Because you really need that last card
The base rules for the games are Robert’s Rules of Poker Version 11 and Poker Tournament Directors Association (TDA) 2022 Rules Version 1.0 for tournament clarification.
In addition to the base rules, the following house rules also apply. In the event that a base rule and a house rule conflict with each other, the house rule supersedes the base rule.:
Cash Game Chips vs Tournament Chips
Unless stated otherwise, the only chips with convertibility to cash are marked 25¢, 50¢, $1, and $5.
All other chips including those marked $25, $100, $500, and $1000 are intended as tournament chips only and have no cash value and cannot be converted to cash.
One-Chip Rule
Throwing out one-chip of any amount without declaring if it’s a raise, is only a call, not a raise. Opening the bet with one chip without declaring the opening bet, is a bet of the face-value of the chip in No-Limit, or the bet in Limit.
If the value of the one-chip is less than 50% of the amount to call or the minimum opening bet, the chip is taken back by the player and the player can decide again what action to take. If the value of the one-chip is 50% or more of the amount to call, the action is a call.
Cash Plays
In cash games, cash on the table plays.
Playing Out of Chip Rack
Players may play out of a chip rack.
Bet Line
Releasing (letting-go by hand) chips across the bet line without prior verbal action are committed chips and cannot be retrieved. Cards released face-down across the bet line without prior verbal action may be retrieved if they are 100% identifiable, have not touched any other cards, have not been touched by the dealer or another player, and no action has been made afterwards.
Firearms
Responsibly carry legal firearm(s) as allowed by the private property, local, state, and federal laws.
Dealer Exposes Hole Card
If the dealer exposes the 1st or 2nd dealt hole card, it’s a misdeal. If the dealer exposes any other hole card during the deal, the player may not keep the exposed card and dealing continues and the player is given a replacement card at the end of the deal and the exposed card is the burn card. If the dealer exposes more than 1 hole card during the deal, it’s a misdeal.
Extra Card(s) Dealt on a Street
If extra card(s) are dealt face-up on any street, the cards are turned facedown, scrambled, and the floor, uninvolved person, uninvolved player, or dealer will choose randomly which card(s) are dealt live and which is the next burn.
Keep the Streets in Order
It’s top priority to keep the streets in order. If it’s impossible to keep the streets in order and there is no misdeal, then the stub is re-shuffled as a last resort.
Cap 5 Bets Max per Betting Round
In a Limit Hold’em game, the cap for each betting round (pre-flop, flop, turn, and river) is 1 bet + 4 raises, otherwise known as “5 bets”.
Limit Hold’em Heads-Up All-In
In a Limit Hold’em game, when 2 players remain in the hand heads-up, either player may offer to bet larger than the maximum limit bet allowed for the street, and may even go all-in. The calling player may opt to call just the limit bet amount, call the larger bet amount, or call the all-in bet, or raise by any amount.
Example 1: Two players heads-up on the turn in a 15/30 Limit Hold’em game
Player A: Bet 30 (1 bet)
Player B: Raise to 60 (2 bets)
Player A: Raise to 90 (3 bets)
Player B: Raise to 120 (4 bets)
Player A: Raise to 800
Player B: I’m just calling the bet limit. I call to 150 (5 bets)
(dealers puts out the river card, betting resumes on the river)
Example 2: Two players heads-up on the flop in a 5/10 Limit Hold’em game
Player A: Bet 5 (1 bet)
Player B: Raise to 10 (2 bets)
Player A: Raise to 15 (3 bets)
Player B: Raise to 20 (4 bets)
Player A: Raise all-in
Player B: I call the all-in
(player A is all-in, dealer runs out the turn and river cards, no more betting)
Specific tournament details supersede these rules. If not specified, then these rules apply.
Late Seating
Late seating is allowed if the player has pre-paid their tournament buy-in. The player’s chips will be placed at their seat position and blinded-off. There is no deadline for late seating if the player has pre-paid their tournament buy-in.
Late Registration
Late registration is allowed until the 1st break if seating is available. Late registration players will receive a full stack of chips. No registrations allowed after the 1st break.
Chip Color-Up Rounding Up
At specified breaks in the tournament for coloring-up chips, the chips being colored-up are rounded up. If the player has less than 50% of the value of the color-up chip, the chips are not colored-up and are removed from the tournament. If the player has 50%-100% of the value of the color-up chip, the chips are colored-up.
Example 1
Player has 9x green $25 chips. The color up is to $100 black chips.
The player receive 2x $100 black chips and loses the remaining 1x green $25 chip.
Example 2
Player has 10x green chips. The color up is to $100 black chips.
The player receive 3x $100 black chips.
The following rules apply to all Jackpots:
High-Hand Jackpot (HHJP)
The highest hand called or checked at showdown is logged with the player’s name. Every hour at completion of the hand in progress or when the game ends, the HHJP is paid to the player with the highest hand logged for the hour. The winner must be active in the game with chips to win the HHJP. After the winner is paid, the next HHJP starts and the high-hand is reset. The winner may elect to “let it ride” and not be paid the HHJP and allow their high-hand to continue, unless the high-hand is a straight-flush (straight-flush high-hands must be paid out on the hour). In the let-it-ride period, the player with the high-hand may elect to claim the HHJP before the next hand is dealt. If the player with the high-hand cashes out of the game or is not dealt cards for more than 1 orbit of the button, then the player forfeits having the highest hand. The high-hand may be bought at anytime by another player, for a negotiated price between buyer and seller.
Bad-Beat Jackpot (BBJP)
A bad-beat is a strong hand between by an even stronger hand. The qualifier of the BBJP is AAATT (a full house of Aces over Tens) or greater, beaten by a better hand. Both the winner and the loser must use their 2 hole cards to make their best 5-card hand. The BBJP payout is 60-20-20 = 60% to the loser of the hand (the bad beat), 20% to the winner of the hand, and 20% “table share” shared equally to all the remaining players who were dealt cards in that hand regardless of when they folded or their hand was beat. If the BBJP is not paid by the end of the game, then the BBJP is carried forward to the next game.
The Stand-Up Game (aka “That Stupid Game”)
At any time, any player may propose The Stand-Up Game and the payment amount and if all players agree, then The Stand-Up Game is “on” until it ends. All players must physically stand-up from their seats and play poker while standing. When a player wins a pot and tables their cards, whether they were called or not, they are allowed to sit down. There is no hand qualifier and the winner does not have to use 2 cards to win or even have winning cards (it could be a bluff), just as long as they won the pot. The last player left standing is the loser of The Stand-Up Game and must pay each seated player the payment amount and concludes The Stand Up Game. “That Stupid Game” is exactly the same as “The Stand-Up Game” except the players remain seated and instead are given a “brain” button when they win a pot, and the last player without a brain is “stupid” and must pay all the players with brains.
Bomb Pot (BP)
to be edited