Poker Rules - the term 'FOUL'
I am a TD and often go through the pokertda.com rules to ensure that I am top of everything.
One rule that I do not understand is around the term 'Foul'.
Rule 35 discussed Fouled Decks and is quite clear.
However then we come to Rule 65 where it states 'if a hand is fouled and cannot be identified to
100% certainty, the player has no redress."
Surely if a hand is fouled it is treated similarly to if a deck is fouled which is covered under section 35 (will be a misdeal).
So what exactly is the meaning of a fouled hand and how / why is it different to a fouled deck?
4 Replies
I am a TD and often go through the pokertda.com rules to ensure that I am top of everything.One rule that I do not understand is around the term 'Foul'.Rule 35 discussed Fouled Decks and is quite clear.However then we come to Rule 65 where it states 'if a hand is fouled and cannot be identified to 100% certainty, the player has no redress."Surely if a hand is fouled it is treat
you are correct that a fouled deck is quite clear, there is no judgment call. A fouled hand is often very unclear and requires the judgment of the floor working alongside the dealer and the players and often even the eye in the sky.
I asked chatgpt with the response being that a fouled hand can be for example where a card is bent or marked so that it is unrecognisable.
While this would be very rare I guess this makes sense.
This site offers a variety of useful guides.
There are two ways I have seen a hand be declared foul (and ineligible to win the pot).
The first was when the player's cards ended up on the floor after they had already been in his possession. It sucks that someone loses the pot over an accident, but I understand the reason for the rule.
The second was when the player had too many cards. Usually two cards were stuck together during the deal but the player doesn't notice until after the first round of betting has been completed.
These are completely different things than a "fouled deck".
