Definition of string bet. A string bet in poker is an illegal bet. It is the act of betting in several steps. Imagine a virtual line that you cross when you make your bets. If you want to bet €600 for example, you won't be able to take a €100 chip, bet it, wait to see your opponent's face, add another €100 chip, assess his reaction again. A poker string bet is what you should avoid by sticking to the tips below. Watch Movies that Play Poker games watching. Movies that have professionals play poker games, always sharpen your playing techniques. What you normally see is what you do. There is a saying that goes 'Monkey see Monkey do' and this is true when you watch poker. Find a new home game. From this example, the owner, dealer, and other playres show that they do not understand proper poker etiquette. A clear string bet, which should definitely be ruled a call by the dealer, and that should have been the end of it.
| String Bet | No votes (0%) |
| Not String Bet | 12 votes (100%) |
12 members have voted
PapaChubby
One of the players in my home hold 'em game was grumbling the other night about string bets from another player. We're not very strict about this sort of thing, but I didn't think that what the guy was doing was a violation. The grumbler is kind of an ornery old coot, but he does have more casino poker experience than the rest of us put together.
I'm not sure that I'm gonna be able to describe this adequately. The way the guy was betting was that he'd bring forward a few chips in his hand, like maybe four $5 chips. He'd then lay them down sequentially, side by side, one at a time in a single motion. Effectively spreading them out so we could clearly see how many chips he was betting.
So I'm sure that the argument for a string bet is that he's placing the chips on the table one at a time. But he brought them all out together and set them all down in one motion without returning to get more chips. Is this a string bet, or is it acceptable?
I'm not sure that I'm gonna be able to describe this adequately. The way the guy was betting was that he'd bring forward a few chips in his hand, like maybe four $5 chips. He'd then lay them down sequentially, side by side, one at a time in a single motion. Effectively spreading them out so we could clearly see how many chips he was betting.
So I'm sure that the argument for a string bet is that he's placing the chips on the table one at a time. But he brought them all out together and set them all down in one motion without returning to get more chips. Is this a string bet, or is it acceptable?
DJTeddyBear
In some casinos that would be acceptable, in other casinos it would not./seminole-hard-rock-hotel-and-casino-opens-in-south-florida-50826091-58976edd5f9b5874ee378422.jpg "String bet poker")
Also, the speed in which he laid them out is an additional factor.
Lastly, home games tend to have more relaxed rules. For that reason alone, I voted 'no'.
Lastly, home games tend to have more relaxed rules. For that reason alone, I voted 'no'.
Also, the speed in which he laid them out is an additional factor.
Lastly, home games tend to have more relaxed rules. For that reason alone, I voted 'no'.
It was pretty quick. He was laying them down side-by-side to display them, but there certainly wasn't any time for decision-making between chips. I've had to issue a warning before to players who clearly hadn't figured out exactly how much they were going to bet before they started placing chips on the table.
Casinos sometimes have a rule that whatever crosses the line, or whatever is in your hand crossing the line, goes to the pot.
Does he ever bring a handful of chips, then drop less than all of them? That's more common of a string bet.
Generally for a home game, I'd say it's all fine as long as you're consistent.
Simply laying the chips out in one quick motion is certainly not a string bet. However, as long as he doesn't ever bring the chips back. Otherwise, and it doesn't even matter how exactly you drop them, you'll be doing an opposite but similar play to a string bet: pick up more that you want to drop, notice the reaction, drop all or fewer than all.
Yeah, those curmudgeons can be a buzz-kill, but they're absolutely right. If you don't know the rules, you'll learn the expensive/hard way.
Around the poker table, you'll often hear the line 'There's no friends in poker.' It's spoken a'la Tom Hanks' line, 'There's no crying in Baseball.'
Poker is not really a social game. I saved a mailer from Borgata advertising poker. The outside says 'Meet new friends.' Inside it says 'Take their money!'
Give me a poker table full of curmudgeons any day!
It's not a string bet, but it's getting close to it. Plunk 'em all down at once, then spread them if needed.
Lastly, home games tend to have more relaxed rules. For that reason alone, I voted 'no'.
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
PapaChubby
Also, the speed in which he laid them out is an additional factor.
It was pretty quick. He was laying them down side-by-side to display them, but there certainly wasn't any time for decision-making between chips. I've had to issue a warning before to players who clearly hadn't figured out exactly how much they were going to bet before they started placing chips on the table.
P90
I'm not sure that I'm gonna be able to describe this adequately. The way the guy was betting was that he'd bring forward a few chips in his hand, like maybe four $5 chips. He'd then lay them down sequentially, side by side, one at a time in a single motion. Effectively spreading them out so we could clearly see how many chips he was betting.
Casinos sometimes have a rule that whatever crosses the line, or whatever is in your hand crossing the line, goes to the pot.
Does he ever bring a handful of chips, then drop less than all of them? That's more common of a string bet.
Generally for a home game, I'd say it's all fine as long as you're consistent.
Simply laying the chips out in one quick motion is certainly not a string bet. However, as long as he doesn't ever bring the chips back. Otherwise, and it doesn't even matter how exactly you drop them, you'll be doing an opposite but similar play to a string bet: pick up more that you want to drop, notice the reaction, drop all or fewer than all.
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Wizard
Administrator
This illustrates one of the things I hate about poker. It seems to me half the players in Vegas are curmudgeons waiting to jump down another player's throat for the any breach of procedure. At least in the casinos the game isn't fun any more.Administrator
It's not whether you win or lose; it's whether or not you had a good bet.
s2dbaker
Tournament poker sites. This illustrates one of the things I hate about poker. It seems to me half the players in Vegas are curmudgeons waiting to jump down another player's throat for the any breach of procedure. At least in the casinos the game isn't fun any more.
If you think that poker is bad, I recommend staying away from duplicate Bridge. Those biddies will cut you in two!!Someday, joor goin' to see the name of Googie Gomez in lights and joor goin' to say to joorself, 'Was that her?' and then joor goin' to answer to joorself, 'That was her!' But you know somethin' mister? I was always her yuss nobody knows it! - Googie Gomez
DJTeddyBear
This illustrates one of the things I hate about poker. It seems to me half the players in Vegas are curmudgeons waiting to jump down another player's throat for the any breach of procedure. Getting good at poker. At least in the casinos the game isn't fun any more.
Yeah, those curmudgeons can be a buzz-kill, but they're absolutely right. If you don't know the rules, you'll learn the expensive/hard way.
Around the poker table, you'll often hear the line 'There's no friends in poker.' It's spoken a'la Tom Hanks' line, 'There's no crying in Baseball.'
Poker is not really a social game. I saved a mailer from Borgata advertising poker. The outside says 'Meet new friends.' Inside it says 'Take their money!'
Angle Shoot Poker
By contrast, take any of the casino's table games. They're supposed to be fun, social games. How often is there someone there, moaning about someone's questionable play, or pointing out how the hand you had would have won the side bet?Give me a poker table full of curmudgeons any day!
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
thecesspit
It was pretty quick. He was laying them down side-by-side to display them, but there certainly wasn't any time for decision-making between chips. I've had to issue a warning before to players who clearly hadn't figured out exactly how much they were going to bet before they started placing chips on the table.
It's not a string bet, but it's getting close to it. Plunk 'em all down at once, then spread them if needed.
'Then you can admire the real gambler, who has neither eaten, slept, thought nor lived, he has so smarted under the scourge of his martingale, so suffered on the rack of his desire for a coup at trente-et-quarante' - Honore de Balzac, 1829
konceptum
I agree that the action should not be considered a string bet, as his hands were still out with chips in them. In most of the places I've played, a string action is only considered to have occurred if the person brings their hands back to their pile of chips and forward again, without stating their intent prior to doing so. But, as another person mentioned, different casinos have different rules.
Without know the accused person in this example, I have seen other people do something similar in casino environments, in an effort to attain information regarding the strength of their opponents' hands. By laying down one set of chips (the call), but not fully completing an action, they can see if other players are going to be calling or folding, and then use that to determine if another set of chips (the raise) would also be dropped. This is one of the reasons why I would not make any action or movement, verbal or physical, until the person was completely done, ie, returned their hands back to their side of the table.
If the person was doing this action as a raise, consistently throughout the night, then I would definitely take that person's side. On the other hand, if the accused person was making the same kind of action, ie hand extending with enough chips to call and raise, but sometimes only calling and other times raising, then I would say the person is angling. In some jurisdictions, that would be ok, but in a friendly home game, it might be cause for someone to say something. I have played in casinos that have dictated that the amount of chips your hand carries forward is considered your bet.
Without know the accused person in this example, I have seen other people do something similar in casino environments, in an effort to attain information regarding the strength of their opponents' hands. By laying down one set of chips (the call), but not fully completing an action, they can see if other players are going to be calling or folding, and then use that to determine if another set of chips (the raise) would also be dropped. This is one of the reasons why I would not make any action or movement, verbal or physical, until the person was completely done, ie, returned their hands back to their side of the table.
If the person was doing this action as a raise, consistently throughout the night, then I would definitely take that person's side. On the other hand, if the accused person was making the same kind of action, ie hand extending with enough chips to call and raise, but sometimes only calling and other times raising, then I would say the person is angling. In some jurisdictions, that would be ok, but in a friendly home game, it might be cause for someone to say something. I have played in casinos that have dictated that the amount of chips your hand carries forward is considered your bet.
MathExtremist
String Bet In Poker
Poker players often come forward with one or two stacks and topple it/them forward so the chips spread out in front of them. Is that what he was doing, or was it more of a deliberate one-at-a-time move so as to gauge opponents' reactions? Did he ever move forward with more chips than he left there -- did he ever pull any money back? Was there a declaration of 'call' or 'raise' involved? The first betting action is binding -- either verbal or physical -- so if he always left the chips he brought forward, it's not a string bet.'In my own case, when it seemed to me after a long illness that death was close at hand, I found no little solace in playing constantly at dice.' -- Girolamo Cardano, 1563
in General Poker Chat
Ok.. last Saturday night i'm sitting at my table (N/L, blinds 2/5), minding my own business, and folding my cards like a good boy when all hell breaks loose.
Pre-flop(2 limpers), late pos George (names changed to protect the innocent.. um.. ignorant.. plus I didn't really catch his name) reaches out and stacks 4 red chips in front of his cards on the table.. then he grabs another stack of reds and starts to stack them beside the previous pile when the shouting starts!
'Whoa whoa whoa!!', 'You can't do that!!', 'String bet!! String bet!!' I am jolted from my blissful slumber.
The insuing argument is heated.. George claiming that he hasn't pushed his chips out yet and is simply stacking them up in front of his cards and plans to push them out all together!
Now I know most of the players at this table.. but George and a friend are from out of town.. and they insist that there is nothing wrong with this action and that a 'real' table has a line that the chips are pushed over before they are considered in play.
Up until this point I have held my tongue.. but it's too good too pass up. I calmly pat the table and exclaim 'Feels like a real table!!' I decide to visit the little boys room until this is sorted out. A ruling is called for and it's quick and decisive.. '$20 to go, sir. No string bets allowed.'
The point is 'argued' for the next hour during play and many wonderful lines are exchanged. I leave later that night feeling thoroughly entertained!!
Pre-flop(2 limpers), late pos George (names changed to protect the innocent.. um.. ignorant.. plus I didn't really catch his name) reaches out and stacks 4 red chips in front of his cards on the table.. then he grabs another stack of reds and starts to stack them beside the previous pile when the shouting starts!
'Whoa whoa whoa!!', 'You can't do that!!', 'String bet!! String bet!!' I am jolted from my blissful slumber.
The insuing argument is heated.. George claiming that he hasn't pushed his chips out yet and is simply stacking them up in front of his cards and plans to push them out all together!
Now I know most of the players at this table.. but George and a friend are from out of town.. and they insist that there is nothing wrong with this action and that a 'real' table has a line that the chips are pushed over before they are considered in play.
Up until this point I have held my tongue.. but it's too good too pass up. I calmly pat the table and exclaim 'Feels like a real table!!' I decide to visit the little boys room until this is sorted out. A ruling is called for and it's quick and decisive.. '$20 to go, sir. No string bets allowed.'
The point is 'argued' for the next hour during play and many wonderful lines are exchanged. I leave later that night feeling thoroughly entertained!!
String Bet Poker
Comments
Bet Online Texas Holdem
- If it was an innocent mistake in a friendly, low stakes game. I have no problem with it at all. More inexperienced players will do this with no clue that it is often used as a cheap tactic by more 'devious' players.
If it was a huge game for big money, and someone was using this weak manoeuver to try and gleen information off of another player, then that is a problem.
And we all know that at many poker tables, there will always be a wanna-be tough guy that likes to talk smack, and try and bully dealers and other players, even if he has clearly messed up..
The general rule is to declare any calls, or raises verbally, before acting. In most casino's, string bets are strictly prohibited, although most will have a line that you can freely stack as much chips in front of before pushing them in.. - In no-limit, I think you've got to allow quite a bit more leeway when it comes to what is a string bet.
What 'George' seems to have attempted, stacking up and/or counting out chips before making a bet, is pretty typical in no-limit. This should generally be allowed IMO.
The easiest thing to do, and the only real way to remove this kind of ambiguity (apart from verbal declarations), is to have a betting line on your table. George has a valid point about this, and is probably not talking about whether or not your table is made from non-virtual raw materials.
Setting out the rules of what is and isn't a string bet at the start of a session (especially when there are new players) is a fantastic idea simply because there are so many variations of the string bet rule, *especially* in no-limit.
ScottyZ - In no-limit, I think you've got to allow quite a bit more leeway when it comes to what is a string bet.
What 'George' seems to have attempted, stacking up and/or counting out chips before making a bet, is pretty typical in no-limit. This should generally be allowed IMO.
The easiest thing to do, and the only real way to remove this kind of ambiguity (apart from verbal declarations), is to have a betting line on your table. George has a valid point about this, and is probably not talking about whether or not your table is made from non-virtual raw materials.
Setting out the rules of what is and isn't a string bet at the start of a session (especially when there are new players) is a fantastic idea simply because there are so many variations of the string bet rule, *especially* in no-limit.
ScottyZ
I agree with Scotty. If the action was as you described, this is not a string bet.
I also agree that tables should have betting lines. They changed the felt at all the tables at Brantford, and now none of the tables have betting lines. I asked why they got rid of the lines. I was told that the lines were only there to 'help people learn', that 'they were never meant to be permanent' and that (get this) 'they were removed to make things less confusing'.
I am not sure exactly WHAT is made less confusing by the lack of a betting line, but it sure as hell is not poker. Every time I go to Brantford, I end up leaving with just a little bit less faith in the people who run that place. It's a nice room and all (clean, nice TVs, and all that) but I am starting to think that the people who make the decisions don't have a clue.
Which brings me back to the string betting thing. It seems that every supervisor at that room has a different interpretation of the string bet rule. I have been told (by dealers, supervisors, and pit bosses) that if you don't say 'raise', you MUST drop all your chips at the same time.
I have also been told (by dealers, supervisors, and pit bosses) that so long as you have all your chips in your hand, and don't move your hanbd back to your stack to get more chips, that you can drop the chips in one at a time if you want, and that your action is not complete until you pull your hand back. Once, I was discussing this with a supervisor, during a non-busy time. She told me that it was ok (no string bet) so long as you don't bring your hand back. She then came back about 15 minutes later, and told me that she had asked a professional player who was a regular there, and she told him that it should be a string bet if you don't drop all the chips at the same time, so 'I guess that's what the rule is'.
It would be nice if:
(1) They would agree on a rule and tell all the dealers, supervisors, and pit bosses what it is, and
(2) if the supervisors actually KNEW the rules, and didn't have to ask the players what they were. A supervisor who does not know the rules is essentially just taking up space and serves no real purpose.
Keith - I also agree that tables should have betting lines. They changed the felt at all the tables at Brantford, and now none of the tables have betting lines. I asked why they got rid of the lines. I was told that the lines were only there to 'help people learn', that 'they were never meant to be permanent' and that (get this) 'they were removed to make things less confusing'.
I am not sure exactly WHAT is made less confusing by the lack of a betting line, but it sure as hell is not poker.
Keith
I may be giving them too much credit, but what if the point of removing the line is to drill it in to each player to actually say what they are doing. That way the string bet goes away completely, no matter what your interpretation of 'string bet' is?
I plan on putting a betting line on my table though.. looks cool. 8) - I may be giving them too much credit, but what if the point of removing the line is to drill it in to each player to actually say what they are doing. That way the string bet goes away completely, no matter what your interpretation of 'string bet' is?
But, you don't have to say what you are doing if you don't want to. Verbal declarations are binding but NOT mandatory. The problem with no betting line is that the bets don't get tossed out far enough, so the dealers have to ask people to push in their bets so they can reach them. All that is accomplished is that the game is slowed down.I plan on putting a betting line on my table though.. looks cool. 8)
Definitely a good idea. It gets rid of confusion and eliminates arguments.
Keith. - Agreed. I also think that verbal declarations should always be binding, but not mandatory.
In addition to what you've said already, another nice thing about having a betting line is to allow some precision in rulings. A player has put a chip (or chips) into the pot if they have gone across the line. A player has mucked his hand if his cards go across the line. With no line on your table, you are going to create a lot of unnecessary arguments. With a line, a dealer can typically resolve the sitatuation in a few seconds by simply saying something like, 'That bet was across the line.'I asked why they got rid of the lines [at Brantford].. 'they were removed to make things less confusing'.
That doesn't make a lick of sense.
That very statement negates itself by being so confusing. It confused me in the sense of: 'Who could have possibly ever thought that one up? What could they have been thinking?'
ScottyZ - Sorry guys, I couldn't get past MiamiKeith saying this:
I almost fell out of my chair. I'm still shaking.
Regards,
all_aces - Sorry guys, I couldn't get past MiamiKeith saying this:
I almost fell out of my chair. I'm still shaking.
Regards,
all_aces
It's like the song..
'In good times. In bad times. I'll be on your siiiiide for-eeee-ver mo-ooo-oo-oo-o-o-re, yeah.'
Maybe this was one of the good times?
ScottyZ - Scotty, are you aware that you just quoted the song 'That's What Friends are For' by Dionne Warwick? And that this forum isn't a wedding, or a mall, or a bad lite rock radio station? Or a high-school prom dance like 15 years ago?
Just checking..
Lol maybe it was. What would the sweet be without the sour?
Regards,
all_aces - Scotty, are you aware that you just quoted the song 'That's What Friends are For' by Dionne Warwick? And that this forum isn't a wedding, or a mall, or a bad lite rock radio station? Or a high-school prom dance like 15 years ago?
and you immediately knew what song he was talking about!
'I saw goody all_aces floating above my bed!' - Scotty, are you aware that you just quoted the song 'That's What Friends are For' by Dionne Warwick?
Hang on a minute.. let me go check. I thought it was quoting Gwar.
ScottyZ - Scotty, are you aware that you just quoted the song 'That's What Friends are For' by Dionne Warwick? And that this forum isn't a wedding, or a mall, or a bad lite rock radio station? Or a high-school prom dance like 15 years ago?
and you immediately knew what song he was talking about!
'I saw goody all_aces floating above my bed!'
Lol, yes I did, but I have an excuse. I used to work at Canadian Tire when I was a teenager. The songs on the old CT roster were relentless, and I had no choice but to get to know them!
I swear!
Regards,
all_aces - Scotty, are you aware that you just quoted the song 'That's What Friends are For' by Dionne Warwick? And that this forum isn't a wedding, or a mall, or a bad lite rock radio station? Or a high-school prom dance like 15 years ago?
1. I REALLY hope that you had to look that up.
2. I thought that Dionne Warwick was the psychic friends lady?
Keith - Scotty, are you aware that you just quoted the song 'That's What Friends are For' by Dionne Warwick?
Hang on a minute.. let me go check. I thought it was quoting Gwar.
ScottyZ
Okay, the song I really had in mind went something like:
'I kill you and I watch you die
Destroying everything you cherish, masturbating as you perish
Crush, kill, destroy, crush, kill, destroy, destroy!'
In the end, however, both songs will have about the same effect on people in terms of influencing their respective audiences to kill each other. I mean, think about it. Which song are you more likely to hear during a Quentin Tarantino slow-motion, multiple-kill scene?
'Keep smilin'. Keep shinin'.'
:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:
ScottyZ - Yeah I wouldn't really have a problem with the guy going back and getting more chips. Betting line would have helped in this situation..
That song is just :twisted:
