Event 8: Johnson Splits Pot with No Cards

$350 + 50 Deepstack NL Hold'em ($100,000 Guarantee)

Mantini (left) States his Case to (l-r) Tom, Tab & Byron

Controversy erupts on Table 8 when Austen Johnson (Woodsboro, MD) mucks his cards, but is still in the tournament when the river makes the hand a split pot.

"But he doesn't have any cards," says an incredulous Brian Mantini (New Brunswick, NJ) who can't believe a player with no hand is given half the pot.

On a board of 9♣ 7♠ 7♥ 9♥ Mantini moves all in for 25k and has Johnson slightly covered.  Johnson calls and is drawing dead to a chop and shows AK against Mantini's full house (A♣ 7♣)

After exposing his hand, Johnson turns the cards face down into the muck, but is stunned when the 9♦ hits the river.

The table immediately explodes into controversy as a boat on the board, 9s full of 7s, is higher than Mantini's full house.

"This is crazy, you guys are cheating me, he doesn't have any cards," screams Mantini who argues with two poker officials. Tournament Director Tab Duchateau explains that Johnson's chips commit him to the pot and that a player doesn't need cards when the board plays.

"That's new, I've never seen anything like it," says one player as everyone at the player has an opinion on what the ruling should be.

After the pot is split and Johnson is still alive, Duchateau further explains that the rule is in place to prevent collusion.

Rare occasions have seen players dump chips by calling all ins and then mucking, even while holding the winner.  Hence the reason all in cards are turned face up.

"Why does this always happen to me," says Johnson, who was runner-up in the Event 5 Deepstack semi-turbu for $10,735.

Level 5 (150/300/25 ante) continues.

Mantini & Johnson