Tavern Poker League follows a very widely held set of rules from; conduct,
etiquette, irregularities and normal Rules of Poker known as Robert's Rules
of Poker Vol 11. To view these rules go to
http://www.homepokertourney.com/docs/rulebook/roberts-rules-of-poker-version-11-fullsize.pdf.
Each Tournament Director will have a printed copy plus the following exceptions
and re-statements of those rules.
While there is no standard, Robert Ciaffone is a regular contributor to
Card Player Magazine and is a leading authority on card room rules.
Local tournaments are played for FUN!! The ONLY reasons these rules
are important in the Local Tournaments are:
1. To avoid disputes
2. To have some reference point
3. To train players in a format which will be adhered to more seriously
at the play offs.
4. To teach players some fundamental rules they would encounter at
a casino.
Conduct:
Code of conduct will be set by the hosting Tavern. All players will
comply with the Tavern's code of behavior.
Poker Etiquette:
Refer to Robert's Rules of Poker Vol 11 (Page 2)
House Policies:
Refer to Robert's Rules of Poker Vol 11 (Page 3) as a guideline but the
Hosting Tavern's internal rules override anything to the contrary.
The General Method of Play for Texas Hold'em is as
follows:
The dealer shuffles a standard 52-card deck. (In casinos, the dealer never
plays. A round disc -- known as a "dealer button" -- moves clockwise from
player to player with each hand. The button marks which player would be
the dealer if the deal were advanced from player to player as the game went
along.)
The Blinds:
Most Texas Hold 'Em Poker games start with the two players to the left of
the dealer (the button) putting a predetermined amount of money into the
pot before any cards are dealt, ensuring that there's something to play
for on every hand. This is called "posting the blinds." Most often, the
"first blind" -- the player to the left of the dealer -- puts up half the
minimum bet, and the "second blind" puts up the full minimum bet.
Hole Cards:
Each player is dealt two cards, face down. These are known as the "hole
cards." Betting Begins A round of betting takes place, beginning with the
player to the left of the two who posted the blinds. Players can call, raise,
or fold when it's their turn to bet.
After the first betting round, the dealer discards the top card of the deck.
This is called burning the card and is done to ensure that no one accidentally
saw the top card, and to help prevent cheating.
The Flop
The dealer then flips the next three cards face up on the table. These
cards are called the "flop." After the flop another round of betting takes
place, beginning with the player to the left of the dealer (the button).
The Turn or Fourth Street:
The dealer burns another card and plays one more face up onto the table.
This, the fourth community card, is called the "turn" or "Fourth Street."
The player to the left of the dealer (the button) begins the third round
of betting.
The River or Fifth Street:
The dealer burns another card before placing the final face-up card on the
table. This card is called the "river" or "Fifth Street."
Final Betting and The Winner Players can now use any combination of five
cards -- the five community cards and the two hole cards known only to them
-- to form the best possible five-card Poker hand. The fourth and final
round of betting starts with the player to the left of the dealer (the button).
After the final betting round, all players who remain in the game reveal
their hands. The player who made the initial bet or the player who made
the last raise shows their hand first. The player with the best hand wins.
Procedures:
Refer to Robert's Rules of Poker Vol 11 (Page 3-4)
The following rules in green are unique to tournaments
and some of the more commonly occurring. They take precedence over
Robert's Rules of Poker Vol 11 wherever there is a conflict. They
are:
1. One player to a hand (no advice). #1
2. Players must keep their hands 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. #18
3. The game proceeds while a player is away from the table.
That player's blinds are posted from their chip stack and their hand is
folded in turn if there is a bet for them to call. If there is no
bet the play can continue without folding their hand until a bet is made.
If the player does not return by the end of a hand their cards are folded.
They can not win a pot without being there. There is a requirement
for any player to "show" two cards to win and no other player may turn another's
cards over. (Tournament rule)
The Shuffle and Deal:
Two decks of different colors are used.
The deal is determined by dealing cards out until a player receives an Ace.
That player is the first dealer.
The player to the right of the Dealer shuffles the deck not in use.
The shuffled deck is passed to the new dealer.
The new dealer places the cut card in front of the deck and cuts the cards,
placing the top section on the cut card then the bottom section on top.
Misdeals:
Since Local Tournaments do not use professional
dealers, any irregularity constitutes a misdeal. This includes any
exposed card or the wrong card going to a player who has looked at it.
Dead Hands:
Refer to Robert's Rules of Poker Vol 11 (Page 7)
Just remember a player MUST SHOW 2 CARDS TO WIN. Not o, not 1, and
not more than 2. That player must turn them face up on the table.
Showing one player and then "mucking" them is not enough.
Showing Hands:
1. Do not show any cards nor discuss what you "mucked" to anyone while
a hand is in play.
2. After a hand is over if you show 1 or 2 cards to anyone, any player
requesting may see both cars. "Show one show all."
General Poker Rules:
Refer to Robert's Rules of Poker Vol 11 (Page 6-15)
Betting and Raising:
There are more disputes about this than any other area.
Remember you can only perform 1 action!
1. A player who is first or next to act with no bet in front of him/her
may:
CHECK
BET
While it is not against the rules to FOLD. It is considered
bad etiquette. Revealing your intentions can change the decisions
of others. It is expected that each player will "protect" the others.
Note: You can not CHECK and BET or any other combination.
2. A player who is next to act with a bet in front of him/her may:
CALL
RAISE
FOLD. Please fold only in turn. Again, it is considered
bad etiquette. Revealing your intentions can change the decisions
of others. It is expected that each player will "protect" the others.
Note: You can not CHECK.
String Bets:
1. You must CALL, RAISE or FOLD. Here again you cannot do any
combination. You can not "CALL your bet AND RAISE you ..". You
are not Calling AND raising, you are simply Raising. Verbal declarations
are binding. Once you say "I CALL" your turn is over and the next
player is free to act. They do not have to wait to see if you are
going to add an addendum to your action.
I know on TV and at the movies they say "I'm going to call your $5,000 and
raise you $10,000 more". But in card rooms at the play-offs this is
called a "String Bet" and is not allowed. It is, however, only appropriate
for a player in the hand to call the infraction. If a player calls
"String Bet" the play is limited to a call and no raise is allowed and play
continues. If the players actually in the pot don't care, most any
manner of betting is allowed. (This is a bar tournament and it is
free.)
2. Another form of String bet is where a player doesn't say anything
but starts putting chips in the pot or puts in the wrong amount.
Bet is less than a full bet - The player must increase the bet
to the correct amount or fold and leave the chips in the pot. If no
other player has acted behind him/her the player may remove his/her chips
and fold.
Bet is more than a bet but not a full raise and is not an ALL-IN
bet. Player must remove the excess chips and can not go back to his/her
stack to add to the bet to make it a raise. If the player announced
"Raise" the player may make as many trips back and forth as necessary.
Some players stack chips in a "staging area", count them, get the bet right
then push it forward. This is permissible but if any chips are put
directly into the pot the players turn ends.
A single chip is tossed into the pot with no declaration.
This is considered a CALL waiting for change. A Player wishing to
raise with a single chip must announce RAISE before throwing the chip in
(not after).
What constitutes a RAISE?
Don't laugh, this is a mind twister. Many casinos and dealers get
it wrong.
1. A RAISE is to increase the existing bet as it comes to you by an
amount equal to or greater than the last full bet or raise.
2. Partial bets and raises have no effect!!! An ALL-IN raise
for less then the amount of the last bet or raise does not open the action.
It also does not close the action. It has no effect. If you
could have raised before it was made you still can if you could not you
still can't.
Example #1:
Player A bets $1,000. Player B goes all-in for $1200. Player
C can CALL,RAISE, or FOLD. If he/she wishes to raise the amount must
be the $1200 plus an amount equal to or greater then the last full bet or
raise which was Player A's $1,000. So the minimum amount Player C
must put in to be a raise is $2,200. Player C decides to CALL.
It is now $200 back to Player A. Can Player A raise? The answer
is no. there has been no raise. If the All-in bet had been for
a full raise or more the answer would be yes.
Example #2: (see above, this one is tougher)
Player C decides to call. Player D goes all-in for $2100. Everyone
folds to Player A. Now can her RAISE? The answer is still no.
There has been no full bet raise. No player increased the bet to him/her
by a full $1,000. Even though the all-in bets added together equal
a RAISE, none individually qualifies as a raise.
Verbal Declarations:
Verbal declarations are binding. If there is a doubt ask the Tournament
Director. Here are some common declarations which are often misused.
1. Let's make it 800. Treat this like putting the chips in the
pot. If it isn't enough to be a raise, return the extras and no raise
is made. If it isn't enough to call the player must increase the bet
to a call or put the 800 in and fold. If no one has acted behind him/her
he may FOLD and put no chips in the pot.
2. I raise it to 1000. This is the same as #1. The object
is to announce the total amount of the bet.
3. I raise "it" 1000. Or I raise 1000. There are a lot
of mistakes here. "It" is ALWAYS the amount of the bet to the player,
not how much they already have in the pot.
Example: Player A has the small blind of 100. Player B's blind is
200. Player C raises to 400.
Everyone folds back to Player A in the small blind. It is now $400
back to Player A. Who says I raise it 1000. To accomplish his
verbal declaration he/she must put in 1300 chips. He/she declared
a 100 chip raise to the existing bet amount of 400 and he/she has 100 in
the pot. He/she is not raising the amount he/she has in the pot, the
"it" is the bet amount.
Betting declaration errors can only be "called" by players actually in the
hand. If the players in the pot are happy with the amount put in,
regardless of what it is called, the play continues so long as the amount
is actually a valid bet.
The Tournament Director may appoint a player as a monitor at each table.
The monitor or Tournament Director should explain declarations and string
betting to the offending player after the hand is over for future reference
only. If there is no official table monitor, it falls to the dealer
(who may also not know the rules). Remember, this is a BAR and this
is for FUN. :-)
The Tournament Director's decision is final in all
cases, EVEN IF HE/SHE IS WRONG. You can always submit your situation
to Tavern Poker League for a ruling for the future but the ruling will stand
for the night.
