Telling this story as a 3rd party perspective as I was not there to witness it but have confirmed that it did indeed happen. However I can't confirm the chip counts.
A friend of mine was in Detroit playing poker at Motor City Casino. He was sitting at a $2/$5 table and had approximately $500 in front of him when this hand/ruling went down.
I don't really think the preflop action is important. My friend was UTG and opened, got 3bet, decided just to call and they seen a flop 4 ways, my friend being 2nd to act. After the flop, the first person to act shoves all-in. My friend, who flopped the nuts, was very excited and immediately said call and EXPOSED his cards prior to the 3rd & 4th people in the hand to act. Granted that this is pretty bad, my friend doesn't play poker all that often and is a true recreational player.
The 3rd player in the hand, as my friend described was a clear regular. Knew all the dealers and floor staff by name, as well as them knowing his name. Called for the floor. The floor ruled that the exposed hand was DEAD, AND HE STILL HAD TO COMMIT TO CALLING THE ALL IN!!!!! Of course my friend, while not being the smartest poker player, is not a complete idiot knew that this must be wrong. They then explained to him that it is a "house rule" that any exposed hand is automatically dead and that any action prior to exposing the hand stand, and since he said "Call" that his call had to stand (A little over $400).
My friend throws a fit and refuses to pay the guy. The casino gives him 2 options. Pay the guy, or be 86ed from the property for life. He told them to go fuck themselves and left with his $400.
I myself did not completely believe this story, even though I don't think my friend is a liar. So I decided to call the poker room myself in a true Colonel Nigel Fabrisham (sp?) fashion. They did confirm that they do have a house rule that any exposed cards are dead cards. They also confirmed that the house rules are not clearly posted anywhere in the poker room, that it is a players responsibility to ask.
Although this is their right, I think this is very scummy and heavily favors the house regs.
Thoughts?