sees clearly that I’m unaware I’m covered at the conclusion of the hand and, even while I’m disputing the hand, he allows play to continue.
3. The floor-person makes several unprofessional comments, some in reference to the relevancy of the difference in chip counts. (It’s not his place to tell me 150,000 in chips is irrelevant, as I can easily make a comeback with that amount). On more than one occasion, he mentioned what a “tough spot” I put him in. I can only help thinking what a tough spot I’m in!
4. Both the floor-person and the tournament director made a lazy and unfair ruling due to unusual circumstances. They probably realized there would be resistance from the other players if I were allowed to return. Rather than make the ruling in the interest of fair play, they went the “easy” route. The floor-person should have awarded me the difference in my stack and the chips sitting in Seat Two, but as the play progressed and the conversations heated, the situation escalated into impossibility.

I'm blowing off steam, of course. Having a good read on Seat Two, I would never have moved in on him knowing he had a bigger stack -- I can't prove that. However, I did make my decision based on stack sizes and, in fairness, I should have had chips left. It's rare someone would be allowed would be allowed back in a tournament, but stranger things have happened. Anyone happen to see the young lady's cards pulled out of the muck in the main event last year and allowed to remain in the tournament?! (Not saying that was a good call, just "sayin"...)
What would you have done if you were in my shoes?

That took a while to read, but i genuinly feel sorry for you.
Ive not played long but if that was me I would of definetly had security carrying me out as i clenched onto my stolen chips

You got screwed.

Wow, I actually took the time time to read that simply because it's obvious you are well-educated and not some donkey that just hates the world. Honestly, I feel bad for you.

However, you screwed up because you've probably been taught to be polite and not lose your cool (a good thing most of the time). This is one time where you should have lost your cool enough to stop play from happening and to at least have the director come over and review while everyone knew what had happened while it was fresh in their minds.

95% of people are good and honest people. 90% of poker players are just good people (we'll talk about honesty later). It would have worked in your favor if all happened as you said it did plus more effort on your part. Casinos are actually very honest...especially casinos like the Venetian. They couldn't give a shit about a few thousand bucks if they feel as though their reputation is at stake.

If you feel you've been screwed, make a stink at the moment. Same as in poker, don't use your emotions...just pull facts out and see how they react. If it's not to your liking, step it up or fold your hand.

To me it looks like you were in the right, you folded your aces preflop, and are now blowing off steam about it later. I don't want to sound like a complete a**hole on the matter. I'm just calling it as I see it, and I hope you have learned from this crappy experience.