Winning player showed winning hand without tabling

1st, it was impossible for A to win the side pot. A was only in the main pot. Size doesn't matter for which pot is main vs. side. The main pot is always the one that everyone is in. Side pot is always the one started after that.

But assuming you meant A should win the main, only if the hand was tabled. But until B/C table or muck, you should not be correcting anything. However, as soon as B/C both had tabled or discarded, correctly stating B hand is fine. But not until then

An example of why even in a cash game dealer should protect the muck. But also a example of just table your hand and move on. But you do NOT have to release your cards to properly table a hand and I recommend you don't release until pot is pushed to you.

I would be gone in a heartbeat if I cared as little about my job as this dealer. How desperate are they?

****ing hell

Yes, I was just trying to clarify whether A was entitled to the main pot, not the side.

So when is a hand "tabled"? When it physically touches the felt? When everyone at the table can see it?

Face up ON the table.

If you hold you cards up in the air letting everybody in the room see them, then throw them on the table face down, that is not a tabled hand.

The dealer either totally checked out or doesn't care at all. That's unacceptable.

In that instance it would have been perfectly fine for you and everyone else to say something. As early as someone misdeclaring a tabled hand and as late as the dealer failing to protect the muck. At that point you can still call for the floor who might be willing to do the right thing.

Bit in bold there. Turn the cards up and have them infront of you (even if not over the line). That way you are showing a pair of 10s and it's staring everyone in the face,, including the camera if it's a casino.

Good advice from Fore

Yeah, that one’s tough. Technically, a hand isn’t live unless it’s tabled (i.e., placed face up on the felt), so by the book, Player A mucked her hand and forfeited the pot. That said, if the dealer and others saw she had the best hand, and there was clear confusion caused by a misread, I think it would've been fair to speak up—especially since all betting was done and the hand was essentially over.

Live poker has a “protect yourself at all times” vibe, but it’s also a social game. I’ve seen dealers in some rooms step in when a player misreads like that, but not always. Personally, I would’ve said something if I caught it in time. Player A probably left thinking she lost, which sucks if she actually had the winner.

Unfortunate spot all around.

Player A fault. Show your hand and this awful situation goes away.
Who cares about showing a loser, as if anyone is paying attention or making notes for next time.

If player shows 1010 loud and proud but someone else shoes JACK JACK no one will think less of her and it doesn't affect her image at all.

On their backs

The problem here is that nobody corrected Player C when he mis-declared player B's hand as if it were a Set. The dealer should have immediately said something when the last card was dealt. As in "Pair of 9's" or at the very least pulled up the other 3 cards on the board. Or the Dealer could correct it as soon as it was spoken but in a way this would help Player C and sort of violates OPTAH.

This is a strange spot since Player A showed the winning hand for the main pot but didn't table it. Typically it is unfair for a player to say anything because there is a OPTAH rule. Same for the dealer. But the reason Player A is mucking their hand is because player C mis-called Player B's hand. In my opinion the Dealer must declare the exact strength of Player B's hand. I do question whether the Dealer should be helping Player A once player A muck's her hand, but because the Dealer failed to call out the strength of Player B's hand I would let it pass this time.

Could they not just check the camera and see if they can actually see those 2 tens?

You still don’t get it. Until the hand is TABLED it is not shown down. OP was very clear the hand was not tabled. Even if you are trying to claim a chop and playing the board, you have to table your cards EVEN IF NONE ARE USED.

It does not matter if every player, the dealer, floor, room mgr and cameras all saw the tens. Until they are tabled there is no claim to the pot.

So they were flashed but not actually laid down face up on the table? Got ya.