Can I do this?

[Raisor]

I was at my homegame and the river hit so you would need one card for a straight and I made two pair.

He bet and I counted out the chips and started thinking and put my hands on the chips and started to push them slowly and then slide them back quickly trying to get a read and then he turned over his cards and showed me his straight and everyone was helping me saying I never took my hands off the chips, or announced the call.

Am I allowed to do this? Like, tease them?

IMO he should have took my chips, but I don't know if I could do that.

[supafrey]

Any forward motion with the chips should count as a call. This is called string betting and is illegal for exactly the reasons you said (not to mention the fact that it makes it almost impossible to tell who's doing what if they don't enforce stuff like this). Setting up a rule beforehand on what constitutes a call (i.e. any money past a certain line on the felt) always works better.

Your move is just a lame attempt to get more information. It shouldn't be allowed with those kind of motions.

[xhi]

Am I allowed to do this? Like, tease them?

Not if he's wearing a six-shooter!

Above answer is correct.

[Poto]

Well, how far did you slide the chips? Was it all the way to the middle or just a tiny bit?

Isn't a string bet when a player i.e. throws a $5 chip into the pot and then throws a $10 chip into the pot after a while.

[supafrey]

Well, how far did you slide the chips? Was it all the way to the middle or just a tiny bit?

Isn't a string bet when a player i.e. throws a $5 chip into the pot and then throws a $10 chip into the pot after a while.

How's that any different than sliding out $100 and changing it to $0 or less?

[Johny]

I don't think he actually put his chips in the pot. If he didn't then I think he's allowed to do it, but I don't see the point. I'll do it as a joke if I'm about to fold.

[Rio]

The one thing I have learned is never joke about putting chips in the pot, especially a big pot.

Any action that lead to a suspect pot is a no-no.

[supafrey]

I don't think he actually put his chips in the pot. If he didn't then I think he's allowed to do it, but I don't see the point. I'll do it as a joke if I'm about to fold.

How is this not EXACTLY what string betting rules are supposed to stop? The man is making a slow forward motion with his chips, with his eyes on another player for a tell. He then sees something and brings them back.

Forward motion over a line. I'd say he's committed.

[Johny]

Forward motion over a line. I'd say he's committed

I agree but we don't know how far he actually moved his chips.

Also, his opponent shouldn't have turned his hand over so quickly. He should have waited until he was sure of the action.

[Rio]

He bet and I counted out the chips and started thinking and put my hands on the chips and started to push them slowly and then slide them back quickly trying to get a read

The last 5 words of that statement clarify what his intentions were. He was pushing them forward to try to get a read.

[zinn0]

At my home games, I have a rule that if you make a motion forward with your chips, they go in the center. I clarify this at the beginning of each game so there is no confusion.

[martini]

Any forward motion with the chips should count as a call.

Not true. I've talked to Bob Ciaffone about this in the past and he has replied that chips must actually be "released" into the pot to count.


In another poker message board, Bob C. was asked about players who take a stack of chips, hover their hands full of chips over the pot and drop a couple and return the rest of the chips in their hand back to their stack. His response:

Rather than wading through all your individual questions, let me say this.
Chips must be released into the pot to be bet. You can have chips in your hand and enter the pot area with them, and release all, some, or none. Speaking personally, it is easier for me to grab a stack of chips and cutsome into the pot then to try to get the amount right ahead of time. A bet is not complete until your hand is withdrawn from the pot. It is legal to drop some chips and then drop some more if you still have your hand in the pot area. On the other hand, someone who is abusing this privilege to try to get a read on the opponents can be cautioned that he is abusing the privilege, and I think it is okay for whoever is running the game to give such a person a warning, then alter the bet (as was done) if he persists.


There is no "betting line" in poker. Even casinos that have tables that have a white line drawn around an oval table do no consider this a betting line.

Whether or not the OP showed bad etiquette or bordered on angle shooting is another story, but his unreleased chips should have been deemed allowable to be brought back.

[galderon]

He bet and I counted out the chips and started thinking and put my hands on the chips and started to push them slowly and then slide them back quickly trying to get a read and then he turned over his cards and showed me his straight

Without actually being there, it's hard to say how far you pushed them in and all that...more importantly, your opponent reacted to it by revealing his cards. Either the call was binding or your opponent acted out of turn. Personally I would have ruled it binding. It's hard to argue that pushing chips in is a fold.

As always, it's best to have house rules on this kind of stuff before play.

[martini]

It's hard to argue that pushing chips in is a fold.

Of course it's not a fold. But until he lets go of the chips, it's not a call either.

Robert's Rules on Betting and Raising (bolding mine):

A player who bets or calls by releasing chips into the pot is bound by that action and must make the amount of the wager correct.

We can gather that if one doesn't release his chips, he is not bound by any action.

[Fat Tony]

He has not released his chips into the pot so he's OK as far as that goes, but it is also quite clearly angle shooting so I would say that his action is binding unless his game permits this. (which i doubt)