Tourney Making Change Etiquette (1 Viewer)

Usually, when you attempt to impose better rules, such as against pot-splashing, and no-change-before-completion-of-the-action, in home games, you are basically considered weird and fantasy-stricken wanna-be pro, till shit actually happens and you can say "This-Is-Why-I-Told-You-So".
At that point most people will shut up and start following the rule.
My house rules include compulsory verbal statements, a least for betting and raising, since it's supposed to be a game among people (ie animals gifted with speech):)
 
Usually, when you attempt to impose better rules, such as against pot-splashing, and no-change-before-completion-of-the-action, in home games, you are basically considered weird and fantasy-stricken wanna-be pro, till shit actually happens and you can say "This-Is-Why-I-Told-You-So".
At that point most people will shut up and start following the rule.
My house rules include compulsory verbal statements, a least for betting and raising, since it's supposed to be a game among people (ie animals gifted with speech):)

Rec for "animals gifted with speech"
 
Usually, when you attempt to impose better rules, such as against pot-splashing, and no-change-before-completion-of-the-action, in home games, you are basically considered weird and fantasy-stricken wanna-be pro, till shit actually happens and you can say "This-Is-Why-I-Told-You-So".
At that point most people will shut up and start following the rule.
My house rules include compulsory verbal statements, a least for betting and raising, since it's supposed to be a game among people (ie animals gifted with speech):)

Yeah that's my issue, i dont wanna go overboard. I think for tourney though i will have to have it written out how table balance works because i can already see someone getting butt hurt over what they see as an unfair move.
 
Yeah that's my issue, i dont wanna go overboard. I think for tourney though i will have to have it written out how table balance works because i can already see someone getting butt hurt over what they see as an unfair move.

From our League rules:

  • Balancing Tables: When balancing tables, the player next to be in the big blind will be moved to the worst position (the first open seat closest to the big blind), including taking a single big blind when available, even if that means the seat will have the big blind twice. Worst position is never the small blind.
  • Breaking Tables: Tables will be broken in reverse order; i.e. 4-3-2-1. Players moving from a broken table to a new table will assume the responsibilities of the new position. They can get any seat including the big blind the small blind or the button. The only place they cannot be dealt a hand is between the small blind and the button. If there are four or more tables at the start of the tournament, there will be a re-draw for seats at two tables and again for the final table.
 
I guess I've seen guys grab change from another guy's bet in friendly home cash games. But I think I'd be shocked to see it happen in the setting you described. That cranky old guy was wrong.
 
In my game if someone starts to make change before action is complete, I hold up my hand to stop them and say “change coming” loud and clear. Works like a charm.
 
I had the good fortune of, early in my poker-playing days, playing in well-run tournaments. The Tournament Director established firm rules (and etiquette) like the rules we are talking about here (let the dealer (or TD) make change, the one-chip rule, and a few others). Some people with bad habits may think this is being a rules nazi, overkill, a pro-wannabe, etc., but I have found that it actually makes for a friendlier game. When everybody plays by the rules and everybody knows the established etiquette, you avoid a lot of problems which, in turn, allows for friendlier games. You don't have the problem of trying to reconstruct bets because somebody made change or splashed a pot. You don't have the problem of defining a bet because some people play with the one-chip rule while others don't.

On the flip side, on the rare occasions when there is a controversy, there is still not really a problem. The rules are established and everybody knows we will play by whatever ruling is made by the TD based on those rules. Therefore, a friendlier game still.

With that as an example, I try to host tournaments with the same thought-process in mind. Also, I find I have little tolerance for games that are not well run.
 

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