Timely Bets

Once a reasonable amount of time passes, and a clock is called for, a Player will be given up to twenty five (25) seconds to make a decision. If action is not taken before time expires, there will be a five (5) second countdown. If the Player has not acted by the end of the (5) second countdown, the hand is dead. A tie goes to the Player. At the Tournament Director's discretion, the time allowed under this rule may be reduced.

Tied hands

If there is an extra chip in a tied hand, it will be given to the Player closest to the puck/button (Dealer position) in a clockwise rotation; however, a player cannot be eliminated as a result of a split pot. A split pot containing a single chip of the lowest denomination in play will be awarded to the all-in player regardless of seat position.

Insufficient Chips

Every Player must be dealt a hand, even if the chips in their possession are insufficient to place a minimum bet.

Dealing and Card Shuffling (Self-Delt Game)

In the event that the Tournament is a Self-Delt game, each table will be provided 2 decks of playing cards to use at that table. The player to the right of the dealer shuffles the cards. When you are done dealing, it is your responsibility to shuffle the cards you just dealt. This speeds up the game, minimizes misdeals, and allows the play to get more hands in at each blind level. 

After each hand is over, the deal passes to the player to the left, going clockwise around the table. If a Player has difficulty dealing or is grossly mishandling the cards as they deal, an alternate dealer can be used. Please raise any dealing concerns with the Tournament Director.

Misdeals & Accidental Revels

Any card flipped over during the initial deal is an automatic misdeal. This means all cards are brought back in, reshuffled, and a new hand is dealt.

If cards are dealt out of order, try to fix them if possible. Anyone who has not yet looked at their cards can call a misdeal if they feel the cards were dealt incorrectly.

If the dealer accidentally reveals either the flop, turn, or river before betting completes, the dealer should: leave any burn cards in the muck pile, take the exposed community card(s), and re-shuffle them into the deck. Once betting completes, the top card(s) on the deck are then revealed.

Exposed Card(s) After the Deal

If a player accidentally exposes ONE of their hole cards before all players have acted, the card is shown to the table. Play continues.

If a player accidentally exposes BOTH of their cards before all players have acted, the cards are shown to the table, and that player can NO LONGER bet or raise. Their only options are to call or fold.

If a player is exposing their cards on purpose, the Tournament Director will warn the player to stop. If the player continues this repeatedly, the TD can remove the player from the tournament (this should only be in extreme cases)

Cards Stay on the Table

All players’ cards should remain on the table and visible to other players that you have cards in play at all times. If you pick your cards up from the table to view them during your Player action, you must then return them directly to the table after viewing. Players must make every effort not to reveal their hole cards to any other players or spectators. Do not show your cards to other people at the table or the “audience”, even if you are going to fold and/or they are already out of the hand. Your cards are for your eyes only. Failure to follow this may lead to a dead hand or other action at the Tournament Director's discretion.

One Player to a Hand

Only players involved in the tournament may be seated at that table during play. Players standing near or behind an active table during the event are not allowed to help a sitting player in that tournament. We ask that any spectators keep a respectful distance from a table of players still active in the tournament. 

Showing Cards

All hands will be turned face up whenever a player is all-in, and the betting action has been completed. The cards speak for themselves. 

If a player is called at the river, they should not win the hand unless they show both their hole cards at showdown. If no one calls the player, the player does not need to show. If the winner or anyone else in the hand shows one player their cards, they must also show the table (“show one show all”, to prevent collusion). 

If a player is called at the river, the person who initially bet or the last person to raise shows their cards first. If no one can beat that player, those losing the hand may muck their cards. 

Protect Your Cards

It is the players’ responsibility to protect their cards. Players should make an effort to protect their cards when engaged in a hand. We highly recommend using a card guard - this can be any small object that does not completely cover the cards. You can also use one of the chips in your stack or a commemorative chip as long as it doesn't lead to confusion about a player's chip count. 

Mucking Your Cards

If you throw your cards into the “muck” (the folded cards pile), then your hand is folded.

To deter collusion, if a player is all-in and is called, once action completes, BOTH players must flip over their cards. 

If a player mucks their cards accidentally, a hand that is clearly identifiable may be retrieved and ruled live by the TD if doing so is in the best interest of the game (the 'retrieve' rule). 

In the event that a player's cards are accidentally mucked by another player or the dealer, then the 'retrieve' rule is in play. If the cards cannot be retrieved, and the player did not have their hand protected, a player can tell the TD exactly what they had, and the TD can attempt to retrieve them. Otherwise, their hand is folded.

Betting

An opening bet must always be equal to or greater than the big blind unless a player is all in for less than the big blind. A bet is binding once the player moves chips forward and releases them. Verbal declarations are binding unless there is a gross misunderstanding of the previous action.

In this No-Limit Texas Hold'em Tournament, if a Player has not acted yet, they may always go All-in as their bet, even if it is not enough to cover the previous bet.

NOTE: If a player goes all-in pre-flop for less than the big blind, anyone who calls must still match the big blind. If a player goes all-in after the flop for less than the big blind, the player can call the amount of the bet. 

Calling (and Single Chip Bets)

A Call is a matching of the previous bet amount established before a Player's action. A Player can't Call and Raise in the same action; it is just a  Call. 

Before the flop, if a player bets a single chip greater than the big blind without announcing a raise, then this is only a call. If a pre-flop bet has already been made and a player tosses a higher-value chip without announcing their intention, this is also only a call.​ 

After the flop, if a player bets a single chip that is more than the minimum bet without announcing their intent, then the bet is the value of that chip. If a bet has already been made and someone tosses a higher-value chip in front of them (again, without announcing their intent), this is just a call. If a player bets out of turn, they can pull their chips back, provided it was an honest mistake. If players are doing this intentionally or repeatedly, they can be issued a warning, which can include having that hand mucked.

Please always announce your play intent before taking physical action to avoid confusion.

String Betting

String betting is when a player places their bet out in multiple motions without announcing “raise” and/ or the amount of their bet at the same time. The first motion of the Chips into the betting area within reason will be considered the bet. If it is an amount under or near the current bet amount, it will be judged a call. If the amount is over the current bet by a reasonable amount, the bet will be considered a minimum raise.

Please always announce your play intent before taking physical action to avoid confusion.

Raising

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 bet.  In this event's tournament play, the minimum initial raise before the flop is always double the big blind, and the minimum initial raise after the flop is double the previous bet.

If a player raises all in but their bet is less than a full raise, raising action is closed to anyone who has already acted.

Please always announce your play intent before taking physical action to avoid confusion.

Splashing the Pot

‘Splashing the pot’ means placing or tossing chips directly into the pot rather than in front of their position.

When calling or betting, any player must place their chips in front of them and leave them there until all players have acted. Then, all chips are moved to the center of the table, preferably by the dealer. This avoids miscounts and errors in calculating main and side pots.

High Value Chips Must Be Visible

Your higher-value chips should be visible at all times and not hidden behind other stacks. 

An attempt should be made by players to keep their chips in easily countable stacks. 

Leaving the Table During Play

Short Term: If a player leaves the table during play to use the bathroom, get a drink, or the like, they are still dealt into hands. If they have not returned by the time it is their turn to act, their cards are mucked and their blinds placed in the pot. 

Note: In the event a player is absent and is in the Big Blind, and everyone checks around, they will also be auto checked. They remain the hand until another player’s bet forces their hand to be folded – even if it goes to showdown. 

Long Term: If a player must leave the table for an extended period of time, please make sure the TD is notified. They are still dealt into hands if they have chips remaining. If a player does not play a hand for an entire blind level, their chips will be turned in to the TD, eliminating them from the tournament.

For example, if blinds are 20 minutes long and a player leaves halfway through a blind, they have the rest of that blind (10 minutes) and the next full blind (20 minutes) to return to the game. 

However, if a player is found to be abusing this rule, ie, leaves their table, plays a hand, leaves for a period of time, plays, leaves again, etc., they will be warned by the TD. If they continue this activity during play, the TD may remove their chips from the game.

Leaving the Tournament Early

It is unfortunate, but it happens. If a player has to leave the tournament early, the chips are taken off the table and given to the Tournament Director. Chips are never split amongst the players or gifted to any specific player still active in the tournament play.

Cell Phones & Electronic Devices 

Please refrain from using any electronic devices at the table if you are an active Player in a hand. No player aids may be used if you are actively in a hand. Additionally, there is no talking on the phone at the table. Please step away if you need to make a call. Electronic games, videos, books, and other devices can be used, provided it does not interfere with the flow of the game. If the TD asks you to cease, please respect their decision. 

Table Talk & Verbal Declarations

The cards speak for themselves. If a player incorrectly states they have two pair, for example, but when showing their hand, their cards show a flush, then the flush plays. 

Players can talk at the table while engaged in a hand. However, they cannot reveal exact information about what they are holding. Specific statements such as "I have two pair, am I ahead?" or calling for specific cards or suits while bets are still taking place is against the spirit of the rules, and a TD can warn a player who does this.

You are allowed to engage in sportsmanship as long as it's in a friendly way. Players intentionally trying to skirt or blur the boundaries of the rules can be issued warnings by the TD, up to and including being removed from the game.

GROSS MISUNDERSTANDING - A gross misunderstanding of action is when a player does not realize that an action was taken before them. Please remember we are in a public social environment, and mistakes can be made.

Texas Hold'em

Texas Hold'Em is a seven card poker game that is very easy to learn, but very difficult to master.

Each player is trying to make their best five-card hand out of their two pocket cards and the five community cards dealt in the middle of the table.

Prior to the deal, the player to the left of the dealer places a bet called the Little Blind, and a player to the left of the little blind places a bet called the Big Blind. These are called “blinds” because the players are required to place bets before seeing any cards. This is done to keep play moving along.

Each player is then dealt two cards down. Play starts to the left of the blind and continues clockwise around the table.

Each player may bet, raise, or fold in turn. This round of betting ends when the player in the Big Blind position makes a play (checks, calls, or raises) - OR, in the case of a raise, when the last player to act makes a play. 

The dealer then burns (puts out a card face down), and deals three cards face up in the center of the table (The Flop).

Another round of betting takes place, starting with the player to the left of the dealer. After betting is complete, the dealer burns another card, and places a card face up in the center of the table (The Turn).

After another round of betting, the dealer then burns a final card, and deals the fifth and final card up in the center of the table (The River). A final round of betting takes place.

Players remaining in the hand will then show their cards, and the player with the winning poker hand will be awarded the pot. Any combination of hole cards and community cards may be used to make the best five-card poker hand.

This Tournament is the "No Limit" style of Texas Hold‘Em. Therefore, any player can risk all of their chips at any time. Once a player is out of chips, they are out of the tournament.

Some Key Rules and Gameplay Terminology

• Objective: Form the highest-ranking five-card poker hand using any combination of your two hole cards and the five community cards.

• The Blinds: To start, the two players to the left of the dealer button post small and big blind bets. Blinds are automatic bets to promote action and keep the game moving.

• Dealing: Every player is dealt two cards face down. These are your player Hole cards.

• Game Structure:

  • Pre-Flop: Players act in clockwise order, choosing to call, raise, or fold.

  • The Flop: Three community cards are dealt face up.

  • The Turn: A fourth community card is dealt.

  • The River: A fifth and final community card is dealt.

  • Showdown: If more than one player remains, the best hand wins the pot.

• Player Actions:

  • Fold: Give up your cards and wait for the next hand.

  • Check: Pass the action to the next player (if no bet has been made).

  • Call: Match the current bet.

  • Raise: Increase the size of the current bet. 

• Verbal Statements: During a hand, a Player's verbal declarations are binding for betting and player actions.