A Stud Controversy

Chad Holloway

Level 26 : 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante

Danzer: /
Racener: /

John Racener check-called a bet from George Danzer on fourth street and then called a bet when his German foe took the lead on fifth. The action repeated itself on sixth, and then Danzer bet a final time on seventh. Racener called with trip threes, and that is when controversy erupted.

Danzer, thinking he was beat by the trips, picked up his cards and looked at them. At that point he realized that he had a flush and tabled his cards. "Oh sorry, I had a flush," an apologetic Danzer said.

Racener believed that Danzer's hand was dead once he picked up his cards. The floor at the ESPN main stage said that wasn't the case as Danzer didn't release his hand, he merely picked up his cards and looked at them. Racener was not content, so a second floor was called, who agreed with the ruling.

Racener plead his case and requested the ruling be revisited. At this point the staff decided to get tournament director Jack Effel on the phone, who confirmed the ruling.

"If a player picks up his cards at the showdown, it plays as long as he's not facing a bet," the initial floor explained to the crowd over the microphone. With that, Danzer was awarded the pot.