May I view a document containing the tournament rules?
Resolution of questions or procedures not defined by the rules posted on our web site shall be referred to the event chairperson. The event chairperson shall be the final authority in any dispute.
The event chairperson reserves the right to remove any player from the tournament at any time for any reason.
The Dealer shall collect the Seat Card from every player before the tournament begins.
Some seat numbers at each table may or may not be vacant depending upon the number of players registered.
The event chairperson and pit bosses will be available to assist players and dealers with any questions related to play.
Players shall not remove their cards or chips from the table at any time, including breaks, except their chips when being moved to a new table by a pit boss.
If a card falls to the floor at any time during the hand, the dealer or pit poss shall retrieve the card and return it to the player.
Players are assigned an initial table and seat number when they sign in. Seats numbers are determined by a random drawing of the seat cards.
The hand begins with the first riffle (shuffle) of the deck.
The dealer shall ensure that all blinds and antes have been properly posted.
The dealer shall offer a cut to the player to the right of the button; however, the offer of a cut can be waived, provided all players at the table unanimously agree.
The dealer is responsible for running the game as quickly and efficiently as possible.
The dealer shall prompt players to act when it is their turn.
The dealer shall ensure that the proper number of chips goes into the pot.
The dealer shall award the pot.
The dealer shall ensure that proper procedures are followed.
The player to the left of the button posts the small blind.
The player to the left of the small blind posts the big blind.
Each player, beginning with the player to the left of the button, is dealt two cards face-down (The Pocket Cards).
The first betting round begins with the player to the left of the big blind. The small and big blinds may fold, check, call, or raise, as appropriate, when called upon to act.
The dealer burns one card and turns three community cards face-up (The Flop).
The second betting round begins with the player to the left of the button.
The dealer burns one card and turns one community card face-up (The Turn).
The third betting round begins with the player to the left of the button.
The dealer burns one card and turns one community card face-up (The River).
The fourth, and final, betting round begins with the player to the left of the button.
Card showdown with the pot being awarded to the winner(s).
The button is advanced clockwise one player.
The dealer shall ensure that each bettor bets the proper number of chips.
Bets shall remain in front of the bettor until the betting round is complete.
Bets are not to be scooped (placed into the pot by the dealer) until the end of the betting round.
The pot shall be placed in the center of the table, to the side of the community cards.
If a player goes all-in, the main pot shall be placed in front of that player. A side pot is established for players who wish to continue to bet on the hand.
If a player goes all-in for a portion of the big blind, then subsequent action shall be made as if the player had posted the full big blind.
The five community cards (flop, turn and river) shall be placed face-up in the center of the table with the pot to the side.
The community cards must be placed in proper order with the turn card placed to the right of the flop cards, and the river card placed to the right of the turn card.
After each betting round (except the final round) the dealer shall burn a card before turning over the community card(s).
Burn cards are to be placed face-down in the center of the table under the edge of the pot.
Each burn card shall be placed under the previous burn card.
Burn cards are to remain on the table, separate from the muck, until the pot is awarded to the winning player.
The dealer shall announce all raises.
The dealer shall announce when an all-in bet has been made.
The dealer shall announce when any live blind elects to exercise the option to raise.
The dealer shall announce when a card has been exposed and which card it is.
A player must show all cards in the hand face-up on the table to win any part of the pot.
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.
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. A player may not recall a mucked hand.
Suits never break a tie for winning a pot.
In determining the winning hand, if all five cards are not used to make a hand, the rank of the side cards (kicker cards) shall determine which hand is better.
If two or more hands tie, any odd chip will be awarded to the first hand clockwise from the button.
After the showdown the dealer shall push (award) the pot to the winner and then advance the dealer button clockwise one player.
The Dealer shall remove lower denomination chips from play at the beginning of every intermission Color Up.
The Color Up procedure is defined in a separate document.
The Dealer shall announce to the Pit Boss that a seat becomes vacant, announce the Table Number, and give the Pit Boss the Seat Card for the vacant seat.
The Dealer shall collect the Seat Card from a new player moved to a vacant seat at the table.
If the button is to the moved player's right, or the right of the player to the right of the moved player, the moved player is not dealt any cards. The button must move past the moved player before the moved player is dealt any cards.
If the Small Blind is eliminated, the player who was the big blind now posts the small blind and the player to his left posts the big blind. The button does not move and the player who was the button, will be the button once again.
If the Big Blind is eliminated, the player to the left of the eliminated big blind now posts the big blind and there is no small blind for that hand. The button moves to the player who was the small blind. On the following hand, the button does not move and the two blinds are posted normally.
If both the Big Blind and the Small Blind are eliminated in the same hand, the player to the left of the eliminated big blind now posts the big blind and there is no small blind for that hand. The button does not move and the player who was the button, will be the button once again.
When going from three to two players, determine which player would have been the next big blind if no player had been eliminated ... that player is the big blind and the other player is the small blind and button.
The player who does not have the button shall be dealt the first card.
The small blind shall act first on the first betting round and last on all other betting rounds.
In other words, the small blind is the button and acts first before the flop and last after the flop.
If there are any changes to the printed tournament rules they will be announced before the beginning of play.
If changes are announced, a player may request a full refund of the buy-in and drop out of the tournament before the first hand is dealt.
If the first or second pocket card dealt is exposed, a misdeal results. The dealer will retrieve the card, reshuffle, and recut the cards.
If any other pocket card is exposed due to 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 pocket cards are dealt face up during the hand, the dealer shall announce a misdeal, re-shuffle the cards, and deal a new hand.
If the flop needs to be redealt because the cards were prematurely flopped before the 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 the dealer fails to burn a card before the flop, turn or river, the card will be shown to all players and then discarded, the next card will take its place.
If the dealer turns the fourth card on the board before the betting round is complete, the card is taken out of play for that round, even if subsequent players elect to fold. The betting is then completed. The dealer burns and turns 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 turns 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.
1. The following circumstances 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, as explained in rule #2)
(a) The first or second card of the hand has been dealt faceup or exposed through dealer error.
(b) Two or more cards have been exposed by the dealer.
(c) Two or more boxed cards (improperly faced cards) are found.
(d) Two or more extra cards have been dealt in the starting hands of a game.
(e) An incorrect number of cards has been dealt to a player, except the top card may be dealt if it goes to the player in proper sequence.
(f) Any card has been dealt out of the proper sequence (except an exposed card may be replaced by the burncard).
(g) The button was out of position.
(h) The first card was dealt to the wrong position.
(i) Cards have been dealt to an empty seat or a player not entitled to a hand.
(j) 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 or ante.
2. Action is considered to occur when two players after the blinds have acted on their hands. Once action occurs, a misdeal can no longer be declared. The hand will be played to conclusion and no money will be returned to any player whose hand is fouled.
1. Your hand is declared dead if:
(a) You fold or announce that you are folding when facing a bet or a raise.
(b) You throw your hand away in a forward motion causing another player to act behind you (even if not facing a bet).
(c) You do not have the correct number of pocket cards (two), a misdeal has not been called, and at least two players have already acted on their hands.
(d) You act on a hand with a joker or other invalid card as a pocket card. (A player who acts on a hand without looking at a card assumes the liability of finding an improper card.)
(e) You have the clock on you when facing a bet or raise and exceed the specified time limit.
2. Cards thrown into the muck may be ruled dead. However, a hand that is clearly identifiable may be retrieved at management’s discretion 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 false information given to the player.
3. Cards thrown into another player’s hand are dead, whether they are faceup or facedown.
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.
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. One or more cards missing from the deck does not invalidate the results of a hand.
A card that is flashed by a dealer is treated as an exposed card. A card that is flashed by a player will play.
A pocket card dealt off the table is an exposed card.
If you drop a card on the floor out of your hand, you must still play that card; however the dealer or pit boss should be called to retreive the card from the floor.
A player must show both pocket cards in the hand face-up on the table to win any part of the pot.
Cards speak (cards read for themselves).