Floor
The floor person or manager in a live poker room who makes rulings on disputes and manages seating.
iGaming Journalist & Crypto Casino Analyst
What Is Floor?
Floor staff are responsible for enforcing house and tournament rules, resolving disputes between players such as string bets or angle shooting allegations, and handling logistical tasks like table balancing, seating changes, and player disputes. Calling the floor is the appropriate response whenever a rules question or conflict arises that the dealer cannot resolve directly.
Examples
A player calls the floor after a dispute arises over whether an opponent's bet constituted a string bet.
The floor person moves several players to balance the tables after a wave of eliminations in a tournament.
Strategy Tips
Don't hesitate to call the floor when you have a legitimate rules question or dispute, since dealers often cannot make binding rulings themselves on more complex issues. Familiarize yourself with the specific room or tournament's rules in advance, since floor rulings are typically based on published rules rather than general poker custom. Stay calm and factual when explaining a dispute to the floor, since a clear account speeds up a fair ruling. Remember that floor decisions are generally final, so understanding rules beforehand helps you avoid disputes in the first place.