ShareIn the world of poker, every tournament has its share of memorable moments. That said, a hand that was witnessed at the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Cyprus this week will not be forgotten for a longer time than is the norm.
Rules are rules, everyone knows that, but any hint of shifting away from them or misinterpreting them leads to inevitable controversy and drama. On Day 1A of the $2,200 Eureka High Roller, we saw a hand that sparked a heated debate and left the poker community divided after a rule we previously thought unbreakable was allowed to be ignored in the aim of what some considered fairness.
The players at the center of this controversy were Merijn van Rooij and Maan El Hachem. The hand in question unfolded with about 60,000 chips in the pot. The board ran out 3♥ 2♦ 8♥ 7♥ J♠and Van Rooij was all-in with K♥K♦ .
El Hachem, after some deliberation, made the call for his last 17,200 chips with pocket deuces.
The drama unfolded when El Hachem misread his opponent's cards and mucked his set, believing he had lost. He thought Van Rooij had tabled K♥J♥.
The dealer, following standard procedure, placed El Hachem's cards in the muck pile, typically signifying the end of the hand. But the situation then took an unexpected turn when it was revealed that El Hachem had ditched the winning hand.
This revelation led to a lengthy deliberation on the floor. The initial decision by the floor to declare El Hachem's cards dead was overruled by EPT Tournament Director Toby Stone, who allowed his cards to be retrieved from the muck.
Stone's decision was based on the Tournament Directors Association (TDA) rules, which govern EPT events. According to these rules, it is the dealer's responsibility to protect the player's cards in an all-in and call situation.
Since El Hachem's cards were identifiable and retrievable from the top of the muck pile, he was permitted to change his mind and table his cards.
The decision was met with mixed reactions from the poker community. Some argued that the hand should have been declared dead once it hit the muck, while others agreed with Stone's ruling, citing the TDA rules.
This is unlikely to be the last we hear of this incident, even though this kind of thing is relatively rare at major events such as the EPT.
WSOP Tournament Director Andy Tillman gave a clear explanation of why the ruling was so.
"Completely the correct ruling. All hands must be shown in an all-in-and-call situation.A player in a tournament is not allowed to fold their hand face down.
“So, as long as the cards are clearly identifiable and retrievable, the hand is turned up and shown. It's the dealer's responsibility to protect the game for the entire tournament and not let that hand be folded. Great call by Toby! I would've ruled the exact same."
