Venetian Dealer Mistake Causes Hand Tragedy: River Card Swapped, Player Loses Pot
An amateur player participating in a $3-$5-$10 No-Limit Texas Hold'em game at the Venetian casino lost the pot due to a dealer mistake where the river card was swapped from a 2 to a 9, allowing the opponent to catch up. The player lost the pot, reminding everyone to watch dealer actions.
An amateur player shared a heartbreaking hand history on Reddit's r/poker subreddit, which took place at a late-night 3-5-10 no-limit Texas Hold'em table at the Venetian.
It was around 3 AM. The player had about $3,000 in chips and had already lost $1,000 that night. Preflop, he raised to $90 with A♠Q♦, and three players called. The flop came A♦10♠5♥ (rainbow board). He bet $80, and two players called. The turn was 7♣. He bet $275, one crazy player called, and another player had yet to act.
The dealer made a critical mistake when dealing the river: after burning a card, the dealer flipped the river card face-up (the player saw it was 2♦), but suddenly realized there was still a player yet to act. The dealer immediately placed the river card back on top of the deck and called the floor supervisor. The supervisor ruled: since there was still a player to act, the 2♦ would be treated as a burn card and a new river card would be dealt.
The player was extremely upset because the 2♦ was a perfect safe card for him. Other players at the table jokingly said this mistake would change the outcome. The third player eventually decided to call the $275 bet, and then the river came 9♠.
The player realized he was likely behind and chose to check. The crazy player bet $675, and the third player called. The player had planned to call the crazy player, but after seeing the third player call, he assumed that player had made top two pair, so he folded. Sure enough, the crazy player showed 10♦J♦ (top pair with a gutshot), and the third player showed A♠9♦ (TPGK, rivered two pair).
The player said that while this wasn't a huge pot, his luck had been terrible that night and his emotions were already fragile, making this blow especially heavy. He reminded other players to always watch the dealer's actions to avoid similar situations.
Summary
Dealer mistakes occasionally happen in poker rooms, but this one directly changed the outcome of the hand. The player's originally safe river card was replaced, ultimately costing him the pot. As a player, staying alert and ensuring the dealer follows proper procedures is an important part of protecting your own interests.
FAQ
- Typically, poker rooms handle dealer mistakes according to established rules. For example, if players who have not yet acted still have the option to act, the cards already dealt are usually retrieved and redealt. Players can express dissatisfaction, but it is generally difficult to change the final decision.