23.16.1233    FOULED HANDS

(1) A player is responsible for taking reasonable steps to protect his/her hand by holding on to it or by placing one or more chips on it. A player who fails to take reasonable steps to protect his or her hand shall have no relief if that hand is "fouled" as defined in this subsection, or is accidentally taken in by the dealer. A fouled hand or a hand accidentally taken by the dealer is a dead hand, as defined in this subsection.

(2) A protected hand may not be ruled fouled by accidental contact with discards unless it is impossible to completely reconstruct. A player who has a protected hand taken in by the dealer or fouled by discards through no fault of the player is entitled to be refunded from the pot all the chips the player put in the pot on that game. In disputed cases, the dealer's decision is final.

History: Sec. 23-5-115 MCA; IMP, Sec. 23-5-311 MCA; EMERG, NEW, 1990 MAR p. 286, Eff. 2/9/90.