Poker Player at Fault Following WSOP Dealer Chip Counting Error?

While much of the focus in the poker world was on the final table determination for the 2019 World Series of Poker Main Event this past weekend, there was another big story that had everyone talking.

It involved an argument between a player and dealer during a crucial all-in whereby the dealer made a chip counting error.

Here is how it all went down.

From USA Today:

On Day 7, with 11 players remaining, Dario Sammartino raised to 1.7 million chips with his pocket 10s. Nick Marchington then went all in for 22.2 million with his pocket Queens.

But when Sammartino asked for the dealer to count Marchington’s chips to see if he wanted to call the bet, she mistakenly announced it was 17.2 million. Sammartino had called that bet and put in the chips to match it.

When the dealer realized the error, she called over officials to discuss what happened and the hand moved ahead. Sammartino began arguing that it wasn’t fair and that he might have acted differently if he knew it was five million chips more in the pot.

WSOP VP Jack Effel then appeared at the table and pointed to a rule that forced Sammartino to match the 22.3 million chips:

Poker is a game of alert, continuous observation. It is the caller’s responsibility to determine the correct amount of an opponent’s bet before calling, regardless of what is stated by the dealer or participants. If a caller requests a count but receives incorrect information from the dealer or participants, then places that amount in the pot, the caller is assumed to accept the full correct action & is subject to the correct wager or all-in amount.

Despite losing the hand, Sammartino will start action on Monday in 5th (23.1 million) with just five players remaining.

- Ace King, Gambling911.com