[OutOfCrown]

Last night, while trying to decide what to do, player Q (questioner) asks player A (answerer):

Q: "Do you have a King?"
A: "Yes, I do"

The board is KK662

The questioner then turns to me and says "if he's telling the truth, his hand is dead".

I overruled that and said "just play the hand, stop trying to lawyer your way into the pot". But it did get me curious ... I can't find anything that indicates you *must* lie when asked questions about your hand.

The closest I can find are the Robert's Rules about not revealing your hand (under etiquette) but, like the TDA rules, they suggest that you may be penalized for revealing your hand but don't say your hand is dead if you tell the truth when asked questions about your hand (telling the truth could, of course, be considered "revealing" your hand).

Discussion, please. I'm especially interested in any ruleset citations (Robert's, TDA, etc) that definitively answer the question "are you *required* to lie".

I know this is one of those things that EVERYONE says is a rule, I just can't find an authoritative source for it.

I'm going to make a house rule, regardless, since I think you should be able to say anything at all, truthful or not, when interrogated about your hand. That banter, and figuring it out, is part of the game. But I'd like to know what the officially correct rule is (if there is one).

[RTBrandy]

Due to this rule of etiquette (from Roberts Rules), I'd say you could sanction the dude acting like a lawyer...

"Making statements or taking action that could unfairly influence the course of play, whether or not the offender is involved in the pot. "


Since he started the dialogue with the express purpose of breaking the other guys concentration and tricking him forfeiting the hand...

[smoore]

a good sanction would be a swift kick in the you-know-whats for shooting an angle like that.

what a jerko.

[The Mind Reader]

I think if it's down to just 2 players in the hand, either one should be able to say anything they want. Even show their cards if they feel like it.

If other people are still in the pot nobody should say what they have, or even speculate out loud what others might be holding.

[sawmillthug]

i think a guy trying to find an angle to win the hand since his cards wont is a butthead and needs a swift kick in the balls. that would be a good rule to post to all that want to play...

[Strange]

Indeed, rule #1 should read:

'Don't be a pr1ck'

[MeridianFC]

For the home game the heads up banter of the "do I/don't I" is very important, so I'd utilize the rules that "decisions of the house" trumps all to say that you can say what you like in the circumstance described. Trying to get a hand killed in the fashion of Player Q is prickish and subject to ridicule and possible banishment.

[deuces empty]

Originally Posted by The Mind Reader

I think if it's down to just 2 players in the hand, either one should be able to say anything they want. Even show their cards if they feel like it.

If other people are still in the pot nobody should say what they have, or even speculate out loud what others might be holding.

You can say whatever you want and even expose your cards to your opponent when you're heads up. I will expose my cards to an opponent occasionally if they are rasing me for all my chips to get a reaction out of them.

[jldecarlo]

Originally Posted by Strange

Indeed, rule #1 should read:

'Don't be a pr1ck'

Words to live by.

L

[RadixLecti]

Originally Posted by Strange

'Don't be a pr1ck'

Sounds like new-age sex ed for men.

Don't be a pr1ck... BE the vagina.