Tournament rules
These are a list of rules I compiled for NLHE tournies. If you have not got a set of rules for your home games, I suggest you get one, feel free to make your own, or use these, It took me about 8 hours to put this together, and it is very complete.
Tournament Rules.
These are my tournament rules for a No-Limit holdem rebuy event.
If you are just looking for the sake of looking, feel free to copy for your own game.
If you are looking because you want to play in an event I plan to hold, kudos to you for being prepared.
Suggestions are welcome.
I credit most of my info for this set to Bob Caiffone.
Thanks also to Quads from BYOC poker
GENERAL RULES FOR NO-LIMIT HOLD-EM TOURNAMENT
1. Show up to play serious poker.
2. Don't act like a dope, jackass, rookie, or Sally. If you truly are a dope, jackass, rookie or Sally, then it's not acting, is it?
3. Please remember poker etiquette.
4. Verbally announce your raise or bet.
5. The one chip rule will be enforced for all games. (see Full Rules: Betting and Raising)
6. String betting will get a warning, then a slap on the wrist with name calling, following offences will be "donations to the pot". Continued offences, you will be asked to leave with no refund.
7. If you drink, please, under NO CIRCUMSTANCES get looped and then get behind the wheel of a car. I will call you a cab.
8. All fist fights will be conducted outside, after, and only after, all bets have been placed.
9. There is no rabbit hunting at this tournament. PERIOD.
10. When you fold, muck your cards to the dealer. There is no holding your cards to show your buddies, or to see what you would have had.
11. Take your time when needed, but please don't "Hollywood" every hand. 7 2 off suit does not require a 5 minute think tank session.
12. Please don't splash the pot. Blinds posted and calls, bets, and raises remain in front of a player, forward of their stack, but not in the middle of the table, until all other players have matched the bet or folded. The purpose of this is to easily determine how much you have put in, and how much more you must put in to call a raise.
13. If you show one player your hand prior to folding, you show ALL players your hand. If you show you hand to ANY OTHER PERSON IN THE ROOM while there is still live action on the hand, you will receive a 10 minute penalty. Repeated offences will result in exponential penalties (20 minutes, 40 minutes). 4 strikes and you are out, no refund.
14. In a showdown, a player must show all downcards face up on the table to win any part of the pot.
15. Please don't verbally speculate on another players hand when there is action on the table. One player to a hand.
16. If your hand is called, and not raised, the person calling your hand has the OPTION to see your hand if you fold to their call.
17. This is a straight up game. If you are caught cheating or colluding with another player, you will be escorted of the premises by every honest player in the game. Could get ugly. Management assumes no responsibility for medical bills or compensation for lost time from work.
18. If you suspect another player(s) of cheating/colluding, please bring it up to me away from the table privately, especially if I don't know how you fight(see rule #8).
19. I will be responsible for the direction and rulings in the main event only. Feel free to bring your own chips and cards and have side games(cash or mini-tourney, but NO RAKE), but all discrepancies are to be dealt with between the participants(see rule#8). Feel free, also, to use my rules for your games.
20.I use tournament management software called "The Tournament Director". It automatically assigns seats and reassigns seats to balance tables. Any argument with seat assigning/reassigning can be taken up with any one of the four walls around you. I will be more than happy to assist you with moving your chips, as you will be out of breath from arguing with the wall.
21. All discrepancies that cannot be resolved with your dealer will be dealt with by the director of the tournament. The directors decision is final.
22. Should a player have to leave, or just give up, his/her chips will remain in their seat, and blinds posted in turn. You can't give your stack to another player. At the directors discression you may have a player not involved in the tournament take over for you, but ask first.
23. Poker, like any organized sport or game, has to have rules. These here is the rules. If you don't like the rules, you must A) find some friends that play poker without rules
get some cards and chips, and C) go somewhere else.
SURE FIRE WAYS TO NEVER BE ALLOWED TO PLAY IN MY TOURNAMENTS AGAIN
1. Throw chips at people.
2. Bitch excessively about the game play.
3. Ask to change the rules
4. Hollywood every hand.
5. Verbally analyze every out you have before you fold.
6. Spill food or drink on the table, cards, or chips(grab a chair to put your crap on).
7. Badger someone into a political conversation, then complain about getting bitch-slapped.
8. Slowroll. If you are the final person to take aggressive action on the river, and have been called, it is your turn to show your hole cards. Every player has the right to muck, but if you plan to show your hand, and it is your turn to do so, do so expediently in the spirit of etiquette, and in the spirit of not wanting to have people think you have no idea how to play the game, and be made fun of for at least one (1) hour. And bitch-slapped.
FULL RULES (taken from Roberts rules of poker, Bob Ciaffone)
Welcome to the tournament. By buying in and taking a seat, you are accepting the management to be the final authority on all matters relating to this game.
Section 1:Proper Behaviour
Conduct Code:
Management will attempt to maintain a pleasant environment for all players, but is not responsible for the conduct of any player. We have established a code of conduct, and may deny play to violators of this code.
The following are NOT permitted:
Collusion with another player or any other form of cheating.
Verbally or physically threatening any patron or tournament staff.
Using excessive profanity or obscene language.
Creating a disturbance by arguing, shouting, or making excessive noise(management's discression).
Throwing, tearing, bending, or crumpling cards.
Destroying or defacing property.
Using an illegal substance.
Carrying a weapon.
Poker Etiquette:
The following actions are improper, and grounds for warning, penalties, or disqualification from the tournament and removal from the premises:
Deliberately acting out of turn.
Deliberately splashing chips into the pot.
Agreeing to check a hand down when a third player is all-in.
Reading a hand for another player at the showdown before the cards have been placed face up on the table.
Telling anyone to turn a hand faceup at the showdown, unless it is your right to do so.
Revealing the contents of a live hand in a multiway pot before betting is complete. Revealing the contents of a folded hand before betting is complete. Do not divulge 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.
Needlessly stalling the action of a game.
Deliberately discarding hands away from the muck. Cards should be released in a low line of flight, at a moderate rate of speed (not at the dealers hands, or towards any other cards, besides the wash).
Stacking chips in a manner that interferes with dealing or viewing cards.
Making statements or taking action that could unfairly influence the course of play, whether or not the offender is involved in the pot.
Making a derogatory or racial comment within the premises. Such will not be tolerated and you will be subject to immediate removal without a refund.
Using a cell phone at the table.
Section 2: House Policies
Decision Making:
Management reserves the right to make decisions in the spirit of fairness, even if a strict interpretation of the rules may indicate a different ruling.
Decisions of the tournament director are final.
The proper time to draw attention to an error or irregularity is when it occurs or is first noticed, Any delay may affect the ruling.
If an incorrect rule interpretation or decision is made by staff in good faith, the management assumes no liability.
A ruling may be made regarding a pot if it has been requested before the next deal stands. Otherwise, the results of a deal must stand. The posting of the blind and the first riffle of the shuffle marks the start of the next deal.
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, management may determine how much was in the pot by reconstructing the betting, and then transfer that amount to the proper player.
To keep the action moving, it is possible that a game may be asked to continue even though a decision is delayed for a short period. The delay could be needed to investigate the situation, get the director to give the ruling, or some other good reason. In such circumstances, a pot or a portion thereof may be impounded while the decision is pending.
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.
Procedures:
All games are table stakes (except 'playing behind" as given it the next rule). Only the chips in front of a player at the start of a deal may play for that hand, except for the chips already purchased that the player has not yet received(re-buys). Awareness of the amount in play is an important part of poker. All chips must be kept in plain view.
"Playing behind" is only allowed for the amount of the re-buy while awaiting its arrival. The amount in play must be announced to the table.
Playing out of a rack is not allowed.
Only one person may play a hand.
No one is allowed to play another players' chips.
Pushing an ante or posting a blind for another person is not allowed. It is the dealers responsibility to post absent players blinds and antes.
Insurance propositions are not allowed. Dealing twice (or three times) when all in is permitted, if agreed upon by all parties involved.
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.
Any player is entitled to a clear view of an opponent's chips. Higher denomination chips should be easily viewable.
A new deck may be requested if the current deck is defective in some way(besides not giving you the cards you want).
Looking through the discards or deck stub is not allowed.
After the deal ends, dealers are asked not to show what card(s) would have been dealt.
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.
A non-player may not sit at the table.
English is the only language to be spoken at the table during a deal.
General Poker Rules:
Misdeals:
The following circumstances can cause a misdeal, provided attention is called to the error before two players have acted on their hands (if two players have acted in turn, the deal must be played to conclusion).
The first or second card has been dealt face up or exposed due to dealer error.
Two or more cards have been exposed due to the dealer.
Two or more boxed cards are found.
Two or more extra cards have been dealt in the starting hands of a game.
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 the proper sequence.
Any card has been dealt out of the proper sequence (except an exposed card may be replaced by the burncard).
The button was out of position.
The first card was dealt to the wrong person.
Cards have been dealt to an empty seat or a player who was not entitled to a hand.
A player has been dealt out who is entitled to a hand. This player must be present at the table or have posted a blind/ante. Players not at the table will have cards dealt to their position and then immediately folded after dealing is complete.
Once action occurs, a misdeal can no longer be declared. The hand will be played to conclusion, and no chips will be returned to a player whose hand has been fouled. In button games,action is considered to occur when two players after the blinds have acted on their hands.
Dead Hands:
Your Hand is declared dead if:
You fold or announce that you are folding when facing a bet or a raise.
You throw your hand away in a forward motion causing another player to act behind you (even if not facing a bet).
The hand does not contain the proper number of cards for that particular game.
You act with a joker as a holecard in a game not using a joker. ( A player who acts on a hand without looking at a card assumes the liability of finding an improper card).
You have the clock on you when facing a bet or raise and exceed the specified time limit.
Cards thrown into the muck may be declared dead. However if a hand is clearly identifiable it may be retrieved at managements discression if doing so is in the best interest of the game. We will make an extra effort to rule a hand retrievable if it was folded as a result of incorrect information given to a player.
Cards thrown into another player's hand are dead, whether they are face up or face down.
Irregularities:
In button games if it is discovered that the button was placed incorrectly on the previous hand, the buttons 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.
You must protect your own hand at all times. Your cards may be protected with your hands(in a manner so as to not completely cover the cards), 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.
If a card with a different coloured back is discovered, all action is void and all chips in the pot are returned to their respective bettors. If a card with a different coloured back is discovered in the stub, all action stands.
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).
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, the player may lose the right to a refund, and the chips be required to stay in the pot for the next deal.
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 the previous hand is entitled to a hand.
A card discovered face up in the deck (boxed card) will be treated as meaningless, and be replaced by the next card below it in the deck.
A joker that appears in a game where it is not used , if discovered before a player acts on his/her hand will be replaced by the card on the top of the deck. If the player does not call attention to the joker BEFORE acting, his/her hand will be declared dead.
If you play a hand without looking at all the cards, you assume liability of having an irregular card or an improper joker.
One or more cards missing from the deck does not invalidate the results of a hand.
Before the first round of betting, if a dealer deals one additional card, it is returned to the deck and used as the burncard.
To obtain a ruling as to whether on not 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, no matter which side it lands on.
If a card is exposed due to dealer error, a player does not have an option to take or reject card. The situation will be governed in accordance to the rules above.
If you "accidentally" throw a card off the table you will "accidentally" get a 10 minute penalty.
If the dealer prematurely deals any cards before the betting is complete, those cards will not play, even if a player who has not acted decides to fold.
Betting and Raising:
In a no-limit game unlimited raising is allowed.
Any wager must be at least the size of the previous bet or raise in that round, unless the player goes all-in.
A verbal statement denotes your action and is binding. If in turn your verbally declare fold, check, bet, call or raise, you are forced to take that action.
Rapping the table with your hand is a check.
Deliberately acting out of turn will not be tolerated. A person who checks out of turn may not bet or raise on the next turn to act. An action or verbal declaration out of turn may be ruled binding if there is no bet, call or raise by an intervening player after the infraction has been committed.
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 loose 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's turn who comes before you, and three more players act behind you, this still does not hinder your right to act.
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 show down 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 truly 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.
String betting is not allowed. 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 grater value, unless verbally declared "raise".)
If you put a single chip in the pot that is larger than the bet, you are assumed to have only called. Example: In 100-200 blinds, when a player bets 200 and the next player puts a 500 chip into the pot without saying anything, that player has merely called the $200 bet, and the dealer will make change for the chip from the pot, if possible.
All wagers and calls of an improper size must be brought up to the proper size if the error is discovered before the betting round has been completed. This includes actions such as betting a lower amount of the minimum bring-in (other than a player going all-in) and betting the lower limit than the blinds allow. No one who has acted may change a call to a raise because the improper amount was placed in the pot.
Continued, list is too long for one post, sorry!
Tournament Rules.
These are my tournament rules for a No-Limit holdem rebuy event.
If you are just looking for the sake of looking, feel free to copy for your own game.
If you are looking because you want to play in an event I plan to hold, kudos to you for being prepared.
Suggestions are welcome.
I credit most of my info for this set to Bob Caiffone.
Thanks also to Quads from BYOC poker
GENERAL RULES FOR NO-LIMIT HOLD-EM TOURNAMENT
1. Show up to play serious poker.
2. Don't act like a dope, jackass, rookie, or Sally. If you truly are a dope, jackass, rookie or Sally, then it's not acting, is it?
3. Please remember poker etiquette.
4. Verbally announce your raise or bet.
5. The one chip rule will be enforced for all games. (see Full Rules: Betting and Raising)
6. String betting will get a warning, then a slap on the wrist with name calling, following offences will be "donations to the pot". Continued offences, you will be asked to leave with no refund.
7. If you drink, please, under NO CIRCUMSTANCES get looped and then get behind the wheel of a car. I will call you a cab.
8. All fist fights will be conducted outside, after, and only after, all bets have been placed.
9. There is no rabbit hunting at this tournament. PERIOD.
10. When you fold, muck your cards to the dealer. There is no holding your cards to show your buddies, or to see what you would have had.
11. Take your time when needed, but please don't "Hollywood" every hand. 7 2 off suit does not require a 5 minute think tank session.
12. Please don't splash the pot. Blinds posted and calls, bets, and raises remain in front of a player, forward of their stack, but not in the middle of the table, until all other players have matched the bet or folded. The purpose of this is to easily determine how much you have put in, and how much more you must put in to call a raise.
13. If you show one player your hand prior to folding, you show ALL players your hand. If you show you hand to ANY OTHER PERSON IN THE ROOM while there is still live action on the hand, you will receive a 10 minute penalty. Repeated offences will result in exponential penalties (20 minutes, 40 minutes). 4 strikes and you are out, no refund.
14. In a showdown, a player must show all downcards face up on the table to win any part of the pot.
15. Please don't verbally speculate on another players hand when there is action on the table. One player to a hand.
16. If your hand is called, and not raised, the person calling your hand has the OPTION to see your hand if you fold to their call.
17. This is a straight up game. If you are caught cheating or colluding with another player, you will be escorted of the premises by every honest player in the game. Could get ugly. Management assumes no responsibility for medical bills or compensation for lost time from work.
18. If you suspect another player(s) of cheating/colluding, please bring it up to me away from the table privately, especially if I don't know how you fight(see rule #8).
19. I will be responsible for the direction and rulings in the main event only. Feel free to bring your own chips and cards and have side games(cash or mini-tourney, but NO RAKE), but all discrepancies are to be dealt with between the participants(see rule#8). Feel free, also, to use my rules for your games.
20.I use tournament management software called "The Tournament Director". It automatically assigns seats and reassigns seats to balance tables. Any argument with seat assigning/reassigning can be taken up with any one of the four walls around you. I will be more than happy to assist you with moving your chips, as you will be out of breath from arguing with the wall.
21. All discrepancies that cannot be resolved with your dealer will be dealt with by the director of the tournament. The directors decision is final.
22. Should a player have to leave, or just give up, his/her chips will remain in their seat, and blinds posted in turn. You can't give your stack to another player. At the directors discression you may have a player not involved in the tournament take over for you, but ask first.
23. Poker, like any organized sport or game, has to have rules. These here is the rules. If you don't like the rules, you must A) find some friends that play poker without rules
get some cards and chips, and C) go somewhere else.SURE FIRE WAYS TO NEVER BE ALLOWED TO PLAY IN MY TOURNAMENTS AGAIN
1. Throw chips at people.
2. Bitch excessively about the game play.
3. Ask to change the rules
4. Hollywood every hand.
5. Verbally analyze every out you have before you fold.
6. Spill food or drink on the table, cards, or chips(grab a chair to put your crap on).
7. Badger someone into a political conversation, then complain about getting bitch-slapped.
8. Slowroll. If you are the final person to take aggressive action on the river, and have been called, it is your turn to show your hole cards. Every player has the right to muck, but if you plan to show your hand, and it is your turn to do so, do so expediently in the spirit of etiquette, and in the spirit of not wanting to have people think you have no idea how to play the game, and be made fun of for at least one (1) hour. And bitch-slapped.
FULL RULES (taken from Roberts rules of poker, Bob Ciaffone)
Welcome to the tournament. By buying in and taking a seat, you are accepting the management to be the final authority on all matters relating to this game.
Section 1:Proper Behaviour
Conduct Code:
Management will attempt to maintain a pleasant environment for all players, but is not responsible for the conduct of any player. We have established a code of conduct, and may deny play to violators of this code.
The following are NOT permitted:
Collusion with another player or any other form of cheating.
Verbally or physically threatening any patron or tournament staff.
Using excessive profanity or obscene language.
Creating a disturbance by arguing, shouting, or making excessive noise(management's discression).
Throwing, tearing, bending, or crumpling cards.
Destroying or defacing property.
Using an illegal substance.
Carrying a weapon.
Poker Etiquette:
The following actions are improper, and grounds for warning, penalties, or disqualification from the tournament and removal from the premises:
Deliberately acting out of turn.
Deliberately splashing chips into the pot.
Agreeing to check a hand down when a third player is all-in.
Reading a hand for another player at the showdown before the cards have been placed face up on the table.
Telling anyone to turn a hand faceup at the showdown, unless it is your right to do so.
Revealing the contents of a live hand in a multiway pot before betting is complete. Revealing the contents of a folded hand before betting is complete. Do not divulge 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.
Needlessly stalling the action of a game.
Deliberately discarding hands away from the muck. Cards should be released in a low line of flight, at a moderate rate of speed (not at the dealers hands, or towards any other cards, besides the wash).
Stacking chips in a manner that interferes with dealing or viewing cards.
Making statements or taking action that could unfairly influence the course of play, whether or not the offender is involved in the pot.
Making a derogatory or racial comment within the premises. Such will not be tolerated and you will be subject to immediate removal without a refund.
Using a cell phone at the table.
Section 2: House Policies
Decision Making:
Management reserves the right to make decisions in the spirit of fairness, even if a strict interpretation of the rules may indicate a different ruling.
Decisions of the tournament director are final.
The proper time to draw attention to an error or irregularity is when it occurs or is first noticed, Any delay may affect the ruling.
If an incorrect rule interpretation or decision is made by staff in good faith, the management assumes no liability.
A ruling may be made regarding a pot if it has been requested before the next deal stands. Otherwise, the results of a deal must stand. The posting of the blind and the first riffle of the shuffle marks the start of the next deal.
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, management may determine how much was in the pot by reconstructing the betting, and then transfer that amount to the proper player.
To keep the action moving, it is possible that a game may be asked to continue even though a decision is delayed for a short period. The delay could be needed to investigate the situation, get the director to give the ruling, or some other good reason. In such circumstances, a pot or a portion thereof may be impounded while the decision is pending.
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.
Procedures:
All games are table stakes (except 'playing behind" as given it the next rule). Only the chips in front of a player at the start of a deal may play for that hand, except for the chips already purchased that the player has not yet received(re-buys). Awareness of the amount in play is an important part of poker. All chips must be kept in plain view.
"Playing behind" is only allowed for the amount of the re-buy while awaiting its arrival. The amount in play must be announced to the table.
Playing out of a rack is not allowed.
Only one person may play a hand.
No one is allowed to play another players' chips.
Pushing an ante or posting a blind for another person is not allowed. It is the dealers responsibility to post absent players blinds and antes.
Insurance propositions are not allowed. Dealing twice (or three times) when all in is permitted, if agreed upon by all parties involved.
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.
Any player is entitled to a clear view of an opponent's chips. Higher denomination chips should be easily viewable.
A new deck may be requested if the current deck is defective in some way(besides not giving you the cards you want).
Looking through the discards or deck stub is not allowed.
After the deal ends, dealers are asked not to show what card(s) would have been dealt.
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.
A non-player may not sit at the table.
English is the only language to be spoken at the table during a deal.
General Poker Rules:
Misdeals:
The following circumstances can cause a misdeal, provided attention is called to the error before two players have acted on their hands (if two players have acted in turn, the deal must be played to conclusion).
The first or second card has been dealt face up or exposed due to dealer error.
Two or more cards have been exposed due to the dealer.
Two or more boxed cards are found.
Two or more extra cards have been dealt in the starting hands of a game.
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 the proper sequence.
Any card has been dealt out of the proper sequence (except an exposed card may be replaced by the burncard).
The button was out of position.
The first card was dealt to the wrong person.
Cards have been dealt to an empty seat or a player who was not entitled to a hand.
A player has been dealt out who is entitled to a hand. This player must be present at the table or have posted a blind/ante. Players not at the table will have cards dealt to their position and then immediately folded after dealing is complete.
Once action occurs, a misdeal can no longer be declared. The hand will be played to conclusion, and no chips will be returned to a player whose hand has been fouled. In button games,action is considered to occur when two players after the blinds have acted on their hands.
Dead Hands:
Your Hand is declared dead if:
You fold or announce that you are folding when facing a bet or a raise.
You throw your hand away in a forward motion causing another player to act behind you (even if not facing a bet).
The hand does not contain the proper number of cards for that particular game.
You act with a joker as a holecard in a game not using a joker. ( A player who acts on a hand without looking at a card assumes the liability of finding an improper card).
You have the clock on you when facing a bet or raise and exceed the specified time limit.
Cards thrown into the muck may be declared dead. However if a hand is clearly identifiable it may be retrieved at managements discression if doing so is in the best interest of the game. We will make an extra effort to rule a hand retrievable if it was folded as a result of incorrect information given to a player.
Cards thrown into another player's hand are dead, whether they are face up or face down.
Irregularities:
In button games if it is discovered that the button was placed incorrectly on the previous hand, the buttons 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.
You must protect your own hand at all times. Your cards may be protected with your hands(in a manner so as to not completely cover the cards), 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.
If a card with a different coloured back is discovered, all action is void and all chips in the pot are returned to their respective bettors. If a card with a different coloured back is discovered in the stub, all action stands.
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).
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, the player may lose the right to a refund, and the chips be required to stay in the pot for the next deal.
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 the previous hand is entitled to a hand.
A card discovered face up in the deck (boxed card) will be treated as meaningless, and be replaced by the next card below it in the deck.
A joker that appears in a game where it is not used , if discovered before a player acts on his/her hand will be replaced by the card on the top of the deck. If the player does not call attention to the joker BEFORE acting, his/her hand will be declared dead.
If you play a hand without looking at all the cards, you assume liability of having an irregular card or an improper joker.
One or more cards missing from the deck does not invalidate the results of a hand.
Before the first round of betting, if a dealer deals one additional card, it is returned to the deck and used as the burncard.
To obtain a ruling as to whether on not 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, no matter which side it lands on.
If a card is exposed due to dealer error, a player does not have an option to take or reject card. The situation will be governed in accordance to the rules above.
If you "accidentally" throw a card off the table you will "accidentally" get a 10 minute penalty.
If the dealer prematurely deals any cards before the betting is complete, those cards will not play, even if a player who has not acted decides to fold.
Betting and Raising:
In a no-limit game unlimited raising is allowed.
Any wager must be at least the size of the previous bet or raise in that round, unless the player goes all-in.
A verbal statement denotes your action and is binding. If in turn your verbally declare fold, check, bet, call or raise, you are forced to take that action.
Rapping the table with your hand is a check.
Deliberately acting out of turn will not be tolerated. A person who checks out of turn may not bet or raise on the next turn to act. An action or verbal declaration out of turn may be ruled binding if there is no bet, call or raise by an intervening player after the infraction has been committed.
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 loose 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's turn who comes before you, and three more players act behind you, this still does not hinder your right to act.
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 show down 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 truly 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.
String betting is not allowed. 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 grater value, unless verbally declared "raise".)
If you put a single chip in the pot that is larger than the bet, you are assumed to have only called. Example: In 100-200 blinds, when a player bets 200 and the next player puts a 500 chip into the pot without saying anything, that player has merely called the $200 bet, and the dealer will make change for the chip from the pot, if possible.
All wagers and calls of an improper size must be brought up to the proper size if the error is discovered before the betting round has been completed. This includes actions such as betting a lower amount of the minimum bring-in (other than a player going all-in) and betting the lower limit than the blinds allow. No one who has acted may change a call to a raise because the improper amount was placed in the pot.
Continued, list is too long for one post, sorry!
Comments
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.
Cards speak (cards read for themselves). The dealer may assist 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.
Any player, dealer, or floorperson 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 us keep mistakes of this nature to a minimum.
All losing hands will be killed by the dealer before the pot is awarded.
Any player who has been dealt in may request to see any hand that has been called, 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 are live, and the best hand wins. This rule is subject to circumstance, or in other words, situational. Here are some examples to give you a better idea.
example 1:Two players on the river. Player A bets, player B calls. Player B has a right to see player A's holecards before player B shows their hand.
example 2:Three players on the river. Player A checks, player B bets, player C calls, as does player A. Player B is the first one obligated to show down their hand, followed by player C, then player A. If player B shows down a hand that beats player C, then player C has the right to muck, and player A should not ask to see player C's hole cards if they beat player B.
Every player has the right to muck their hand, and in general the right to muck will take precedence over the right to see. Please don't slowroll, refer to sure fire ways...rule number eight (8).
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 the right to see those cards. During a deal, if cards are shown to an active player who might have a further wagering decision on that betting round must immediately be shown all 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 down 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.
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 a raise is the one to show down 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 is a side pot, players involved in the side pot should their hands before anyone who is all-in for only the main pot.
Most rule sets do not allow the showing of hole cards to elicit information from another player. The house rule here is that if there are only 2 players (heads up) that can take further action on a hand, you are fully entitled to show any number of your hole cards to your opponent before the betting is complete. If there are more than one polayer beside yourself that may take further action on the hand, this is not allowed and your exposed cards will be ruled dead, and shown to all players then thrown in the muck. Discussing your cards will be considered the same as showing them, at the discression of the director.
An odd chip will be broken down to the smallest unit currently used in the game
If two or more hands tie, an odd chip will be awarded to the first hand clockwise from the button.
All side pots and the main pot will be split as separate pots, not mixed together.
Button and blind use:
In button games, a non-playing dealer normally does the actual dealing. 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 after the first betting round. The button moves 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 are dealt their cards. Blinds are part of a players bet, unless the situation requires part or all of a players blind to be "dead." Dead chips are not part of a player's bet. With two blinds the small blind is posted by the player immediately clockwise from the button, and the big blind is posted by the player immediately left to the small blind. On all subsequent betting rounds, the action begins with the first active player left of the button.
Rules for using blinds:
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.
Each round(orbit of the table) every player must get the opportunity for the button, and meet the total amount of the blind obligations. The following method will be designated to do this: The button always moves forward to the next player and the blinds adjust accordingly. A player who posts a blind has the option of raising the pot at the first turn to act.
In heads-up play the small blind is on the button.
A new player to the table 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.
Hold'em Rules:
These rules deal only with irregularities, see Button and Blind Use for more details on basic rules.
If the first or second holecard dealt 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 first burncard. If more than one hole card is exposed, this is a misdeal and there must be a redeal.
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 then used for the first burncard. If the dealer mistakenly deals more than one extra card, it is a misdeal.
If the flop contains too many cards, it (the flop) must be redealt. This applies even if it were possible to know which card was the extra one.
If the flop needs to be redealt because the cards were prematurely flopped before betting was complete, or the flop contained too many cards, 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.
If more than one card has been burned before the flop round of betting begins, and any cards have been turned faceup,the flop is invalid if the error is discovered before the betting has started. The flop shall be redealt as per the previous rule. If the error has been discovered without the identity of any flop-cards being divulged, the proper flop shall be used. If betting has started before attention is called to the error, the flop actually dealt must be used.
If the dealer turns the fourth card on the board before the betting round is complete, the card is taken out of play for the round, even if subsequent player elect to fold. Nobody has the option of accepting or rejecting the card. The betting is then completed. The error 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 street (river) card in the fourth cards 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 fifth and final card without burning a card. If the fifth card is turned up prematurely, the deck is reshuffled and dealt in the same manner.
If more than one card has been burned, the error shall be rectified if the mistake is discovered before the betting starts. If the error is not discovered before the betting starts, the card actually dealt must be used.
You must declare that you are playing the board before you throw your cards away; otherwise you relinquish all claims to the pot.
No Limit Specific Rules:
The number of raises in any betting round is unlimited.
All bets must be at least equal to the minimum bring in of the current blind round, unless the player is going all in.
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. A player who already acted and is not facing a fullsized wager may not subsequently raise an all-in bet that was not more than the minimum bet (which is not the amount of the minimum bring in) but must raise to at least double the minimum bring in. For example, if the blind are 300 - 600, and player A goes all in for 1100 (blind plus 500), player B may not raise to 1600 (blind plus 500 X 2), but must raise to 1800 (Blind X 3). If there was a bring in bet larger than the blind and a player goes all in for less than the minimum raise, the same rule applies, but with the original bring in bet being used as the base for raising.
At non tournament play, a player who says raise is allowed to continue putting chips in with more than one move; the wager is assume complete when the players hands come to a rest outside the pot area. In tournament play, the TDA rules require that the player either make 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, which is punishable by name calling and wrist slapping, followed by penalties if it a recurring offence.
A wager is not binding until the chips are actually released into the pot, unless the player has made a verbal statement of action.
If there is a discrepancy between a player's verbal statement and the amount put into the pot, the bet be corrected to the verbal statement.
If a call is short due to a counting error, the error must be corrected, even if the opponent has already shown down a superior hand.
Because the amount of a wager at big-bet poker has such a wide range, a player who has taken action based on a gross misunderstanding of the amount wagered needs some protection. A bettor should not show down a hand until the amount put into the pot for a call seems reasonable 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.
A bet of a single chip is considered to be the full amount of the chip allowed. However, a player acting on a previous bet with a larger denominational chip is calling the previous bet unless this player makes a verbal declaration to raise the pot.
If a player tries to bet or raise less than the legal minimum and has more chips(not all-in) the wager must be increased to the proper size. (This does not apply to a player who has unintentionally put too much in to call.) The wager is brought up to the sufficient amount only, no greater size.
In all no-limit games, the house has a 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 the tournament director, if another player requests it. If the clock is put on you when you are facing a bet, you will have one additional minute to action your hand. You will have a ten second warning, after which your hand is dead if you have not acted on it.
Tournament Specific Rules:
By participating in any 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 post a big blind on every turn, to quickly and fairly distribute them to the other players who have abided by the rules.
Whenever possible, all rules are the same as those that apply the live ring games.
Initial seating is determined by The Tournament Director software.
The appropriate starting amount of chips will be placed on the table for each paid entry at the beginning of an event, whether the person is present or not. Absent players will be dealt in, and all chips necessary for blinds and antes will be put into the pot by the dealer.
A starting stack of chips may be placed in a seat to accommodate for late entrants so all antes and blinds have been properly paid if a straggler buys a seat. An unsold seat will have it's chips removed by the end of the first round, and late entry will be closed.
Limits and blinds are raised at regularly scheduled intervals.
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.
The lowest denomination of chip in play no longer needed in the blind structure will be removed from the table when it is time for the next break. 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 each player for each odd chip possessed. Card are dealt clockwise starting with the 1-seat, with each player receiving all cards before any cards are dealt to the next player. The player with the highest card by suit (SHDC) gets enough odd chips to exchange for one higher denominational chip. The second highest card gets to exchange for the next chip, and so forth, until all lower denominational chips are exchanged. 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.. If an odd number of lower-denominational chips are left after this process, the player with the highest remaining will receive a new chip if he/she has half or more of the quantity of lower-denomination chips needed, otherwise nothing, but at the end of the process, all lower denomination ships will be removed from play. This is a rule often argued over, and to make it very clear, any argument with the rule will first be referred to this page, and if there is yet further argument, the player will be disqualified, No exceptions.
An absent player is always dealt a hand, and will be put up for blinds and antes, and the folded immediately after the dealing is done.
A player must be in their seat to stop the action by calling time.
As players are eliminated, tables are broken down by the tournament software, with players being reassigned seats at other tables from the broken table.
A seat change is not allowed, you are assigned a seat and any complaining can by taken to the complaints department (non-existent).
If a player has been instructed to move to a seat where they would have to post the small blind, they must wait for the button to pass before being dealt in a hand, with the blinds being posted as if he/she were not there.
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. The player who eliminated them receives the hidden chips, if they had sufficient chips to cover the hidden ones.
If a player lacks sufficient chips for a blind, the player is entitled to get action on whatever amount of money is left in his/her stack. A player who post a short blind and wins does not need to make up the rest of the blind.
All players must leave their seat immediately after being eliminated from an event.
Showing cards from a live hand during the action injures the right of other players still competing in an event, who wish to see contestants eliminated. A player in a multimedia pot may not show any cards unless the event has only two remaining players, or it 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 may be penalized.
At no-limit play, the player must either use a verbal statement giving the amount of the raise or put the chips into the pot in a single motion. Otherwise it is a string bet. If you are not yet familiar with what happens to string bettors, you should start over, and re-read this list of rules.
Non-tournament chips are not allowed at the table, except one per person, that is clearly identifiable as a non-tournament chips, for the purpose of protecting your cards.
All tournament chips must remain visible on the table throughout the event. Chips taken off the table or pocketed will be removed from the event, and a player who is caught doing this will be disqualified.
Higher denomination chips must be placed where they are easily visible to other players at the table.
Inappropriate behaviour like throwing cards that go off the table will be punished with a penalty (being dealt out for 10 minutes).(if it is on purpose that the card is thrown off the table, you will get an on purpose penalty, and if you do it accidentally, your penalty will be given accidentally) A severe infraction such as abusive or disruptive behaviour may be punished by eviction from the tournament.
The deck is not changed upon request. Decks change when there is a damaged card.
In all tournament games with a button, the button starts on the first hand in the 1-seat, directly left of the dealer.
If a player who was eliminated was supposed to pay a blind in the next hand, and does not re-buy, it is treated as though they were not there in the hand before. Therefore, the button moves to the next occupied seat and the player directly to the left of the button posts the small blind and the player to the small blind's left posts the big blind. We do not use the "dead button" rule.
In heads up play with two blinds, the small blind is on the button.
All hands will be turned face up when a player is All-in, and no more betting is possible on the hand.
If two or more players go broke during a hand, the player with the larger amount of chips finishes in the higher tournament place for prize money and any other award.
Management is not required to rule on on any private deals, side bets, or redistribution of the prize pool among finalists.
Private agreements by remaining player in an event regarding distribution of the prize pool are the decision of the players remaining in the event. The decision to split the pool any other way the set out by the director must be a unanimous decision among finalists.
Management retains the right to cancel any event, or alter it in a manner fair to the players.
Rebuy Specific Rules:
These rules apply only to rebuy events, and deal only with the rebuy period of the tournament.
If a player loses all their tournament chips within the rebuy period, they may rebuy the same amount of chips for the same price as the original buy in.
If a player announces they wish to rebuy before the start of the next deal, that player is "playing behind" until they get their rebuy chips.
There is no limit on the amount of rebuys a player may take, however, you must not have any chips left to be allowed to rebuy.
If the tournament allows an add on, it will be available to all players at the end of the rebuy period, and will be twice the starting chips for the same price as the original buy-in.
You made it this far!!!! You must really like poker, man!
Or even just read all of them?
:c: :d:
Perhaps i should have noted where my rule differs from the Robert's rules list