Post-mortem poker play

Suppose a number of players are in a cash game of poker, no limit, doesn't matter which variant. Should one of the players die in the middle of a hand he is in, what do you believe would be the most ethical way to finish his hand?

The rules for this in tournaments are well established, but chips in a tournament have no cash value, making it a different issue. For cash games, AFAIK, this is one of the few questions on which there still is no definitive consensus, and such situations have been resolved differently. In some locales the laws may restrict particular resolutions.

In either case, the question is not about what would most likely be done, but what you believe should be done.

As I recall, almost this exact scenario was part of the rules for an online poker site. I forget which one. (I.E. I forget which one where I bothered to read the rules.)

The situation is, if a player should lose his internet connection, the pot will be split, and he will see the showdown as if he was all-in with just the chips he had put forward.

The rule also said that they will be monitoring for abuse of this rule.

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Her husband's illness, not death, was the plot of an old western poker movie, "Big Hand for the Little Lady." Great movie. Although she didn't know the game, she took his seat and played out the game. I won't tell you the rest of the movie....

This has actually come up in a game I played in a Washington casino, 1/2NL Hold 'em around 2004. Old man in seat 5 was in the hand but after the board was dealt out, he started slumping in his chair and dealer said "Your action, Herb. Herb? You okay, Herb? Herb?". At this point Herb is slumping way down clutching at his chest. Floor comes over and leans the back of Herb's chair back till Herb is lying on his back on the floor, but still seated in the chair. Paramedics are called and Herb is hauled away, never to be seen again and I later learned he died. Play went on during the hand as the rest of us were curious, but we weren't going to stop the game for all this. Herb was declared out of the hand and his cards were mucked. Floor picked up his chipstack to return to him later should he return, which he did not. I'm guessing the casino just annexed them.

Upon reading Zippy's reply, I'm rethinking my choice.

Voluntarily or not, vacating a seat means forfeiture of the hand.

That casino did the right thing.

I would hope that they also tried to return the stack to the next of kin....

I usually feel I've heard every gambling question at least once, but this is a first.

I'm not sure what the rules say to do in this situation. There is probably a rule that if you vacate your seat mid-hand then you are deemed to have folded. However, one could argue this might not apply because:

1. The body at least is still in the seat.
2. It seems rather heartless, since the player obviously didn't intend to die.

Lacking no other guidance, I think the right think to do would be to handle it like a disconnect in Internet poker. Make a side pot based on what was in there at the time of death. If the deceased ends up winning then he gets that side pot. Set all money aside for the next of kin.

I agree with you Wiz. I was at a table game when a player had a heart attack. He was on the floor with a doctor attending to him.
His wife asked the doctor if her husband was still alive. The doctor, in his best bedside manner replied, " Only in the side pot, Dear "

Quote: Wizard

So we have TWO members of the board where this actually happened! What are the odds?

Buzz, may I ask which state this happened in?

Aw Wiz I was just funning!

Quote: Wizard

Buzz, may I ask which state this happened in?

Rigor Mortis?

Quote: DrJohn

Rigor Mortis?

State of DENIAL.

1) Return all bets and turn in all hands and play things over.

2) Do not resume play until the paramedics and/or police are done.