The other night I was playing Texas Hold 'em with some friends of mine. We usually play tournament style where there’s a 5 or 10 dollar buy-in and dependant upon the size of the pot first place either takes the whole pot, or if there’s enough money second place gets their buy-in back and first place takes the rest.
The game progressed and I got a bit short-stacked when I was dealt Ace King off-suit, which is generally considered to be a cursed hand amongst ourselves as it usually gets beat by some ‘lesser’ hand. The flop was something like 6-7-7, so I bet a good deal of my chips and all but one player folded. The turn seemed inconsequential, so I decided I’d go all-in. I was out of position and the other guy bet enough to put me all-in anyway, so I called very quickly. We turned over our cards and I showed my Ace King and he showed Ace Queen. I thought I had him beat. Out comes the river - a queen and out I go.
I didn’t really feel like leaving at that point so I volunteered to stick around and be the dealer until the game was over, which took about 30-40 minutes. A while after the game was over, the guy who won (who was also the guy who took me out of it) comes over to me and said “Look, I got you out on a bad beat and you stuck around and dealt, here’s your buy-in back.” I said that I couldn’t take it back, he won it fair and square.
The way I looked at it, I couldn’t win money from someone with a clear conscience if I was also willing to take my losings back from someone, because that’s like saying you’re willing to take other people’s money but not willing to lose your own. Aside from which, I had taken him out in a previous game with a similarly bad beat. He had a full house and I had a slightly better one, and that was a 10 dollar buy-in game.
So that’s my question to you: What would you have done in that situation? Take your buy-in back or not?
A nice gesture, and I would thank the guy, but also refuse it back. I’d just say ‘that’s okay, I’ll be getting all back next week/month’ and laugh it off.
He made a nice gesture, but your decision was wise unless such an arrangement is to become a pattern for all concerned in the future. It’s really best just to stick with the prearranged way of handling things.
No way. For one thing, it’s no fun winning if you don’t lose every now and then. For another thing, next time you’ll draw him out, and then he’s gonna be pretty pissed off when you don’t make the same offer to him. (I mean, of course you wouldn’t. )
I definately would not have taken it back- hey, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. That’s the chance you take, right? I find it odd that he offered to give it back, in fact.
To say nothing of the fact that any sort of pot splitting after a game is generally frowned on.
Don’t get in the habit of playing people ‘soft’. I hate that. I’ve had lots of people do that to me as a ‘favor’. Throw me back my last bet after raking the pot, or telling me not to call and showing me their monster hand, or whatever. The worst form of this are the guys that ‘won’t bet you heads-up’. So they just check, and expect you to check to return the ‘courtesy’. After that, whenever you are heads-up with the guy you’ll be expected to check it down.
This sucks for many reasons. For one, if you’ve got a weak hand but one that can improve, you can manipulate the game by raising to get heads-up with your ‘friend’ so you get a free ride to the river. Also, you may find that your ‘friend’ only checks it down when HE wants a free ride to the river, and the next time you’re in that situation he’s betting you.
Anyway, I’m rambling. The point is, all these little side deals and courtesies are bad for the game.
The whole point of gambling is that you can win or lose.
I’d have personally been insulted if someone offered me my money back.
I sure as heck would never offer anyone their money back if I’d won it, I assume they only gamble what they can afford to lose so once I win it it’s mine.
)