Tapping the Table Means Checking
There's nothing like a multi-way pot with a little bit of controversy thrown in. That's what this hand provided for everyone watching and now for you, the reader.
David Steicke limped under the gun and then Michael Mariakis limped from the next seat. Action folded a couple spots over to a player in middle position and he limped as well. Oscar Teran called on the button and then Neil Arce completed from the small blind. Colin Lovelock checked his option in the big blind.
The 97 players that saw the flop witnessed the 
, 
and 
come out. Action checked by the first four players to the player in middle position. He fired 3,600. Teran and Arce both folded before Lovelock made the call. Lovelock tossed in five blue T1,000 chips and there was some discussion before any further action whether or not this was a call or a raise. It was ruled that Lovelock only called and he himself claimed the dealer said the bet was for 4,600, not 3,600. Steicke was next and folded and then Mariakis made the call, leaving only three players to the turn.
The turn brought the 
and Lovelock checked. Mariakis checked and then the only player who seemed like he wanted to try and win the pot fired 10,000. Lovelock called and Mariakis called as well.
The river was the 
and Lovelock was up first. He sat and thought about his decision with his left hand gripping his holecards. At one point, he picked up his cards and tapped them on the table three or four times. Then, he announced that he was all in. Mariakis was about to act as the next up when the dealer announced that Lovelock was all in and tossed the all-in button his way. Mariakis made the claim that Lovelock checked and he was backed up by a few other players at the table who saw the same thing. The dealer had turned away for a split second at the moment Lovelock tapped the table with his cards and didn't see the action, all he heard was the all in. The floor was called over and after the story was explained, it was ruled that Lovelock's all-in bet wouldn't stand and that he checked first. Mariakis then checked behind and the other player checked as well to complete the action.
Lovelock showed the 
for a set of sixes and Mariakis tabled the 
for a pair of aces. The other player didn't show, but claimed that he would have called the shove from Lovelock. It was still a very sizable pot for Lovelock to rake in, but he might have been able to get value for his last 15,000 or so had he not mistakenly tapped the table before announcing that he was all in.