Version 1, updated Aug 1st, 2015
Our games are currently a hybrid tournament/cash game. Players may only cash out their chips when the blinds increase.
- Max buy-in is $10. Min buy-in is $4.
- There are no add-ons.
- Re-buys are the same as buy-ins.
- A player may re-buy immediately after busting or at the next tier of blinds.
- Big blind starts at $0.02 and jumps tiers every 20 minutes.
Tier Level Small Blind Big Blind 1 .01 .02 2 .02 .04 3 .03 .06 4 .05 .10 5 .10 .20 6 .15 .30 7 .20 .40 8 .25 .50 9 .50 1.00 10 .75 1.50 11 1.00 2.00
Except where conflicting with the rules below, we adhere to the official Robert's Rules of Poker v.11 which is standard for card rooms. New additions or modifications to the following rule set will never take place mid-game unless they do not impact the game itself (eg. implementing a food policy).
Players new to poker need not read the rules in their entirety as the game will be explained along the way. Though it may be of benefit to become at least acquainted with the rules. Players who are accustomed to playing poker should read this document and Robert's rules of poker if they have not already done so before playing to account for any discrepancies between our rules and house rules they may not be aware of.
Some common discrepancies are listed at the bottom of this document.
- No smoking in the house. Smokers, please exhale fully, outside, before re-entering the house.
- Take care to keep drinks from spilling on the table and keep the cards and chips clean
Eg: no sticky, dirty, or greasy fingers (so no sticky, greasy, or messy food at the table).
- Show one, show all. If a player shows cards to another player during or after a hand, any player at the table has the right to see those exposed cards after the hand is over. It’s best not to share mucked cards.
- No discussion of the hand in play until the action is complete. Absolutely no discussion of the hand in play if you are not involved in the hand.
Exception: if there are only two people in the hand (heads up), they may discuss the hand as they wish.
- Keep your highest value chips visible at the front of your stack so that other players can quickly estimate your chip total.
- Keep your cards visible, on the table, in front of your chip stack. They should be clearly visible at all times.
- Avoid use of electronic devices during a hand.
- Long telephone conversations should take place away from the table.
- Shuffling and dealing and playing take priority over stacking. After a win if it’s your turn to shuffle or deal or play your hand, just move your chips out of the way quickly and get on with it. Stack your chips only after you’re done shuffling or dealing or playing.
- At the showdown, turn over both cards without delay. (See “The Showdown” below for the order.)
- Rabbit hunting is discouraged. It slows down the game.
- When the button is at the end of the table, it can be hard to pitch the cards. Dealers, please pitch the cards as far as you're comfortable, and players, push the cards along.
- Push the chips into the center to form a pot once the betting is over.
- Push the discards into a single muck pile, but be careful not to muck anybody’s live cards or expose any cards.
- Return the cards to the dealer at the end of the hand.
- Push the chips to the winner.
- Seating is first-come, first-served.
- On the table: chips only, no cash.
Exception: cash on the table may “play behind”, with declaration (e.g. when buying chips), before looking at your hole cards.
- Typical buy-ins: minimum is 20 big blinds, maximum is the greater of 100 (sometimes 200) big blinds or the size of the big stack (approximately). The game may specify different buy-in limits, or the players may agree on different buy-ins. The limits must be made clear at the outset.
- Buy-ins are cash only, no credit, in $1 multiples.
- No ratholing. Chips must remain in play until a player cashes out.
- We use the “dead button” rule (continuity of blinds). The alternative rule, the “moving button”, is fairer but complicated for newer players and slows down the game.
- New players entering a game-in-progress are not required to post a big blind.
- If a player is absent when it is their turn to act, their hand is dead and they forfeit their blind, if any.
Exception: Be lenient with the host/banker when they’re otherwise busy.
- No straddles. If you don't know what one is, don't worry about it. If you want straddling in our games, discuss with hosts.
- Generally, we will use 2 decks. Use and shuffling of each deck will switch between hands.
- Place the burn cards, face down, near the board (the community cards) and separated from the general muck (typically, under the chips in the pot or under the button). This way, the number of burn cards is evident to all.
- Never burn a card early; always wait until you are ready to deal the board card(s), and then burn. Removing a burn card early defeats the purpose of the burn card: to hide the back of the next board card in case there is a distinguishing mark. Also, burning a card early can result in confusion.
- Do not deal any board cards early (face-up or face-down!). Even dealing face-down may expose the value of a card through a distinguishing mark on the card back. If you need to leave the table, ask a neighbor to finish the deal for you.
A player who knows she will be absent during a deal but likely back by the time action gets her may request to be dealt in ahead of time. Normal rules apply if she is not present when the actions comes around to her.
The minimum raise is the greater number between the of size of the initial bet and the previous raise in that round. The minimum opening bet is one big blind. However, a player may all
Example 1: Pre-flop with 25¢/50¢ blinds: players may call for 50¢ or raise to a minimum total of $1 (raise by 50¢). Suppose that Player A raises to $1.50 (raise by $1). Then if the next player wishes to raise, the minimum is a raise by $1 which would increase the amount to $2.50.
Example 2: post-flop, the first bet is $1, followed by a raise to $5 total (a raise by $4). The minimum for a subsequent re-raise is $9 total (a $5 to call plus another $4 raise). An all-in wager of less than a full raise does not (by itself) reopen the betting to a player who has already acted.
Example 3: post-flop, 3-handed. Player A bets $10, Player B calls, Player C raises all-in to $16 total. Neither Player A nor Player B may re-raise immediately, as Player C’s all-in wager was not a full re-raise.
- Verbal declarations are binding (“fold”, “check”, “bet”, “call”, “raise”, amount of bet). Raises should be specific. Acceptable raise phrases: “raise, X more”, “raise, plus X”, “raise, X on top”, “raise, Y total”, “raise to Y”, “raise, make it Y”. Just saying “raise Z” is ambiguous — are you raising to Z or raising Z more?
- Place your bets in front of your cards, separate from the pot. No splashing the pot (tossing chips into the pot).
- No string bets. Raises must be declared before any chips are placed, or the total bet (call + raise) must be placed in one motion.
- Exception: Placing a multiple-chip bet consisting of a full bet plus at least half a full raise is the same as announcing a raise, and the minimum raise must be completed. With less than half a full raise, the excess chips must be pulled back.
- Declare your bets and raises! Without declaration, a wager is the full amount of the chip(s) played.
- Exception: a single chip without declaration is a call, regardless of denomination.
- The players are free to open their hands or keep their hole cards hidden, their choice.
- The players may agree to “run it twice” (a.k.a. “deal twice”: deal the remainder of the board cards twice, and split the pot) or come to some other arrangement (run it three times, etc.).
Please use sparingly if at all when new players are present.
- The player who made the final aggressive action on the final betting round must open his/her hand first. If the final round was checked down, the player first to the dealer’s left must open first.
- To win any part of a pot, both hole cards must be shown.
- Turn over both hole cards together and without delay. No slow rolls.
- The cards speak. Any player, in the hand or not, should speak up if they think a mistake is being made in the reading of hands.
- If a player verbally declares their hand, causing opponent(s) to muck, the winning hole cards must still be shown. If the player miscalled their hand, the hand will be disqualified and the pot awarded to the opponent(s) who mucked.
- In the case of a split pot, after splitting evenly, any odd chips go to the first players clockwise after the button/dealer.
- There is a single kicker for all hands less than 5 cards.
- There is only one burn card for each round that is not the first one.
- Suite ranking used in other card games make no difference here.
Eg: High card A♠ is the same as an A♦ (assuming the same kicker).
- No straddles in our games.
- The cards speak for themselves.
Eg: At the end of the final round, Alex reveals his hole cards declaring a straight but has a flush. If anyone notices that Alex acutally has a flush, then they are obligated to do so and Alex's hand is "upgraded" to a flush.