Clock watchers

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/03/2011 (5348 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Poker is an individual game. When you sit down at a table, your goal is to take other people’s money. Despite this, we should still be courteous to our opponents.

Some players love to Hollywood (take their time on every decision even if they have no decision). This can get extremely frustrating — especially if you are in a live game. Online, it isn’t as big a factor since everyone has a certain amount of time to act. If you don’t act in time, the computer mucks your hand.

In a live game, there is no clock and some players feel the need to take as much time as possible for every decision. Even a simple fold pre-flop with 7 2 becomes a big deal for some players. It’s as if they are on TV and want the camera on them, hence the term Hollywooding.

Is there anything that we can do to this type of player? Well, we can ask them to speed up their pace of play and hope they will. If not, every player at the table has the right to call the clock.

Calling the clock is something players will use if someone is taking too long. If a player calls the clock, the dealer then calls the floor manager and from the point on the floor person will allow the player one minute to make their decision. I myself have never called the clock on anyone, but there is definitely a time and a place for it.

Now, before you go out and start calling the clock on players, keep in mind a couple of things. How big of a decision does the person have? Is it for all his money or his tournament life? Has he been taking a long time on every decision? I like to allow players the time needed to make their mind up, but it is your right to call the clock if you feel a player is taking too long.

A few years ago, while playing in the Alberta poker championship, I was put to a decision for all of my chips pretty early in the tournament. I had the top two pairs but there were two possible straights out there. While I was making up my mind to call or not, someone called the clock on me.

Well, not just anyone. It was the dealer.

I have seen almost everything in poker, but to have the clock called on me by the dealer was amazing. Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge fan of dealers and think I treat them fairly, for the most part. But this was just wrong. The dealer’s job is to deal and make sure the game runs smoothly. By no means is he there to influence game play.

When this happened, I looked at him in shock and said, “What? You are calling the clock on me?”

His response was, “Yes — if you don’t act soon, I will have to call the clock on you.”

I had bet the river and was moved all in for my tournament life. I had a legitimate decision to make here, and just as I was about to give the dealer a piece of my mind, the entire table basically told the dealer where to go. One player was so upset, he actually called the floor on the dealer.

When the floor person arrived he wasn’t at all amused and he looked at the dealer and told him his job was to deal the cards and by no means did he have the right to call the clock on any player.

I eventually did make the call, and won the hand.

As poker players, we have certain rights at the table. But before you go ahead and abuse those rights, make sure you consider all the facts at hand.