Ruling, right or wrong?

[BlueWolf]

yeah i have used the football analogy before on this forum, but this is a topic that seems to be arised quite regularry nowadays.

[AdamM]

JBSC has hit the nail on the head. I understand what you're saying about interpretation and experience but we all need to be interpreting the same set of rules. As was quoted from Roberts rules of poker earlier'

The same action may have a different meaning, depending on who does it, so the possible intent of an offender will be taken into consideration. Some factors here are the persons amount of poker experience and past record.

Management reserves the right to make decisions in the spirit of fairness, even if a strict interpretation of the rules may indicate a different ruling.

First time I made HU at Notts it was insisted that the dealer placed the BB. I couldn't find anyone to back me up that Dealer posted SB amongst staff or players. infact last time I mentioned the incident on here someone registered specifically to flame me for it. If mistakes as major as that can me made, the more expert stuff can obviously be even worse.

[Nightfly]

One of the main problems with providing fair rulings is that very few situations are a clear breach of a simple rule... most situations where a ruling is required sometimes involve different rules. In the spirit of fairness these different rules must be prioritised and a decision made as to which rule applies before another. You also have to be careful that a ruling does not allow one player to enjoy a significant advantage to the detriment of other players who have acted 'in good faith.'

'Intent' will always be a key factor in rulings. All poker players are different (to state the obvious) and different players hold different rules to be more sacred than others. New players will make more 'unintentional errors' than a seasoned pro. A dishonest player may 'try it on' at every available opportunity.

A standardised set of rules would be a help but it could never cover every possible situation. This brings us back to the 'Fairness and intent' principle quoted from RROP.

The same action may have a different meaning, depending on who does it, so the possible intent of an offender will be taken into consideration. Some factors here are the persons amount of poker experience and past record.

Management reserves the right to make decisions in the spirit of fairness, even if a strict interpretation of the rules may indicate a different ruling.

or as Gala Casinos put it:

Many situations arise in a card room where the rules need clarification and enforcement. The most important consideration in decision making is following a concept of fairness. However, occasionally a situation will arise where strict adherence to the rules would obviously be unfair. Therefore in certain circumstances we will base a decision upon intent and the spirit of the law rather than inflexible interpretation of a rule. An unintentional error is less serious than a deliberate violation.

along with

The [...] rules are intended to ensure that all games of poker within the room are conducted in a fair and honest manner, for the benefit and enjoyment of all participating players. They are also intended to protect any innocent player from suffering unfairness either by deliberate or genuinely accidental occurrences.