Players need to be very careful about what they say during live poker.
To me - it's similar to being at a live auction - careful with hand waving and even scratching your face!!
I'm playing a double board bomb pot. I'm heads up v a player that called the flop then checked the turn and river. I bet $40 with 2 pair At on the bottom and Top pair Ten on the top board. The other player says "I'm gonna call". I turned over my hand and said "I think I may be good on both boards. The other player then folds. And says I didn't call, I was just thinking about it. The dealer agreed that" I'm going to call is not a declaration to call.
Absolutely a declaration to call. The dealer was wrong.
I might say, "I'm thinking about calling because I have a very good hand." And of course I'm looking for a reaction from my opponent.
Why did you flip over your cards before he actually made the call?
Because verbal is binding in live poker and the villain clearly made the call.
I didn't feel like making a scene so I just let it go. I had been chatting with him for a while and he didn't seem like he was intentionally angle shooting. If this had been a tournament I for sure would have called the floor.
Well this sucks for you. I like people but I never walk around a live poker table handing a $100 bill to every player at the table. But...ok.
Why would a tournament be different???????????
I was obligated to show first because I made the bet.
Correct - and the villain called.
even if he said "I call", they can not force him to put chips into the pot.
Yes they can. I have seen this same situation and the dealer leans over the table and begins to cut out chips from the villain's stack to make the pot right with the villain's "call".
Of course the villain protests and leaves when the floor agrees with the dealer. And instantly there is less drama at the table! lol