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SECTION I - PROPER BEHAVIOR

1. CONDUCT CODE

Management will maintain a pleasant environment for all our league players.  The following are not permitted:

1. Secret agreement with another player or any other form of cheating.
2. Verbally or physically threatening any one including non-players.
3. Throwing, tearing, bending, or crumpling cards.
4. Destroying or defacing property.
5. Using an illegal substance.
6. Carrying a weapon (e.g. a knife)
7. Breaking or neglecting any of the ADC’s Rules and Regulations.

2. POKER ETIQUETTE

The following actions are improper, and grounds for warning, suspending, or barring a violator:

1. Purposely acting out of turn.
2. Purposely splashing chips into the pot.
3. Agreeing to check a hand out when a third player is all-in.
4. Softplaying by refusing to bet against a certain opponent whenever heads-up.
5. Reading a hand for another player at the showdown before it has been placed faceup on the table.
6. Telling anyone (except for dealer or player with dealer button) to turn a hand faceup at the showdown.
7. Revealing the contents of a live hand in a multihanded pot before the betting is complete.
8. Revealing the contents of a folded hand before the betting is complete. Do not tell the contents of a hand during a deal even to someone not in the pot, so you do not leave any possibility of the information being transmitted to an active player.
9. Needlessly stalling the action of a game.
10. Deliberately discarding hands away from the muck. Cards should be released in a low line of flight, at a moderate rate of speed.
11. Stacking chips in a manner that interferes with dealing or viewing cards.
12. Making statements or taking action that could unfairly influence the course of play, whether or not the offender is involved in the pot.
13. Pagers and phones on the table and use them in the game.

SECTION II - HOUSE POLICIES

1. DECISION-MAKING

1. Manager reserves the right to make decisions in the spirit of fairness, even if a strict interpretation of the rules may indicate a different ruling.
2. Decisions of the manager are final.
3. The proper time to draw attention to a mistake is when it occurs or is first noticed. Any delay may affect the ruling.
4. A ruling may be made regarding a pot if it has been requested before the next deal starts (or before the game either ends or changes to another table). Otherwise, the result of a deal must stand. The first riffle of the shuffle marks the start for a deal.
5. If a pot has been incorrectly awarded and mingled with chips that were not in the pot, and the time limit for a ruling request given in the previous rule has been observed, the manager may determine how much was in the pot by reconstructing the betting, and then transfer that amount to the proper player.
6. To keep the action moving, it is possible that a game may be asked to continue even though a decision is delayed. The delay could be to get the manager to give the ruling, or for some other good reason. In such circumstances, a pot or portion of it may be impounded by the house while the decision is pending.
7. The same action may have a different meaning, depending on who does it, so the possible intent of an offender will be taken into consideration. Some factors here are the person’s amount of poker experience and past record.
8. A player, before he acts, is entitled to request and receive information as to whether any opposing hand is alive or dead, or whether a wager is of sufficient size to reopen the betting.

2. PROCEDURES

1. Only one person may play a hand.
2. No one is allowed to play another player’s chips.
3. Manager will decide when to start or close the game.
4. The establishment is not responsible for any shortage or removal of chips left on the table during a player’s absence, even though we will try to protect everyone as best we can.
5. All chips must be kept in plain view.
6. Posting blind for another person is not allowed except for dealer.
7. Players must keep their cards in full view. This means above table-level and not past the edge of the table. The cards should not be covered by the hands in a manner to completely conceal them.
8. Cards must remain at the table and not more than 2 feet from the tabletop.
9. Cards are mucked if exposed or mixed with other cards or chips.
10. The players are responsible for the protection of their own cards.
11. Any player is entitled to a clear view of an opponent’s chips. Higher denomination chips should be easily visible.
12. In an All-In action, a player who is on action is auto clocked for 30 seconds.  All in player must announce the total amount of chips automatically and the timer starts after the announcement of the amount of chips. 
13. Looking through the discards or deck stub is not allowed.
14. After a deal ends, dealers are asked to not show what card would have been dealt (a.k.a. bunny chasin’)
15. A player is expected to pay attention to the game and not hold up play. Activity that interferes with this such as reading at the table is discouraged, and the player will be asked to cease if a problem is caused.
16. A non-player may not sit at the table.
17. Verbal statements are legal binding.

3. SEATING

1. When the game starts, active players will draw a card for the button position. The button will be awarded to the highest card by suit. The ranking of suits in the order from top to bottom is spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs.
2. In a new game, the player who arrives at the table the earliest gets first choice of remaining seats; in an event of two players wanting the same seat, the player that signed in first gets the first choice.
3. Players moving due to balancing tables or breaking tables are seated by removing the first non-action player to the left of the dealer of another table and placed in the first empty seat to the right of the dealer at the current table.. (I’ve thought about this – this will prevent someone to get into blinds too soon – reduce the possibility of hostility.)

SECTION III - GENERAL POKER RULES

1. THE BUY-IN

1. When you enter a game, you must make a full buy-in.
2. There is no re-buys.
3. Absolutely no refund after buy-in.
4. Player must be present to buy-in.  No other person can cover a player for buy-in if not present.
5. Late buy-in not allowed.
6. On duty manager is allowed to play in the tournament.

2. MISDEALS

1. Once action begins, a misdeal cannot be called. The deal will be played, and no chips will be returned to any player whose hand is fouled. The action is considered to occur when two players after the blinds have acted on their hands.
2. The following circumstances cause a misdeal, provided attention is called to the error before two players have acted on their hands.

1. The card for the blinds that has been exposed by a dealer error.
2. Two or more cards have been exposed by the dealer.
3. Two or more boxed cards (improperly faced cards) are found.
4. An incorrect number of cards have been dealt to a player, except the top card may be dealt if it goes to the player in proper sequence.
5. Any card has been dealt out of the proper sequence (except an exposed card may be replaced by the burncard).
6. The button was out of position.
7. The first card was dealt to the wrong position.
8. Cards have been dealt to an empty seat or a player not entitled to a hand.
9. A player has been dealt out who is entitled to a hand.

3. DEAD HANDS

1. Your hand is declared dead if:

1.       You fold or announce that you are folding when facing a bet or a raise.

2.       You throw your hand away in a forward motion causing another player to act behind you (even if not facing a bet).

3.       You have the clock on you when facing a bet or raise and exceed the 15-second time limit at dealer’s discretion.

4.       Cards thrown into the muck will be ruled dead.

5.       Cards thrown into another player’s hand or community cards are dead, whether they are faceup or facedown.

6.       Joker found as one of the hole cards is dead hand.

7.       You have the clock on you when facing a bet or raise but not present at the table while still in the dealer’s view and exceed the 5-second time limit at dealer’s discretion.

8.       Your hand is mucked when facing a bet or raise but not present at the table and not in the dealer’s view (5 second rule does not apply).

9.       Your hand is mucked automatically if shown to another person before all action is finalized.

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4. IRREGULARITIES

1. If it is discovered that the button was placed incorrectly on the previous hand, the button and blinds will be corrected for the new hand in a manner that gives every player one chance for each position on the round (if possible).
2. You must protect your own hand at all times. Your cards may be protected with your hands, a chip, or other object placed on top of them. If you fail to protect your hand, you will have no redress if it becomes fouled or the dealer accidentally kills it.
3. If a card with a different color back appears during a hand, all action is void and all chips in the pot are returned to the respective bettors. If a card with a different color back is discovered in the stub, all action stands.
4. If two cards of the same rank and suit are found, all action is void, and all chips in the pot are returned to the players who wagered them (subject to next rule).
5. A player who knows the deck is defective has an obligation to point this out. If such a player instead tries to win a pot by taking aggressive action (trying for a freeroll), the player may lose the right to a refund, and the chips may be required to stay in the pot for the next deal.
6. If there are extra chips in the pot on a deal as a result of forfeited chips from the previous deal or some similar reason, only a player dealt in on the previous deal is entitled to a hand.
7. If you play a hand without looking at all of your cards, you assume the liability of having an irregular card or an improper joker.
8. One or more cards missing from the deck does not invalidate the results of a hand.
9. Before the first round of betting, if a dealer deals one additional card, it is returned to the deck and used as the burncard.
10. Procedure for an exposed card varies with the poker form, and is given in the section for each game. A card that is flashed by a dealer is treated as an exposed card. A card that is flashed by a player will play. To obtain a ruling on whether a card was exposed and should be replaced, a player should announce that the card was flashed or exposed before looking at it. A downcard dealt off the table is an exposed card.
11. If a card is exposed due to dealer error, a player does not have an option to keep the card.
12. If you drop any cards out of your hand onto the floor, you must still play them.
13. If the dealer prematurely deals any cards before the betting is complete, those cards will not play and be subjected to re-shuffle (without burn card in the deck).
14. If the dealer fails to burn a card or burns more than one card, the error should be corrected if discovered before betting action has started for that round. Once action has been taken on a boardcard, the card must stand. Whether the error is able to be corrected or not, subsequent cards dealt should be those that would have come if no error had occurred. For example, if two cards were burned, one of the cards should be put back on the deck and used for the burncard on the next round. On the last round, if there was no betting because a player was all-in, the error should be corrected if discovered before the pot has been awarded, provided the deck stub, boardcards, and burncards are all sufficiently intact to determine the proper replacement card.
15. If the deck stub gets fouled for some reason, such as the dealer believing the deal is over and dropping the deck, the deal must still be played out, and the deck reconstituted in as fair a way as possible.

5. BETTING AND RAISING

1. The smallest chip that may be wagered in a game is the smallest chip used in the antes, blinds, rake, or collection. (Certain games may use a special rule that does not allow chips used only in house revenue to play.) Smaller chips than this do not play even in quantity, so a player wanting action on such chips must change them up between deals. If betting is in dollar units or greater, a fraction of a dollar does not play. A player going all-in must put all chips that play into the pot.
2. Check-raise is permitted in all games.
3. In no-limit unlimited raising is allowed.
4. Any wager not all-in must be at least the size of the previous bet or raise in that round.
5. A verbal statement in turn denotes your action, is binding, and takes precedence over a differing physical action.
6. Rapping the table with your hand is a pass or check.
7. Deliberately acting out of turn will not be tolerated. A player who checks out of turn may not bet or raise on the next turn to act. A player who has called out of turn may not change his wager to a raise on the next turn to act. An action or verbal declaration out of turn is binding unless the action to that player is subsequently changed by a bet or raise. If there is an intervening call, an action may be ruled binding.
8. To retain the right to act, a player must stop the action by calling “time” (or an equivalent word). Failure to stop the action before three or more players have acted behind you may cause you to lose the right to act. You cannot forfeit your right to act if any player in front of you has not acted, only if you fail to act when it legally becomes your turn. Therefore, if you wait for someone whose turn comes before you, and three or more players act behind you, this still does not hinder your right to act.
9. A player who bets or calls by releasing chips into the pot is bound by that action and must make the amount of the wager correct. (This also applies right before the showdown when putting chips into the pot causes the opponent to show the winning hand before the full amount needed to call has been put into the pot.) However, if you are unaware that the pot has been raised, you may withdraw that money and reconsider your action, provided that no one else has acted after you.
10. String raises are not allowed. The dealer should enforce obvious infractions to this string-raise law without being asked. To protect your right to raise, you should either declare your intention verbally or place the proper amount of chips into the pot. Putting a full bet plus a half-bet or more into the pot is considered to be the same as announcing a raise, and the raise must be completed. (This does not apply in the use of a single chip of greater value.)
11. If you put a single chip in the pot that is larger than the bet, but do not announce a raise, you are assumed to have only called. Example: During the $300/$600 blinds, when a player bets $600 and the next player puts a single $5,000 chip in the pot without saying anything, that player has merely called the $600 bet.
12. All wagers and calls of an improperly low amount must be brought up to proper size if the error is discovered before the betting round has been completed. This includes actions such as betting a lower amount than the minimum bring-in (other than going all-in) and betting the lower limit on an upper limit betting round. If a wager is supposed to be made in a rounded off amount, is not, and must be corrected, it shall be changed to the proper amount nearest in size. No one who has acted may change a call to a raise because the wager size has been changed.

6. THE SHOWDOWN

1. To win any part of a pot, a player must show all of his cards faceup on the table, whether they were used in the final hand played or not.
2. Cards speak (cards read for themselves). The dealer assists in reading hands, but players are responsible for holding onto their cards until the winner is declared. Although verbal declarations as to the contents of a hand are not binding, deliberately miscalling a hand with the intent of causing another player to discard a winning hand is unethical and may result in forfeiture of the pot.
3. Any player, dealer, or manager who sees an incorrect amount of chips put into the pot, or an error about to be made in awarding a pot, has an ethical obligation to point out the error. Please help keep mistakes of this nature to a minimum.
4. All losing hands will be killed by the dealer before a pot is awarded.
5. Any player who has been dealt in may request to see any hand that was eligible to participate in the showdown, even if the opponent's hand or the winning hand has been mucked. However, this is a privilege that may be revoked if abused. If a player other than the pot winner asks to see a hand that has been folded, that hand is dead. If the winning player asks to see a losing player’s hand, both hands are live, and the best hand wins.
6. Show one, show all. Players are entitled to receive equal access to information about the contents of another player’s hand. After a deal, if cards are shown to another player, every player at the table has a right to see those cards. During a deal, cards that were shown to an active player who might have a further wagering decision on that betting round must immediately be shown to all the other players. If the player who saw the cards is not involved in the deal, or cannot use the information in wagering, the information should be withheld until the betting is over, so it does not affect the normal outcome of the deal. Cards shown to a person who has no more wagering decisions on that betting round, but might use the information on a later betting round, should be shown to the other players at the conclusion of that betting round. If only a portion of the hand has been shown, there is no requirement to show any of the unseen cards. The shown cards are treated as given in the preceding part of this rule.
7. If there is a side pot, the winner of that pot should be decided before the main pot is awarded. If there are multiple side pots, they are decided and awarded by having the pot with the players starting the deal with the greatest number of chips settled first, and so forth.
8. If everyone checks (or is all-in) on the final betting round, the player who acted first is the first to show the hand. If there is wagering on the final betting round, the last player to take aggressive action by a bet or raise is the first to show the hand. In order to speed up the game, a player holding a probable winner is encouraged to show the hand without delay. If there are one or more side pots (because someone is all-in), players are asked to aid in determining the pot winner by not showing their cards until a pot they are in is being settled. A player may opt to throw his hand away after all the betting for the deal is over, rather than compete to win the pot. However, the other players do not lose the right to request the hand be shown if he does so.

7. TIES

1. The ranking of suits from highest to lowest is spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs. Suits never break a tie for winning a pot. Suits are used to break a tie between cards of the same rank (no redeal or redraw).
2. Dealing a card to each player is used to determine things like who moves to another table. If the cards are dealt, the order is clockwise starting with the first player on the dealer’s left (the button position is irrelevant). Drawing a card is used to determine things like who gets the button in a new game, or seating order coming from a broken game.
3. An odd chip will be broken down to the smallest unit used in the game.
4. No player may receive more than one odd chip.
5. If two or more hands tie, an odd chip will be awarded as follows:

1.       The first hand clockwise from the button gets the odd chip.

2.       All side pots and the main pot will be split as separate pots, not mixed together.

SECTION IV - BUTTON AND BLIND USE

A round disk called the button is used to indicate which player has the dealer position. The player with the button is last to receive cards on the initial deal and has the right of last action on all but the first betting round. The button moves one seat clockwise after a deal ends to rotate the advantage of last action. One or more blind bets are usually used to stimulate action and initiate play. Blinds are posted before the players look at their cards. Blinds are part of a player’s bet. With two blinds, the small blind is posted by the first player clockwise from the button and the big blind is posted by the second player clockwise from the button. On the initial betting round, action starts with the first player to the left of the blinds. On all subsequent betting rounds, the action starts with the first active player to the left of the button.

1. RULES FOR USING BLINDS

1. The minimum bring-in and allowable raise sizes for the opener are specified by the poker form used and blind amounts set for a game. They remain the same even when the player in the blind does not have enough chips to post the full amount.
2. Each round every player must get an opportunity for the button, and meet the total amount of the blind obligations
3. In heads-up play with two blinds, the small blind is on the button. When play becomes heads-up, the player who had the big blind the most recently is given the button, and his opponent is given the big blind.
4. A new player cannot be dealt in between the big blind and the button. Blinds may not be made up between the big blind and the button. You must wait until the button passes.
5. Chips posted by the big blind are treated as a bet.
6. A player posting a blind in the game’s regular structure has the option of raising the pot at the first turn to act. The option to raise is retained if someone goes all-in with a wager of less than the minimum raise.

SECTION V - HOLD'EM

In holdem, players receive two downcards as their personal hand (holecards), after which there is a round of betting. Three boardcards are turned simultaneously (called the “flop”) and another round of betting occurs. The next two boardcards are turned one at a time, with a round of betting after each card. The boardcards are common cards used by all players, and a player may use any five-card combination from among the board and personal cards. A player may even use all of the boardcards and no personal cards to form a hand (play the board). A dealer button is used. The usual structure is to use two blinds.

1. RULES

These rules deal only with irregularities. See the previous chapter, “Button and Blind Use,” for rules on that subject.

1. If the initial holecard dealt to the first or second player is exposed, a misdeal results. The dealer will retrieve the card, reshuffle, and recut the cards. If any other holecard is exposed due to a dealer error, the deal continues. The exposed card may not be kept. After completing the hand, the dealer replaces the card with the top card on the deck, and the exposed card is then used for the burncard. If more than one holecard is exposed, this is a misdeal and there must be a redeal.
2. If the dealer mistakenly deals the first player an extra card (after all players have received their starting hands), the card will be returned to the deck and used for the burncard. If the dealer mistakenly deals more than one extra card, it is a misdeal.
3. If the flop contains too many cards, it must be redealt. (This applies even if it were possible to know which card was the extra one.)
4. If the dealer failed to burn a card before dealing the flop, or burned two cards, the error should be rectified by using the proper burncard and flop, if no boardcards were exposed. The deck must be reshuffled if any boardcards were exposed.
5. If the dealer burns and turns before a betting round is complete, the card(s) may not be used, even if all subsequent players elect to fold. Nobody has an option of accepting or rejecting the card. The betting is then completed, and the error rectified in the prescribed manner for that situation.
6. If the dealer fails to burn a card or burns more than one card, the error should be corrected if discovered before betting action has started for that round. Once action has been taken on a boardcard by any player, the card must stand. Whether the error is able to be corrected or not, subsequent cards dealt should be those that would have come if no error had occurred. For example, if two cards were burned, one of the cards should be put back on the deck and used for the burncard on the next round. If there was no betting on a round because a player was all-in, the error should be corrected if discovered before the pot has been awarded.
7. If the flop needs to be redealt for any reason, the boardcards are mixed with the remainder of the deck. The burncard remains on the table. After shuffling, the dealer cuts the deck and deals a new flop without burning a card.
8. A dealing error for the fourth boardcard is rectified in a manner to least influence the identity of the boardcards that would have been used without the error. The dealer burns and deals what would have been the fifth card in the fourth card’s place. After this round of betting, the dealer reshuffles the deck, including the card that was taken out of play, but not including the burncards or discards. The dealer then cuts the deck and deals the final card without burning a card. If the fifth card is turned up prematurely, the deck is reshuffled and dealt in the same manner.
9. You must declare that you are playing the board before you throw your cards away. Otherwise, you relinquish all claims to the pot. (The rule for tournament play is you must retain your hand and show it if asked, in order to win part of the pot.)
10. In the case of verbiage, the following words are binding: call, raise, all-in, and fold.  Everything else a player says is just talk.
11. If a player's card is in front of the player, i.e. not in muck pile, the hand is still live.  Player is still in action unless used one of the binding words.

 

 

 

SECTION VI - NO LIMIT

A no-limit or pot-limit betting structure for a game gives it a different character from limit poker, requiring a separate set of rules in many situations. All the rules for limit games apply to no-limit and pot-limit games, except as noted in this section. No-limit means that the amount of a wager is limited only by the table stakes rule, so any part or all of a player’s chips may be wagered.

1. NO-LIMIT RULES

1. The number of raises in any betting round is unlimited.
2. The minimum bet size is the amount of the minimum bring-in, unless the player is going all-in. The minimum bring-in is the size of the big blind unless the structure of the game is preset by the house to some other amount (such as double the big blind). The minimum bet remains the same amount on all betting rounds. If the big blind does not have sufficient chips to post the required amount, a player who enters the pot on the initial betting round is still required to enter for at least the minimum bet (unless going all-in for a lesser sum) and a preflop raiser must at least double the size of the big blind. At all other times, when someone goes all-in for less than the minimum bet, a player has the option of just calling the all-in amount. If a player goes all-in for an amount that is less than the minimum bet, a player who wishes to raise must raise at least the amount of the minimum bet. For example, if the minimum bet is $100, and a player goes all-in on the flop for $20, a player may fold, call $20, or raise to at least a total of $120.
3. All raises must be equal to or greater than the size of the previous bet or raise on that betting round, except for an all-in wager. Example: Player A bets $100 and player B raises to $200. Player C wishing to raise must raise at least $100 more, making the total bet at least $300. A player who has already acted and is not facing a fullsize wager may not subsequently raise an all-in bet that is less than the minimum bet or less than the full size of the last bet or raise.
4. Multiple all-in wagers, each of an amount too small to qualify as a raise, still act as a raise and reopen the betting if the resulting wager size to a player qualifies as a raise. Example: Player A bets $100 and Player B raises $100 more, making the total bet $200. If Player C goes all in for less than $300 total (not a full $100 raise), and Player A calls, then Player B has no option to raise again, because he wasn’t fully raised. (Player A could have raised, because Player B raised.)
5. The player is required to use a verbal statement giving the amount of the raise or put the chips into the pot in a single motion, to avoid making a string-bet, after announcing “raise”.
6. A wager is not binding until the chips are actually released into the pot, unless the player has made a verbal statement of action.
7. If there is a discrepancy between a player's verbal statement and the amount put into the pot, the bet will be corrected to the verbal statement.
8. If a call is short due to a counting error, the amount must be corrected, even if the bettor has shown down a superior hand.
9. A bet of a single chip without comment is considered to be the full amount of the chip allowed. However, a player acting on a previous bet with a larger denomination chip is calling the previous bet unless this player makes a verbal declaration to raise the pot. (This includes acting on the forced bet of the big blind.)
10. If a player tries to bet or raise less than the legal minimum and has more chips, the wager must be increased to the proper size (but no greater). This does not apply to a player who has unintentionally put too much in to call.
11. A "call" or “raise” may be ruled not binding if it is obvious that the player grossly misunderstood the amount wagered, provided no damage has been caused by that action.

1.       Example: Player A bets $300, player B reraises to $1200, and Player C puts $300 into the pot and says, “call.” It is obvious that player C believes the bet to be only $300 and he should be allowed to withdraw his $300 and reconsider his wager. A bettor should not show down a hand until the amount put into the pot for a call seems reasonably correct, or it is obvious that the caller understands the amount wagered. The decision-maker is allowed considerable discretion in ruling on this type of situation. A possible rule-of-thumb is to disallow any claim of not understanding the amount wagered if the caller has put eighty percent or more of that amount into the pot.

2.       Example: On the end, a player puts a $500 chip into the pot and says softly, “Four hundred.” The opponent puts a $100 chip into the pot and says, “Call.” The bettor immediately shows the hand. The dealer says, “He bet four hundred.” The caller says, “Oh, I thought he bet a hundred.” In this case, the recommended ruling normally is that the bettor had an obligation to not show the hand when the amount put into the pot was obviously short, and the “call” can be retracted. Note that the character of each player can be a factor.

12. All wagers may be required to be in the same denomination of chip (or larger) used for the minimum bring-in, even if smaller chips are used in the blind structure. If this is done, the smaller chips do not play except in quantity, even when going all-in.
13. The house has the right to place a maximum time limit for taking action on your hand. The clock may be put on someone by the dealer as directed by a manager, if a player requests it. If the clock is put on you when you are facing a bet, you will have 15 additional seconds to act on your hand.

SECTION VII - TOURNAMENTS

By participating in a tournament, you agree to abide by the rules and behave in a courteous manner. A violator may be verbally warned, suspended from play for a specified length of time, or disqualified from the tournament. Chips from a disqualified participant will be removed from play. Players, whether in the hand or not, may not discuss the hands until the action is complete. Players are obligated to protect the other players in the tournament at all times. Discussing cards discarded or hand possibilities is not allowed. A penalty may be given for discussion of hands during the play.

 

a.       Initial table assignment is determined by the sign up sheet or at the discretion of the manager.

b.       After the table assignment, a player can choose any seat, unless conflicting of seat preferences where the first come first get according to the sign up sheet.

c.        A change of seat is not allowed after play starts, except as assigned by the manager.

d.       The appropriate starting amount of chips will be placed on the table for each paid entrant at the beginning of the event, whether the person is present or not.

e.        If a paid entrant is absent at the start of an event, at some point an effort will be made to locate and contact the player. If the player requests the chips be left in place until arrival, the request will be honored. If the player is unable to be contacted, the chips may be removed from play at the discretion of the director anytime after 15 minutes has elapsed.

f.        A starting stack of chips may be placed in a seat to accommodate late entrants (so all blinds have been appropriately paid). An unsold seat will have such a stack removed at a time left to the discretion of the manager.

g.        A no-show or absent player is always dealt a hand. That player’s stack will post chips for blinds.

h.       In all tournament games using a dealer button, the starting position of the button is determined by the players drawing for the high card, in case of high card tie, highest suit will break the tie.

i.         Limits and blinds are raised at regularly scheduled intervals.

j.         If there is a signal designating the end of a betting level, the new limits apply on the next deal. (A deal begins with the first riffle of the shuffle.)

k.       The lowest denomination of chip in play will be removed from the table when it is no longer needed in the blind structure. All lower-denomination chips that are of sufficient quantity for a new chip will be changed up directly. The method for removal of odd chips is to deal one card to a player for each odd chip possessed. Cards are dealt clockwise starting with the 1-seat, with each player receiving all cards before any cards are dealt to the next player. A player may not be eliminated from the event by the chip-change process. If a player has no chips after the race has been held, he will be given a chip of the higher denomination before anyone else is awarded a chip. Next, the player with the highest card by suit gets enough odd chips to exchange for one new chip, the second-highest card gets to exchange for the next chip, and so forth, until all the lower-denomination chips are exchanged. If an odd number of lower-denomination chips are left after this process, the player with the highest card remaining will receive a new chip if he has half or more of the quantity of lower-denomination chips needed, otherwise nothing.

l.         A player must be present at the table to stop the action by calling “time.”

m.     A player must be at the table by the time all players have their complete starting hands in order to have a live hand for that deal. (The dealer has been instructed to kill the hands of all absent players immediately after dealing each player a starting hand.)

n.       As players are eliminated, tables are broken in a pre-set order, with players from the broken tables assigned to empty seats at other tables.

o.       If a player is needed to move from a table to balance tables, the player due for the big blind will be automatically selected to move, and will be given the earliest seat due for the big blind if more than one seat is open.

p.       If a player is needed to move from a table to balance tables, the player due for the big blind will be automatically selected to move, and will be given the earliest seat due for the big blind if more than one seat is open.

q.       New players to a table as a result of balancing tables are dealt in immediately unless they are in the small blind or button position, where they must wait until the button has passed to the player on their left.

r.         The number of players at each table will be kept reasonably balanced by the transfer of a player as needed.  With more than six tables, table size will be kept within two players.  With six tables or less, table size will be kept within one player.

s.        There is a redraw for seating when the field is reduced to one table.

t.         If a player lacks sufficient chips for a blind or a forced bet, the player is entitled to get action on whatever amount of money is left in his stack. A player who posts a short blind and wins does not need to make up the blind.

u.       A player who declares all in and loses the pot, then discovers that one or more chips were hidden, is not entitled to benefit from this. That player is eliminated from the tournament if the opponent had sufficient chips to cover the hidden ones. If another deal has not yet started, the director may rule the chips belong to the opponent who won that pot, if that obviously would have happened with the chips out in plain view. If the next deal has started, the discovered chips are removed from the tournament.

v.       All players must leave their seat immediately after being eliminated from an event.

w.      Showing cards from a live hand during the action injures the rights of other players still competing in an event, who wish to see contestants eliminated. A player in a multihanded pot may not show any cards during a deal. Heads-up, a player may not show any cards unless the event has only two remaining players, or is winner-take-all. If a player deliberately shows a card, the player may be penalized (but his hand will not be ruled dead). Verbally stating one’s hand during the play may be penalized.

x.       The player must either use a verbal statement giving the amount of the raise or put chips into the pot in a single motion. Otherwise, it is a string bet.

y.       Non-tournament chips are not allowed on the table except for the knock-out chips.

z.        Higher-denomination chips must be placed where they are easily visible to all other players.

aa.    All tournament chips must remain visible on the table throughout the event. Chips taken off the table will be removed from the event, and a player doing this may be disqualified.

bb.    Inappropriate behavior like intentionally throwing cards that go off the table may be punished with a penalty such as being dealt out for a length of time or number of hands. A severe infraction such as abusive or disruptive behavior may be punished by eviction from the tournament.

cc.     The deck is changed only when dealers change, unless a card is damaged.

dd.    The dealer button remains in position until the appropriate blinds are taken. Players must post all blinds every round.

ee.     In heads-up play with two blinds, the small blind is on the button. When play becomes heads-up, the player who had the big blind the most recently is given the button, and his opponent is given the big blind.

ff.      All hands will be turned faceup whenever a player is all-in and betting action is complete.

gg.     Management is not required to rule on any private deals, side bets, or redistribution of the prize pool among finalists.

hh.    A tournament event is expected to be played until completion.

ii.        Management retains the right to cancel any event, or alter it in a manner fair to the players.

jj.       All awards are given after the tournament has completed, not during.

 

 

GLOSSARY

ACTION: A fold, check, call, bet, or raise. For certain situations, doing something formally connected with the game that conveys information about your hand may also be considered as having taken action. Examples would be showing your cards at the end of the hand, or indicating the number of cards you are taking at draw.

AGGRESSIVE ACTION: A wager that could enable a player to win a pot without a showdown; a bet or raise.

ALL-IN: When you have put all of your playable money and chips into the pot during the course of a hand, you are said to be all-in.

BET: (1) The act of making a wager before anyone else on a betting round. (2)The chips used by a player to bet, call, or raise.

BIG BLIND: The largest regular blind in a game.

BLIND: A required bet made before any cards are dealt.

BOARD: (1) The board on which a waiting list is kept for players wanting seats in specific games. (2) Cards faceup on the table common to each of the hands.

BOARDCARD: A community card in the center of the table, as in hold’em or Omaha.

BOXED CARD: A card that appears faceup in the deck where all other cards are facedown.

BROKEN GAME: A game no longer in action.

BURNCARD: After the initial round of cards is dealt, the first card off the deck in each round that is placed under a chip in the pot, for security purposes. To do so is to burn the card; the card itself is called the burncard.

BUTTON: A player who is in the designated dealer position. See dealer button.

BUY-IN: The minimum amount of money required to enter any game.

CARDS SPEAK: The face value of a hand in a showdown is the true value of the hand, regardless of a verbal announcement.

CHECK: To waive the right to initiate the betting in a round, but to retain the right to act if another player initiates the betting.

CHECK-RAISE: To waive the right to bet until a bet has been made by an opponent, and then to increase the bet by at least an equal amount when it is your turn to act.

COLOR CHANGE: A request to change the chips from one denomination to another.

COMMON CARD: A card dealt faceup to be used by all players at the showdown in the games of stud poker whenever there are insufficient cards left in the deck to deal each player a card.

COMMUNITY CARDS: The cards dealt faceup in the center of the table that can be used by all players to form their best hand in the games of hold’em and Omaha.

COMPLETE THE BET: To increase an all-in bet or forced bet to a full bet in limit poker.

CUT: To divide the deck into two sections in such a manner as to change the order of the cards.

CUT-CARD: Another term for the card used to shield the bottom of the deck.

DEAD CARD: A card that is not legally playable.

DEAD HAND: A hand that is not legally playable.

DEAD MONEY: Chips that are taken into the center of the pot because they are not considered part of a particular player’s bet.

DEAL: To give each player cards, or put cards on the board. As used in these rules, each deal refers to the entire process from the shuffling and dealing of cards until the pot is awarded to the winner.

DEALER BUTTON: A flat disk that indicates the player who would be in the dealing position for that hand (if there were not a house dealer). Normally just called “the button.”

DISCARD(S): In a draw game, to throw cards out of your hand to make room for replacements, or the card(s) thrown away; the muck.

FACECARD: A king, queen, or jack.

FLASHED CARD: A card that is partially exposed.

FLOP: The three community cards that are turned simultaneously after the first round of betting is complete.

FLUSH: A poker hand consisting of five cards of the same suit.

FOLD: To throw a hand away and relinquish all interest in a pot.

FOURTH STREET: The second upcard in seven-card stud or the first boardcard after the flop in hold’em (also called the turn card).

FOULED HAND: A dead hand.

FORCED BET: A required wager to start the action on the first betting round (the normal way action begins in a stud game).

FULL HOUSE: A hand consisting of three of a kind and a pair.

HAND: (1) All a player’s personal cards. (2) The five cards determining the poker ranking. (3) A single poker deal.

HEADS-UP PLAY: Only two players involved in play.

HOLECARDS: The cards dealt facedown to a player.

KANSAS CITY LOWBALL: A form of draw poker low also known as deuce-to-seven, in which the best hand is 7-5-4-3-2 and straights and flushes count against you.

KICKER: The highest unpaired card that helps determine the value of a five-card poker hand.

LIVE BLIND: A blind bet giving a player the option of raising if no one else has raised.

LIST: The ordered roster of players waiting for a game.

MISCALL: An incorrect verbal declaration of the ranking of a hand.

MISDEAL: A mistake on the dealing of a hand which causes the cards to be reshuffled and a new hand to be dealt.

MUCK: (1) The pile of discards gathered facedown in the center of the table by the dealer. (2) To discard a hand.

NO-LIMIT: A betting structure allowing players to wager any or all of their chips in one bet.

OPENER: The player who made the first voluntary bet.

OPTION: The choice to raise a bet given to a player with a blind.

PASS: (1) Decline to bet. In a pass-and-out game, this differs from a check, because a player who passes must fold. (2) Decline to call a wager, at which point you must discard your hand and have no further interest in the pot.

PLAY THE BOARD: Using all five community cards for your hand in hold’em.

POSITION: (1) The relation of a player’s seat to the blinds or the button. (2) The order of acting on a betting round or deal.

PROTECTED HAND: A hand of cards that the player is physically holding, or has topped with a chip or some other object to prevent a fouled hand.

RACK: (1) A container in which chips are stored while being transported. (2) A tray in front of the dealer, used to hold chips and cards.

RAISE: To increase the amount of a previous wager. This increase must meet certain specifications, depending on the game, to reopen the betting and count toward a limit on the number of raises allowed.

RERAISE: To raise someone’s raise.

SCRAMBLE: A facedown mixing of the cards.

SETUP: Two new decks, each with different colored backs, to replace the current decks.

SIDE POT: A separate pot formed when one or more players are all in.

SHOWDOWN: The showing of cards to determine the pot-winner after all the betting is over.

SHUFFLE: The act of mixing the cards before a hand.

SMALL BLIND: In a game with multiple blind bets, the smallest blind.

SOFTPLAY: To show favoritism to a particular opponent by checking throughout a deal whenever heads-up. This refusal to bet with a good hand or bluff with a bad hand when facing a certain person, however motivated, is still improper poker behavior. Softplaying is actually a form of collusion, and may be penalized as such.

SPLIT POT: A pot that is divided among players, either because of a tie for the best hand or by agreement prior to the showdown.

SPLITTING BLINDS: When no one else has entered the pot, an agreement between the big blind and small blind to each take back their blind bets instead of playing the deal (chopping).

STACK: Chips in front of a player.

STRAIGHT: Five cards in consecutive rank.

STRAIGHT FLUSH: Five cards in consecutive rank of the same suit.

STREET: Cards dealt on a particular round in stud games. For instance, the fourth card in a player’s hand is often known as fourth street, the sixth card as sixth street, and so on.

STRING RAISE: A wager made in more than one motion, without announcing a raise before going back to your stack for more chips (not allowed).

STUB: The portion of the deck which has not been dealt.

TABLE STAKES: (1) The amount of money you have on the table. This is the maximum amount that you can win or lose on a hand. (2) The requirement that players can wager only the money in front of them at the start of a hand, and can only buy more chips between hands.

“TIME”: An expression used to stop the action on a hand. Equivalent to “Hold it.”

TURNCARD: The fourth board-card.

WAGER: (1) To bet or raise. (2) The chips used for betting or raising.

 

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