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Texas Hold ’em Poker Rules

CASH GAME RULES

  • The Rake is 10%
  • No Rake taken for any pot less than R50 or if the hand does not reach the Flop.
  • The Rake is capped at R60 and will be deducted from the main pot first then side pots in turn.
  • Each table has a minimum and maximum buy in.
  • Players only in the Poker Room - no spectators allowed.
  • All players must be placed in a waiting list for a seat, if the player is not present when called, the next player on the list will be called.
  • Players may request to sit on the same table but must randomly draw for seats.
  • All seating will be randomly drawn and allocated to balance tables.
  • A player cannot change seats on the same table as the player will then be posting out of turn.
  • Only the Poker Room Supervisors will be responsible for the moving of players to different tables.
  • Players are permitted to "visit" other tables but not for an extended period of time.
  • A player may be excluded from a game if the player has been absent from the table for an excessive amount of time, this will be at Management's discretion and as business dictates.
  • Excluded players chips will be removed from the table and credited to the Cash Desk.
  • New players or players who have missed a Small Blind or Big Blind will be required to post the Big Blind before receiving cards or wait until he/she receives the Big Blind.
  • New players may not be seated or dealt a hand at this position of the Small Blind or Dealer Button.
  • If a player asks to be moved to another table then that player must pay the big blind on the next table.
  • If the Casino breaks a table the player does not have to pay the big blind on the next table.
  • If a player has asked to be moved, then that player must play for at least one hour on the new table before requesting another move.
  • In heads up Texas Hold'em Cash Games, the dealer button has the Small Blind.
  • Cards may not be removed or held below the table or otherwise concealed from view.
  • A stack may be increased only if the stack is less than the table maximum buy-in. After the buy-in the stack must be at least the table minimum buy-in and must not exceed the table maximum buy-in.
  • All increases of stacks must be done before any cards are drawn and verified by the dealer.
  • While seated at a table a player may not decrease his/her chip stack, all chips must remain on the table.
  • PLayers must not pass chips to each other, only if a player is leaving the table then he may hand his chips to another player on the same table providing that the remaining player does not exceed the maximum amount allowed.
  • The STRADDLE BET may only be played by the player immediately to the left of the big blind and will be entitled to act last in the first betting round only.
  • BLIND WITH STRADDLE
    • If a player has been away from the table and missed the big blind and returns to the table in the position to be the next big blind and wants to Straddle:
    • R20 for Big Blind must go in the middle of the table (pot) and R40 for the Straddle remains in from of the player. The player will get no action on the R20 in the pot.
  • The same player may straddle more than once if the seat or seats between the players and the Big Blind is vacant before the straddle and then occupied after that hand.
  • If a player turns over the cards and throws them over the betting line before the hand has been concluded then the cards will deemed to have been mucked.
  • If a player turns over the cards on the player side of the betting line before the hand has been concluded then the cards will be deemed to be still in play. A warning will be given for exposing cards.
  • Show one, show all: After the hand, if the cards are shown to another player whether playing or not, every player at the table has a right to see those cards, if the cards are shown to another player during the hand, the cards will be shown after the hand has been concluded.
  • If a player has not acted with action pending in a reasonable tie determined by the dealer, then the hand will be declared dead and will be folded.
  • If a player has not acted in a reasonable time and there was no previous bet then his/her hand will be considered a check.
  • At the Showdown, if all players checked, the first player to the left of the dealer button will be the first to show the hand and then clockwise around the table.
  • All players, including "all-in" players are entitled to muck their cards without exposing them.
  • If you are unsure about any procedure during a hand, ask the dealer to clarify before you make a bet.
  • If a player bets out of turn and all the players who are due to bet before him check, then the out of turn player will be held to his original bet. If all the players who are due to bet before him give action, then the out of turn player will be able to call his action or fold and will not be allowed to raise.
  • If a player makes a raise without verbally announcing "raise" then the bet will only be taken as a call.
  • If the Big Blind wants to raise on the first round of betting then he must announce "raise" first.
  • A raise must be equal to or greater then the previous bet or Raise.
  • A player must announce "all-in":
    • If a player makes an all-in bet of less then the amount required to call without announcing all-in then the player must fold the hand.
    • If a player makes an all-in bet in excess of the amount required to call without announcing all-in then the player is held to a call.
  • An all-in bet must be at least double the initial bet or previous raise to constitute a re-raise.
  • An all-in means ALL chips must be placed over the betting line.
  • Any oversize chip passed over the betting line will only be taken as a call unless verbally announced as a "raise" first.
  • At the Showdown the last player to make a bet, raise or re-raise will be the first to show the hand then clockwise around the table, if there is a side pot, players invovled in the side pot show their hands first.
  • If a player throws his card or cards over the betting line face down with action pending the hand will be dead.
  • If a player throws his cards over the betting line face down with no action pending and the card or cards cannot be retrieved from other mucked or burnt cards the hand will be dead. Players will be responsible for monitoring all betting action during the hand.
  • A player exposing his or her card or cards whether it is over the betting line or not or whether it is intentional or not and with action pending will not constitute a dead hand, a warning will be given.
  • If a player throws his card or cards over the betting line face down with no action pending and the cards are clearly identifiable and can be retrieved the hand will not be dead.
  • If a player places one card face up and one card face down over the betting line at the showdown or with no action pending the hand will not be dead, a warning will be given for slow play.
  • If a player drops any cards out of their hand onto the floor, he/she must still play them.
  • All players at the table are entitled to see any exposed card or cards.
  • If a player turns his cards over at the showdown and has the winning hand but mistakenly believes he has lost and walks away from the table, his hand will not be dead, cards speak at all times, the amount won will be held over until the player can be contacted.
  • Showing cards is considered an angle. A player should not act in such a way that encourages or discourages action behind. By deliberately showing cards a player is trying to discourage someone from calling.
  • A player must protect their own hand at all times. Cards can be protected with hands, a chip, or other objects placed on top of them. If a player fails to protect his/her cards, there will be no redress if the hand becomes fouled or the dealer accidentally kills it.
  • Players must not intentionally hide the cards from view of other players even when protecting their hand.
  • If there are only 2 players left in the pot (chip dumping) - all hands must be played to a conclusion.
  • Cards speak at all times; the actual value of a player's hand prevails in the event a player dispute is null and void.
  • Players may not talk about their cards or show their cards during a hand.
  • Players may not throw chips into the pot (splashing).
  • Only the Casino Dealer will be allowed to touch the pot(s) prior to them being pushed.
  • No talking on cell phones at the poker tables.
  • No food will be allowed in the Poker Room.
  • English ONLY to be used at all times, only one warning will be given before removed from the table.
  • Any player directing abusive language at other players or staff will be removed from the table.
  • Profanity is prohibited and will be enforced at the discretion of the Poker Room Supervisor.

TOURNAMENT RULES

  1. By participating in the Tournament, you agree to abide by the rules and behave in a courteous manner. A violator may be verbally warned, suspended from play for a specified length of time, or disqualified from the Tournament. Chips from a disqualified participant will be removed from play. If a player is on a time penalty all antes and blinds for that period will be deducted from the players chip stack. If a player is blinded out while on a penalty they will be out of the tournament. During the re-­buy period players will also be blinded out. (To be "blinded out" is when a player loses all his chips in a tournament by paying the forced blinds without playing hands. Players are blinded out either because they play way too tight are not present at the table.)
  2. All rules are the same as those that apply to live games except where stated below.
  1. There may be antes during the tournament which apply to every player in the tournament.
  2. Where the tournament allows re-­buys and add-ons, all players in that particular tournament may purchase additional chips at the end of the re-­buy period. The length of the re­‐buy period and the number of re­‐buys and add-­ons will be determined by the TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR and announced prior to the commencement of the tournament.
  3. All entry fees buy­‐ins and add­‐ons, if any, will not be refunded to any player who is disqualified from a particular tournament and that player's tournament chips will be taken out of play.
  4. If a player announces the intent to re­‐buy before cards are dealt, that player is playing behind and is obligated to make the re-­buy.
  • Initial seating is determined by random draw or assignment.
  • The person who draws the first seat at the table will receive the dealer button. This will be the same for all tournament tables.
  • New players are dealt in immediately unless they sit down in the small blind or button position. In these two cases, they must wait until the button passes.
  • A change of seat is not allowed, except as assigned by the Tournament Director.
  • The appropriate starting amount of chips will be placed on the table for each entrant at the beginning of the event by the Dealers, whether the person is present or not. Absent players will be dealt in, and all chips necessary for antes and blinds will be put into the pot.
  • If a paid entrant is absent at the start of the event, at some point an effort will be made to locate and contact the player. If the player requests the chips to be left in place until arrival, the request will be honoured. If the player is unable to be contacted, the chips will be removed from play at the discretion of the director.
  • A starting stack of chips can be placed in a seat to accommodate late entrants (if all antes and blinds have been appropriately paid) an unsold seat will have such stacks removed at a time left to the discretion of the Tournament Director.
  • Tournament seats are non-refundable and non-­transferable.
  • A PLAYER needs to be seated at the table in order for the PLAYER'S hand to be live. If the player is away from the table his cards will be folded in immediately.
  • An absent player is always dealt a hand, and is put up for all blinds and antes.
  • A player must be present at the table to stop the action by calling "time".
  • As players are eliminated, tables are broken in a pre­‐set order, with players from the broken tables assigned to empty seats at other tables.
  • Once the field has been trimmed to the final 10 players, there will be a final table.
  • During the course of the Tournament, the tables will be balanced by the TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR; players will be required to move from table to table in order to balance the tables, the new player must play the next hand whether BIG BLIND or not.
  • Players moving tables never get the button or the small blind at the new tables.
  • All players must leave their seats immediately after being eliminated from the Tournament.
  • Blinds are raised at regularly scheduled intervals.
  • If a player makes a raise without verbally announcing "raise" then the bet will only be taken as a call.
  • All raises must be the minimum of the big blind, you may not under raise.
  • In all games, if a player makes a bet of less than the amount required to call, he/she will be required to make up the difference or fold and surrender the initial bet which then forms part of the pot.
  • If an entrant states raise and bets with an oversize chip, the raise will be the maximum amount allowable up to the size of that chip.
  • When raising, players must either bet the amount of the raise in one 'clean' motion or state the raise amount. By stating the word raise, an entrant protects his right to raise, but the raise must still be completed as per the previous sentence guidelines.
  • Verbal declarations in turn are binding. Verbal declarations or action out of turn may also be binding. If a player bets, raises or calls out of turn the bet stands. If a player who should have acted prior to the out of turn player chooses to 1 bet more than the out-­of-turn bet, the player who acted out of turn can either make up the difference to call, or take back his bet and fold, or re–raise. A player that checks out of turn forfeits all rights to bet or raise.
  • A player who declares all in and loses the pot, then discovers that one or more chips were hidden, is not entitled to benefit from this. That player is eliminated from the tournament if the opponent had sufficient chips to cover the hidden ones. If another deal has not yet started, the Tournament Director may rule the chips belong to the opponent who won the pot, which obviously would have happened with the chips out in plain view. If the next deal has started, the discovered chips are removed from the Tournament.
  • If a player lacks sufficient chips for a blind or forced bet, the player is entitled to get action on whatever amount of money remains.
  • In heads-­up play with two blinds, the small blind is on the button.
  • If a player should be small blind and the person next to him leaves the tournament there will only be one blind after which the button will be dead. If both blind players leave the tournament then there is only one big blind and then next hand the button is dead.
  • If a player is the last in turn to speak and there is no betting and the player exposes one or more of his cards, he will be allowed to call or check but may not raise.
  • No player will be allowed to touch the chips in the pot– only the dealer or facilitator may do so.
  • All bets are to be placed over the betting line In front of each player. Players are not to 'splash' the pot while betting.
  • 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.)
  • If the first hole card is exposed by the dealer in the process of dealing, it's a misdeal. If it is the second card it is not a misdeal (the card is exposed and another is dealt). If more than one card is exposed by the dealer it is always a misdeal.
  • If a card is exposed by a PLAYER who is out of the hand i.e. has folded, that card will be shown to the table and mucked. No cards are to be lifted at any time; if a PLAYER continually exposes his cards, and this is believed to be deliberate, he/she will be warned once and then disqualified from the Tournament.
  • If a player is in the hand his/her cards must be visible to the dealer all the time. Cards must not be "hidden" behind stacks of chips.
  • Showing cards from a live hand during the action injures the rights of other players still competing in an event, who wish to see contestants eliminated. A player may not show any cards during a deal (unless the event has only two remaining players) if a player deliberately shows a card, that hand will be ruled dead and the player penalized.
  • Inappropriate behaviour like throwing cards that go off the table may be punished with a penalty such as being dealt out for a length of time. A severe infraction such as abusive or disruptive behaviour may be punished by eviction from the Tournament.
  • The deck is not changed on request. Decks change when the dealers change unless there is a damaged card.
  • All cards are turned face up whenever a player is all in and betting action is complete.
  • Players may request to 'put the clock' on another player.
    • Subject to the request being reasonable the TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR will call 'time' and the player in question will have one minute to act. If action has not been taken by the time the minute is over, there will be a 10-second countdown.
    • If a player has not acted on his/her hand by the time the countdown is over, the hand will be dead.
    • All wagers made by the player will remain in the pot (s).
    • The TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR may also call 'time' on an entrant if deemed necessary.
  • 47 If the TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR determines that a player is deliberately being slow to act on more than one occasion in the same tournament, that player may be given a maximum of 10 seconds to act for all subsequent hands.
  • No PLAYER may collude with another player or attempt to pass information about another PLAYER'S hand.
  • No PLAYER may give another PLAYER any of his playing chips, PLAYERS chips need to remain in full view at all times. The largest denomination of chips must be at the front of the players chip stack. If a PLAYER removes any of his/her chips off the table these chips will be deemed to be dead and removed from the Tournament. 50 The lowest denomination of chip in play is removed from the table when it is no longer needed in the blind or ante structure. All lower-denomination chips that are of sufficient quantity for a new chip will be changed up directly. Below is the method for the removal of odd chips:
    • One card is dealt to a player for each odd chip possessed.
    • Cards are dealt clockwise starting with the No. 1 seat, with each player receiving all cards before any cards are dealt to the next player.
    • The player with the highest card gets enough odd chips to exchange for one new chip.
    • The second-highest card gets to exchange for the next chip, and so forth, until all the lower-denomination chips are exchanged.
    • If an odd number of lower-denomination chips are left after this process, the player with the highest card remaining receives a new chip if he has half or more of the quantity of lower-denomination chips needed, otherwise nothing.
  • In the event of two players being eliminated from two separate tables on a corresponding hand; those players will be equal in placing regardless of their tournament chip count at the commencement of that particular hand.
  • The dealer button remains in position until the appropriate blinds are taken. Players must post all blinds every round.
  • If two or more players go broke during the same hand, the player starting the hand with the larger amount of money finishes in the higher tournament place for cash awards.
  • Management is not required to rule on any private deals, side bets, or redistribution of the prize pool among finalists.
  • Private agreements by remaining players in the Tournament regarding distribution of prize pool are not condoned. Any private agreement that excludes one or more active competitors is improper by definition.
  • The Tournament is expected to be played until completion. A private agreement that removes all prize money from being at stake in the tournament is unethical.
  • Management retains the right to cancel any event, or alter it in a manner which is fair to the players with prior approval from the WCG&RB.
  • If a player purposefully disrupts the game or uses abusive behaviour he will be warned once, if it happens again he will be asked to leave with no refund.
  • If there is a dispute of any sort, or uncertainty, a floor manager will need to be notified and the TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR will rectify the problem. One player to a hand rule – no seeking advice from other competitors or bystanders; - Acting out of turn;
  • Players participating on the final table will not be allowed to discuss any deals or amendments to the prize pool payout structure.
  • The TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR may penalize any player whose behaviour is assessed as being detrimental to the integrity or the proper conduct of the tournament, including but not limited to the following examples:
    • Abuse of casino employees, either verbally or physically;
    • Abuse of other players, either verbally or physically;
    • A player showing his/her cards or verbally advising the content of his/her hand to another player(s) when the betting round is complete;
    • Exposing hole card(s) with action pending;
    • Causing card (s) to go off the table;
    • Advising another player how to play a hand;
    • Soft-play occurs (this is a really weak form of collusion, when a player is not actually colluding with another player but plays his hand differently against that player than he normally would against someone else.
    • Deliberately miscalling a hand
    • Sitting in the wrong seat
    • Collusion
    • Avoiding payment of a blind when moving from a broken table;
    • Discussion of the particular hand in play prior to action being complete by any player on the table whether in the hand or not.
    • No throwing or speaking out of turn.
    • No SWEARING will be tolerated
    • No cell phone calls or use will be permitted
  • The Tournament money collected at the Cash Desk will be solely reliable on the amount of players entering.
  • The TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR'S decision is final and binding.