EPT Barcelona Consternation

[NoflopsHomer]

You could've posted what I wrote from the Pokernews blog!



A huge crowd gathered just before the break to watch a large pot between Tobias Reinkemeier and Roland de Wolfe.

The board read {7c} {9h} {4h} {10c} {Ah} with Reinkemeier calling a 95,000 bet on the river.

Neither player wanted to show their hands, but de Wolfe eventually said, "King-high."

"Well, show it then," said Reinkemeier. De Wolfe was highly reluctant, eventually flashing the {Kc} before pushing his cards towards the muck beneath the burn cards.

Reinkemeier then turned over his missed {Qc} {6c} and de Wolfe immediately went to retrieve his cards from the muck and turn over his acutally ahead {Kc} {8d}.

A ruling from Thomas Kremser was quickly called for as the crowd grew more and more around the table, with both players claiming the pot should belong to them.

De Wolfe claimed that his cards were retrievable from the muck with Reinkemeier disagreeing.

Thomas Kremser spoke to the dealer for a couple of minutes before ruling in Reinkemeier's favour as de Wolfe shook his head.

The pot was then awarded to Reinkemeier while de Wolfe slips to below 200,000.

[TightEnd]

You could've posted what I wrote from the Pokernews blog!



A huge crowd gathered just before the break to watch a large pot between Tobias Reinkemeier and Roland de Wolfe.

The board read {7c} {9h} {4h} {10c} {Ah} with Reinkemeier calling a 95,000 bet on the river.

Neither player wanted to show their hands, but de Wolfe eventually said, "King-high."

"Well, show it then," said Reinkemeier. De Wolfe was highly reluctant, eventually flashing the {Kc} before pushing his cards towards the muck beneath the burn cards.

Reinkemeier then turned over his missed {Qc} {6c} and de Wolfe immediately went to retrieve his cards from the muck and turn over his acutally ahead {Kc} {8d}.

A ruling from Thomas Kremser was quickly called for as the crowd grew more and more around the table, with both players claiming the pot should belong to them.

De Wolfe claimed that his cards were retrievable from the muck with Reinkemeier disagreeing.

Thomas Kremser spoke to the dealer for a couple of minutes before ruling in Reinkemeier's favour as de Wolfe shook his head.

The pot was then awarded to Reinkemeier while de Wolfe slips to below 200,000.

thanks Chris.


How you finding Barcelona?

[NoflopsHomer]

It's quite smelly.

[NoflopsHomer]

But seriously, I was there when the hand happened. Roland made an almost pot-sized bet on the river and the German (who actually busted while Roland is still in amazingly) made the call with Q-high. Roland didn't want to show but once he flashed the king then Reinkemeier knows he's not going to win the pot unless de Wolfe mucks. Roland then pretty much pushes his cards underneath the burn cards while the dealer attempts to keep them seperate. Reinkemeier then flips his and Roland immediately whips out his cards from the muck (which they had touched, but were clearly obvious as to which cards they were).

After talking to the dealer for a couple of minutes, Thomas Kremser ruled against Roland because he'd only shown one of his cards, if he'd shown both he may well have been awarded the pot despite mucking. I certainly don't blame the other guy although the angleshoot case could be argued because the other player led Roland to believe K-high was no good.

Obviously we have to be impartial in the report but I think it was probably the correct ruling in a tough spot, however I don't think it would have been an utterly terrible ruling had it gone Roland's way.

To Roland's credit he didn't tilt away his chips and has played pretty well since.

[easypickings]

Woooow.

I think it's a good reminder just to do the simple thing, and always turn your cards over, as it's the second bizarre mistake recently in a massive spot in a big tournament. (The other one was on the final table bubble of the Wynn Classic; Scott Seiver turns 22 into a big bluff, Jimmy Fricke calls, and Seiver says "good call," and mucks his hand. Fricke shows down AQ high to win the pot).

It seems pretty unclear what the German's exact intentions were. Whereabouts do you think it was Chris, between him thinking that queen high was good, to him knowing that there was no chance that it was, but hoping that there would be an unusual way he could win the pot.

Let's go with the second one, and say that he knew for sure Roland would have to inadvertedly muck for him to win, and that what he said might be crucial.
Is this an angle shoot? I really don't know, and am tempted to say it's not. Either way, it's an incredibly brave and clever piece of poker.

[NoflopsHomer]

Reinkemeier thought he was ahead according to some of guys from the site he was sponsored by who were also covering the tournament. If this is the case, I think he would ask more out of shock and disbelief that Roland had actually got the best hand than it being an angle shoot.

If it was the second case you mention, then surely he would check-raise the river?

[gatso]

Obviously we have to be impartial in the report but I think it was probably the correct ruling in a tough spot, however I don't think it would have been an utterly terrible ruling had it gone Roland's way.

it would have been a truly appalling ruling had it gone roland's way

[dino1980]

bad form by roland really. Table your hand regardless.

Poor form from stars too though to misreport it like that so blatantly intentionally because roland is a ftp pro.

Tbf to Stars it was also reported on their blog at the time like this (see below)

IMO i think the TD made the correct decision, both parties are guilty, Roland for mucking and Tobias for not showing once Roland had 'shown him' the winning hand.

I spoke to Matt Savage about The Seiver vs Fricke hand that Stu mentions - which was a liitle different as it was an all-in and call on the river - in that situation Matt said it was dealer error as the dealer should not have mucked Seiver's hand but turned it face up. I also remember a hand from a Foxwoods WPT from 07 (i think) involving JC Tran (there's video evidence on CardPlayer i believe) where on the flop Tran gets it all in vs Mateyboy on the flop, Tran has trips, Mateyboy has J-high or something and goes to muck face down, with such anger that his cards end up face down almost off the table in the dealer tray, the dealer turns them face up and Mateyboy hits runner-runner straight and wins the hand. Tran was annoyed but correct ruling was made as TDA Rule #9 states "All cards will be turned face up once a player is all-in and all betting action is complete." (edit found JC Tran hand here: http://tinyurl.com/nlfgtv)


3.14pm: RULING!
There's been some dramatic scenes here at the EPT Barcelona between Roland de Wolfe and Tobias Reinkemeier. The board read 4♥ 9♥ 7♣ T♣ A♥ when De Wolfe fired one last bet into the 150,000 pot. Reinkemeier made the call and De Wolfe flashed a K♣ before throwing his hand into the muck. Reinkemeier then showed Q♣ 6♣, the losing hand, but, crucially, the only active hand left in the pot.

De Wolfe appealed, claiming that his king-high should stand as the German player had seen it. The tournament director Thomas Kremser was called over and had to break the tough news to De Wolfe that as he had not shown both cards before his hand was mucked that Reinkemeier had to be awarded the pot.

[Cf]

bad form by roland really. Table your hand regardless.

Poor form from stars too though to misreport it like that so blatantly intentionally because roland is a ftp pro.

IMO i think the TD made the correct decision, both parties are guilty, Roland for mucking and Tobias for not showing once Roland had 'shown him' the winning hand.

Eh???

As far as I can tell Tobias has done nothing wrong.

He's hero called with Q high. Roland has decided to just show one card (wtf?) when he knows full well he needs to show both to win the pot. Tobias, wanting to just get on with it tells him to hurry up and show the other. But instead Roland decides to muck and kill his hand. WP.

Any other ruling would be outright terrible.

[WarBwastard]

Can't stand it when players won't show their hands.  Call, what you got?  Not much, what you got?  You first.  I called you..  AARGGHHHHHH show your f*@!ing hands.

I thought both payers were required to show their hands in these circumstances, no?  It should be a rule, anyone attempting to muck sneakily punished with a one orbit penalty and a load of itching powder poured down his back or pushed in some stinging nettles.

[Cf]

If someone has shown a winner then you don't have to show your hand.

The order of showing hands is the aggressor shows first. In this case that is Roland. So what should have happened was Roland shows Kx, other player mucks. Roland only shown one card. The other player isn't obligated to do a thing until Roland a) shows his other card, or b) mucks his hand.

[AlexMartin]

great ruling, muck = dead. was in a big cash game in aviation club when someone pulled their cards out the muck to win 4kE and wanted to throwup.

[boldie]

great ruling, muck = dead.

[Betfair Poker Guy]

Is Annette still in?

She didn't play in Barcelona, she entered the WPT Cyprus Event and busted towards the end of Day 1b

[GreekStein]

It's just bad all round. Roland is a sponsored professional and shouldn't be babyish by not openly tabling his full hand. The opponent behaves even worse when he sees the winning hand and doesn't say 'you win'. He can then muck face down.