Scummy move at the Palms

Just got home from a nice session at the Palms: profitable, enjoyable company, essentially free of drama and conflict. Well, except for one incident.

I wasn't in this hand. The flop was a jack and two small cards. Player A moved all in for about $70. Player B called. Player A then appropriately turned over his hole cards, A-J, for top pair/top kicker. Player B got a sort of pained expression on his face, and said, with what sounded to me like a dejected voice, "Oh, you've got the ace kicker." He did not reveal his cards.

The dealer put out the turn and river. Only then the Player B slowly turn over his Q-Q.

It was not only a slow-roll, but a slow-roll with a verbal needle embedded in it. I can think of no reason that B would have said what he did other than to deliberately create the false impression that he, too, had a jack but with a lower second card, and would need help to win the hand.

This isn't against the rules, but it's pretty low-life.

When I'm the all-in caller, and uncertain whether I have the winner, I'll wait for the bettor to expose his hand first. (If I'm highly confident that I'm going to win, I'll just end the mystery right away, and not care much whether the bettor ever shows.) When he does, I will usually show mine, too, whether I'm ahead or behind, but always if I'm ahead. If I see that I'm behind and feel a bit sheepish about having made a bad call, I may keep my cards down, but if a lucky turn or river peels off to give me the hand, I take that as my cue to immediately show.

I understand that not every opponent can divine that this is my approach, but if everybody did this, then one could confidently take the fact that the caller's cards are still face down as his quiet acknowledgement that he doesn't have the winner, and the bettor would have much less suspense and anxiety.

As with most points of etiquette, if you're guided by (1) how you would want others to treat you, and (2) being considerate of the feelings of others (which basically amounts to the same thing), you'll get it right most of the time.

In tonight's situation, it was rude enough for B to wait until the entire board was out before showing that he had the winner. But to give the little misdirectional speech first--apparently for no reason other than to give his opponent the false impression that he would probably win the hand--turned a marginally inconsiderate delay into a seriously and gratuitously nasty gesture. I had been at the table for an hour or so, and Player A had never done anything rude or shady to B or to anybody else, for which this might be considered a "turnabout is fair play" move. It came from out of nowhere, for no discernible reason other than to kick a guy when he's down.

It was crass and scummy. Player A left the game, and the rest of us were left with a bad taste in our mouths and considerable contempt for Mr. B. I wonder if he thinks it was worth it.

Fortunately, he was additionally uncouth in being a hit-and-run artist, and left two hands later, so we didn't have to hate him for very long.


Just as an incidental note, I won the biggest pot of the night--a four-way all-in--with 2-3. You might be able to guess what I have to say to explain/excuse my play: But they were sooooted! (That ended up not mattering. I flopped two pairs and hit a full house on the turn.)