Gananda Poker League
2014 - 2015 Season Rules
Schedule
Event Date Starting Time Location
Tournament #1 10/04/2014 7:00 Bowers’ House
Tournament #2 11/08/2014 7:00 Bowers’ House
Tournament #3 12/13/2014 7:00 Bowers’ House
Tournament #4 01/10/2015 7:00 Bowers’ House
Tournament #5 02/07/2015 7:00 Bowers’ House
Tournament #6 03/07/2015 7:00 Bowers’ House
Tournament #7 04/11.2015 7:00 Bowers’ House
Tournament #8 05/02/2015 7:00 Bowers’ House
Tournament Of Champions
06/06/2015 7:00 Bowers’ House
League Structure
COST
• A $50 yearly league fee will be collected at signup for the league. 100% of this fee will go directly to the year end Tournament of Champions (TOC) which will consist of ALL players who attend at least three of the regular season tournaments. The top 20 in points will be eligible for the final tournament regardless of how many regular season tournaments they play in. The top 20 players according to the final point standings will receive additional chips in their starting stack. 21st place and below will have a 500 chip penalty and start with only 1000 chips.
• Each tournament throughout the season will have a $25 buy-in with $20 going to the weekly payout and the remaining $5 going to the TOC prize pool.
TOURNAMENT STRUCTURE
• Each player will start with 1500 tournament chips. The break down will be as follows:
Chip Color Denomination of Chips Number of Chips Value of Chips
Red $5 25 $125
Green $25 13 $325
Blue $50 7 $350
Black $100 2 $200
White $500 1 $500
There will be no rebuys allowed. Once a player busts out they are out for the remainder of the tournament.
There will be no add-ons allowed.
Level Duration Small Blind Big Blind Start Time Chip Up
Round 1 25m $5 $10 0:00
Round 2 25m $10 $20 0:25
Round 3 25m $25 $50 0:50
Round 4 25m $40 $80 1:15
Break 1 10m 1:40 yes
Round 5 20m $50 $100 1:50
Round 6 20m $75 $150 2:10
Round 7 20m $100 $200 2:30
Round 8 20m $150 $300 2:50
Round 9 20m $200 $400 3:10
Break 2 10m 3:30 yes
Round 10 20m $300 $600 3:40
Round 11 20m $400 $800 4:00
Round 12 20m $500 $1,000 4:20
Round 13 20m $600 $1,200 4:40
Round 14 20m $1,000 $2,000 5:00
Break 3 10m 5:20 yes
Round 15 15m $1,500 $3,000 5:30
Round 16 15m $2,000 $4,000 5:45
Round 17 15m $2,500 $5,000 6:00
Round 18 15m $3,000 $6,000 6:15
Round 19 15m $3,500 $7,000 6:30
SEATING
• Each table will seat a maximum of 10 players. Players will be distributed as evenly as possible between all tables.
• When you buyin to the tournament you will receive your starting stack of chips.
• Seating will be determined randomly by the Tournament Direct software.
• Seat 1 will be the dealer for the first hand of the tournament.
• You may not trade seats with another player before or during a tournament (but may be assigned a new seat by the Tournament Director when balancing tables, as described below).
• If you have failed to arrive/pay ten minutes before the start of the tournament, a chip stack and seating assignment will be chosen for you.
ABSENT/LATE PLAYERS
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.
• If a player is absent at the start of an event, the chips will remain in place for the duration of the first two blind levels. If the player remains absent at the start of the first hand of the third blind level, the chips will be removed from play by the Tournament Director. This gives you fifty minutes to arrive after the start of the tournament. There will be NO exceptions to this rule.
• A no-show or absent player is always dealt a hand. All blinds and antes will be posted by the dealer as they become due and the absent players cards will be killed by the dealer immediately after dealing each player a starting hand (regardless of whether the absent player is facing action or not).
MOVING PLAYERS
• If the number of players differs by two or more between any two tables, one player must move from the higher populated table to the lower populated table.
• All player seat moves will be determined by the Tournament Director software. The move must occur before the next hand is dealt at any table.
• For the purpose of this rule, a player is ‘playing a hand’ once the dealer has begun shuffling (riffles the deck).
• The timer does not stop while this process is taking place, and the moving player should make an effort to move as quickly as possible.
• A moved player will be dealt a hand at the start of the next deal and assume any obligation of the new seat including the posting of a blind or dealing.
• Moving occurs after the conclusion of all hands being played at both tables.
FINAL TABLE
The final table will be formed when there are 9-10 players remaining. The timer will be stopped while the final table is formed. Seating order at the final table will be random and assigned by the Tournament Director Software. A non-player dealer (if used) sits to the right of the button. Once the seating order is set, the timer will be re-started and the tournament will continue.
WINNING THE TOURNAMENT
• The final player remaining with all the chips will be the first prize winner. The last player eliminated will be the second prize winner; the second last player eliminated will be the third prize winner, and so on.
• If multiple players go broke on the same hand, the player starting the hand with the larger amount of chips finishes in the higher place for prize money and season points. Players eliminated on the same deal who start their final hand with an equal amount of chips receive equal prize money and tournament points.
o Example 1: Two players are eliminated on the same hand. Player A started with 1400 chips and Player B started with 1600 chips. Player B would receive the higher finishing position.
o Example 2: Two players are eliminated on the same hand. Player A and B both started the hand with 1500 chips. Both players are considered tied and both receive an equal share of the prize money for their finishing place.
PAYOUT
The money from buy-ins will make up the purse. The number of payouts is determined by the number of players at the start of the tournament, according to the following schedule:
2 – 6 Players 7 – 9 Players 10 – 18 Players 19 – 27 Players 28 – 54 Players
1st Place 70% 50% 46% 42% 40%
2nd Place 30% 30% 27% 25% 23%
3rd Place 20% 17% 15% 13%
4th Place 10% 10% 10%
5th Place 8% 8%
6th Place 6%
All payouts are rounded to the nearest $1. Adjustments for rounding are made to the lowest finishing player first and continue to be made upward until all rounding adjustments are complete.
SCORING
There will be nine regular season events, each a T1500 structure. Players (but not subs) earn points in regular season events using a variation of the formula developed by Jeff Neau.
score = sqrt(((a * b)) / (c + 1.0)*10
a = Tournament Buy-in Count
b = Player Buy-in Expense
c = Player Finish
In addition a player will earn 1 bonus point for each player they knock out of the tournament. You will also earn an additional 2 points for knocking out the previous week’s winner and the current point leader. For example, if you knockout the previous week’s winner and they are the current point leader you earn 5 points (1 for knockout plus 2 for each bonus category).
A player's score for the league is the sum of their seven best tournament scores. This will allow players to miss, or have bad finishes in two tournaments with no negative impact on their overall score for the season.
STANDINGS
Season standings will be updated after each tournament and posted to www.ganandapokerleague.com .
TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
At the conclusion of the regular season the all players in the league will earn a seat in the Tournament of Champions. This tournament will run exactly the same as the regular tournaments with exception of starting chip stack. Any player finishing in 21st place or worse will start with a 500 chip penalty, 1000 chip starting stack. Each player will receive an additional 100 chips for each position above 20th place they finished in. The stacks will be:
League Finish Starting Chips
21st and worse: 1000
20th 1500
19th 1600
18th 1700
17th 1800
16th 1900
15th 2000
14th 2100
13th 2200
12th 2300
11th 2400
10th 2500
9th 2600
8th 2700
7th 2800
6th 2900
5th 3000
4th 3100
3rd 3200
2nd 3300
1st 3400
The prize pool for the Tournament of Champions will be the total of the $50 league fees collected at the beginning of the season plus the total of the individual $5 rakes for the season’s buyins.
The payout schedule will be based on the same percentages as a regular season game depending on the number of players.
House Rules
CONDUCT CODE
• Please check all weapons at the door.
• Cards read for themselves.
The following are not permitted:
• Collusion with another player or any other form of cheating.
• Verbally or physically threatening any person.
• Creating a disturbance by arguing, shouting, or making excessive noise.
• Throwing, tearing, bending, or crumpling cards.
• Destroying or defacing property.
• Using an illegal substance.
• Smoking inside the house.
POKER ETIQUETTE
The following actions are improper, and grounds for warning, suspending, or barring a violator:
• Deliberately acting out of turn.
• Deliberately splashing chips into the pot.
• Agreeing to check a hand out when a third player is all-in.
• Softplaying by refusing to bet against a certain opponent whenever headsup.
• Reading a hand for another player at the showdown before it has been placed face up on the table.
• Revealing the contents of a live hand in a multihanded pot before the betting is complete.
• Revealing the contents of a folded hand before the 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 dealer's hands or chip-rack).
• 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.
• Using a cell phone at the table.
DECISION-MAKING
1. The Tournament Director 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. The proper time to draw attention to a mistake is when it occurs or is first noticed. Any delay may affect the ruling.
3. 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.
4. 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 Tournament Director may determine how much was in the pot by reconstructing the betting, and then transfer that amount to the proper player.
5. To keep the action moving, it is possible that a game may be asked to continue even though a decision is delayed. In such circumstances, a pot or portion of it may be impounded by the house while the decision is pending.
6. 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.
7. 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.
PROCEDURES
1. Only one person may play a hand.
2. No one is allowed to play another player’s chips.
3. Chips may be removed for security purposes when leaving the table. The Tournament Director 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. All removed chips must be fully restored when returning to the game.
4. Playing out of a rack is discouraged.
5. 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.
6. Any player is entitled to a clear view of an opponent’s chips. Higher denomination chips should be easily visible.
7. Looking through the discards or deck stub is not allowed.
8. 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.
9. Speaking a foreign language during a hand is not allowed.
GENERAL POKER RULES
MISDEALS
1. Once action begins, a misdeal cannot be called. The deal will be played, and no money will be returned to any player whose hand is fouled. In button games, 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.
a. The first or second card of the hand has been exposed by a 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 have 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 burn card).
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.
DEAD HANDS
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. The hand does not contain the proper number of cards for that particular game.
d. You act on a hand with a joker as a hole card. (A player who acts on a hand without looking at a card assumes the liability of finding an improper card, as given in Irregularities, rule #8.)
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 and ruled live at management’s discretion if doing so is in the best interest of the game. An extra effort should be made to rule a hand retrievable if it was folded as a result of incorrect information given to the player.
3. Cards thrown into another player’s hand are dead, whether they are faceup or facedown.
IRREGULARITIES
1. In button games, 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 is extra money in the pot on a deal as a result of forfeited money from the previous deal (as per rule #5), or some similar reason, only a player dealt in on the previous deal is entitled to a hand.
7. A card discovered faceup in the deck (boxed card) will be treated as a meaningless scrap of paper. A card being treated as a scrap of paper will be replaced by the next card below it in the deck, except when the next card has already been dealt facedown to another player and mixed in with other downcards. In that case, the card that was faceup in the deck will be replaced after all other cards are dealt for that round.
8. A joker that appears in a game where it is not used is treated as a scrap of paper. Discovery of a joker does not cause a misdeal. If the joker is discovered before a player acts on his or her hand, it is replaced as in the previous rule. If the player does not call attention to the joker before acting, then the player has a dead hand.
9. 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.
10. One or more cards missing from the deck does not invalidate the results of a hand.
11. Before the first round of betting, if a dealer deals one additional card, it is returned to the deck and used as the burncard.
12. Procedure for an exposed card is set forth in Section 5 – Holdem (Rule 1, page 10). 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, 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.
13. If a card is exposed due to dealer error, a player does not have an option to take or reject the card.
14. If you drop any cards out of your hand onto the floor, you must still play them.
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. 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.
BETTING AND RAISING
1. The smallest chip that may be wagered in a game is the smallest chip used in the antes or blinds. Smaller chips than this do not play even in quantity, so a player wanting action on such chips must change them up between deals.
2. Check-raise is permitted.
3. 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.
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. If there is a gross misunderstanding concerning the amount of the wager, see Section 6, Rule 6 (No Limit Rules, page 12).
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: When a player bets 500 and the next player puts a 1000 chip in the pot without saying anything, that player has merely called the 500 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). 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.
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 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.
TIES
1. An odd chip will be broken down to the smallest unit used in the game.
2. If two or more hands tie, odd chips will be awarded in order, starting with the first hand clockwise from the button and continuing, one off chip per player, until all odd chips have been distributed. No player may receive more than one odd chip.
BUTTON AND BLIND USE
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. 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.
RULES FOR USING BLINDS
1. The minimum bring-in and allowable raise sizes for the opener are specified by the 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. This is accomplished through the implementation of the Dead Button Rule.
Dead Button Rule: The big blind is posted by the player due for it, and the small blind and button are positioned accordingly, even if this means the small blind or the button is placed in front of an empty seat, giving the same player the privilege of last action on consecutive hands. For the following examples, in Hand 1, Dealer is Player #1, the small blind is Player #2, the big blind is player #3, etc.
Example 1: Dealer Busts In Hand 2, Player #2 is now the Dealer, Player #3
is now the Small blind and Player #4 is now the Big Blind. There are really no issues with this hand, play progresses as normal.
Example 2: Small Blind Busts In Hand 2, Player #3 is now the Small Blind,
Player #4 is the Big Blind and the button is dead. In effect with this hand Player #1 is in the best position as the de facto dealer. In Hand 3, Player #3 is now the Dealer, Player #4 is the Small Blind and Player #5 is the Big Blind.
Example 3: Big Blind Busts In Hand 2 Player #2 is now the Dealer, Player #4 is the Big Blind. There is no Small Blind. The Small Blind is dead. In Hand 3, Player #4 is now the Small Blind, Player #5 is The Big Blind and there is no dealer. The button is dead. In Hand 4, Player #4 is now the Dealer, Player #5 is the Small Blind and Player #6 is the Big Blind.
Example 4: Under The Gun Busts In Hand 2, Player #2 is now the Dealer,
Player #3 is the Small Blind and Player #5 is the Big Blind. There are really no issues with this hand, except that Player #5 gets to be the big blind one hand earlier.
Example 5: Both Small and Big Blinds Bust In Hand 2, Player #4 is now the
Big Blind; both the Small Blind and Dealer Button are dead. In Hand 3, Player #4 is now the Small Blind, Player #5 is the Big Blind and the Dealer Button is dead. In Hand 4, Player #4 is now the Dealer, Player #5 is the Small Blind and Player #6 is the Big Blind.
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. Chips posted by the big blind are treated as a bet.
5. A player posting a blind in the game’s regular structure has the option of raising the pot at the first turn to act. This option to raise is retained if someone goes all-in with a wager of less than the minimum raise.
6. If a player is absent from the table, blinds and antes will be posted from the player’s stack by the dealer as they become due.
HOLDEM
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.
IRREGULARITIES
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 cards are flopped before the betting is complete, or 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 and the burncard(s). After shuffling, the dealer cuts the deck, burns a card and deals a new flop.
8. If the dealer prematurely exposes the fourth board card before the betting is complete, the exposed board card is returned to the stub (the burn cards and muck remain on the table), the stub is shuffled and cut and a new fourth card is turned. 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, otherwise, you relinquish all claim to the pot. You must retain your hand and show it if asked, in order to win part of the pot.
NO LIMIT RULES
No-limit means that any part or all of a player’s chips may be wagered. The player is responsible for determining the pot size at no-limit, not the dealer.
1. The number of raises in any betting round is unlimited.
2. The minimum bet size is the amount of the big blind, unless the player is going all-in. 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 full-size wager may 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. (The half-the-size rule for reopening the betting is for limit poker only.)
4. In tournament 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, to avoid making a string-bet.
5. A wager is not binding until the chips are actually released into the pot, unless the player has made a verbal statement of action.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.)
9. 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.
10. 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 may receive some protection by the decision-maker. 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.
Example: Player A bets 300, player B re-raises to 1200, and Player C puts 300 into the pot and says, “Call.” If it is obvious that player C believes the bet to be only 300, 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.
Example: On the end, a player puts a 5000 chip into the pot and says softly, “Four thousand.” The opponent puts a 1000 chip into the pot and says, “Call.” The bettor immediately shows the hand. The dealer says, “He bet four thousand.” The caller says, “Oh, I thought he bet a thousand.” 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. (Unfortunately, situations can arise at big-bet poker that are not as clear-cut as this.)
11. The Tournament Director has the right to place a maximum time limit for taking action on your hand. The clock may be put on someone at the request of another player in the tournament, including by a player at another table. If the clock is put on you when you are facing a bet, you will have one additional minute to act on your hand. You will have a ten-second warning, after which your hand is dead if you have not acted.
