Texas Hold'em Tournaments is a live contest, usually with live dealers. All contestants start with an equal amount of chips and continue to play until one player remains and accumulates all the chips.
A contestant is a person who pays a membership fee depending on the tournament, or is a person who has been awarded an entry to the Tournament.
TOURNAMENT RULES
1. A "Texas Hold’em Tournament", hereinafter referred to as “Tournament”, is a contest in which all contestants start with an equal amount of chips and continue to play until one player remains and accumulates all the chips. A contestant, hereinafter referred to as “player”, is a person who pays an entry fee or is a person who has been awarded an entry to the Tournament.
2. Tournament buy-ins vary from game to game. Many are free, however, some tournaments may be set-up with buy-ins, re-buys and add-ons. A buy-in is a one time fee to enter the tournament. A re-buy is allowed only when a player loses all their chips and would like to continue the tournament. Re-buys usually have a time limit of the first hour. An add-on is a one-time purchase of additional chips regardless of a players chip count.
3. The Tournament is a multi-table tournament with a set starting time. Players must register in advance to play. They may do so up to 24 hours prior to the start of play. All players must check-in at least 60 minutes prior to start time. All seat assignments are randomly drawn and assigned to each player prior to the start of the tournament. Tables will break down from the highest numbered table to the lowest numbered tables. When transferring players from one table to another (as a result of tables breaking down), the player’s position from the blinds is taken into consideration when assigning a new seat. The Tournament will be as fair as possible to players, to maintain the same distance from the blinds after the transfer.
4. Each table will “high-card” for the button immediately prior to the start of the Tournament. This means the player who gets dealt the highest card will start with the button. In case two players get the same high card, the suit preference of spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs will determine who starts with the button.
5. The Tournament will continue until one player wins all the chips.
6. When a player loses all their chips, (after all re-buy, add-on options have been depleted) they are eliminated from play.
7. This is a No Limit Tournament. Minimum bet or raise is equal to the amount of the big blind. There are no limits on the size or number of raises, however, the first raise must equal the amount of the original bet and subsequent raises must equal the amount of the previous raise.
8. Players are obligated to take their "Blinds". In the event a player is absent from their seat when it is their turn for the blind, the dealer will post the blind from the players’ chips. If a player is absent when it is their turn to play, the dealer will deal the cards as if the player is present, then in turn, fold the players’ cards and play will continue.
9. The Small Blind is the player immediately to the left of the dealer button and the Big Blind is the player to the immediate left of the Small Blind. The tournament uses the dead button rule. All players must take a small and big blind. (It is possible for a player to take two Big Blinds in a row. For example, if he just had the BB at his table, which just broke down and then was seated in the BB at his new table.)
10. When two players remain, the player due to assume the Big Blind will do so, and the Small Blind will inherit the button. The Small Blind or button will act first prior to the flop and second after the flop.
11. The blind amounts and duration of levels vary with each game. Here is a example of a typical blind schedule:
LEVEL SMALL / BIG DURATION
Level 1 $10 / $15 30 MINUTES
Level 2 $15 / $30 30 MINUTES
Level 3 $25 / $50 30 MINUTES
Level 4 $50 / $100 30 MINUTES
Level 5 $100 / $200 20 MINUTES
Level 6 $200 / $400 20 MINUTES
Level 7 $400 / $800 20 MINUTES
Level 8 $500 / $1,000 20 MINUTES
Level 9 $1,000 / $2,000 20 MINUTES
Level 10 $2,000 / $4,000 20 MINUTES
Level 11 $5,000 / $10,0 20 MINUTES
Level 12 $10,000 / $20,00 20 MINUTES
Level 13 $20,000 / $40,00 Remainder of Game
12. There will be a 10-minute break every hour. A player who is absent will still be dealt their cards and folded by the dealer. Blinds will be posted according to paragraph 8.
13. Tournaments will use "Roberts Rules of Poker" race-off method of eliminating lower denomination chips from play. The lowest denomination of chip in play will be 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. The method for removal of odd chips is to deal one card to a player for each odd chip possessed. Cards are dealt clockwise starting with the seat next to the dealer, with each player receiving all cards before any cards are dealt to the next player. The player with the highest card by suit 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. A player may not be eliminated from the event by the chip-change process. If a player has no chips after the race has been held, he will be given a chip of the higher denomination before anyone else is awarded a chip. If an odd number of lower-denomination chips are left after this process, the player with the highest card remaining will receive a new chip if he has half or more of the quantity of lower-denomination chips needed.
14. In the event there are at least 20 prizes to be awarded, play will continue until 20 players remain and the tables will be broken down as follows:
When there are 20 players left in the game they will be seated on two tables. Once players are seated the final 2 tables will high card for the button and then both tables will play the same number of hands. Tournament personnel will designate the start of each hand at which time the dealers on the tables will begin dealing the hand. The next hand for each table will not start until both tables have completed the current hand. This will continue until 10 players remain and there is only one table left in the Tournament.
When there are only 10 players left in the game they will be seated on one table. Once seated, the table will high card for a button and then play will begin continuing with the current blind level.
15. The prize pool payouts for the tournament will be exactly as described in the Payout Schedule.
16. If two (or more) players from different tables are eliminated at the same time, the player with the lowest chip count will place the lowest. If chip count is equal for players going all in, the prize money will be equally divided across all the players who were eliminated at that time and the rank assigned will be the lowest one. Ranking is determined when a player is eliminated from the tournament. The dealer will signal when a player has moved all-in and faces possible elimination. Tournament personnel determination of ranking is final.
17. Poker etiquette is expected from all players. Those abusing proper etiquette may be asked by Tournament personnel to leave the Tournament. In the event a player is removed from the table, their chips will be divided equally among all the players remaining on that players’ table.
18. Betting in turn is required. Place entire bet at one time or verbally state amount bet. Player cannot push one stack of chips in and then go back for another stack. Tournament personnel will make final decisions when there is a dispute on a players action.
19. Hands are not to be revealed to any person except the player. If for any reason a hand is revealed prior to end of play it is deemed a dead hand and the cards are immediately placed on the burn pile. A player initiating a bet must reveal the hand if requested.
20. In the event the very first card being dealt is revealed a misdeal is declared and the hand will be re-dealt. If any other hole card is revealed by the dealer, the deal will continue until all hole cards are received and then the card that was exposed will be replaced by the next card on the top of the deck and the exposed card will be used as the burn card for the flop. If the flop has too many cards or the dealer did not burn a card, only the flop will be re-dealt. The live deck will be reshuffled, cut and a new flop will be dealt. If the turn and river are revealed early, the card revealed will be placed back in the deck, shuffled and re- dealt. The burn stack is never placed back into the live deck.
21. If a card in the live deck is found face up, it will be treated as a revealed card in rule 20 above. (If it was a players hole card, it would be replaced after all other cards have been dealt. If it is a burn card, it is declared as a burn card and left on the burn stack revealed.
22. Players are expected to play in an expedient manner. Purposely delaying a game in order to gain a better ranking is prohibited. Players deemed to be delaying a game by Tournament personnel will be warned once. If another incident of delaying occurs the player could be removed from the game as in paragraph 17.
23. The Tournament reserves the right to cancel or reschedule the Tournament at any time, for any reason, with or without notice. All players will be entitled to a complete refund.
24. A players’ registration fee is fully refundable 72 hours prior to the start of the tournament. A player cancellation up to 48 hours prior to the start of the Tournament is allowed a 50% refund. However, if a player decides to cancel with less than the 72 hour required notice, the player may elect to use 100% of the registration fee to enter a future tournament. The player will not be allowed any refund for a second cancellation.
25. If a Tournament, already in play, is discontinued for any reason, any player who was eliminated prior to the time of the discontinuation will lose their entry fee. All players who were eliminated and received a prize ranking prior to the discontinuation are also ineligible for the additional payouts. The remaining players will be refunded their entry fees from the prize pool and will equally divide 50% of the remaining prize pool. The other 50% of the prize pool will be distributed to the remaining players on a percentage basis based on the players chip count when the Tournament was discontinued.
26. The Tournament reserves the right to alter the rules and render final decisions on all matters herein at its sole discretion. Rule changes and relevant decisions will be communicated prior to the start of all Tournaments. It is the players’ sole responsibility to review and understand the Tournament Rules and Policies.
27. The Tournament rules and policies contained herein represent the complete understanding between player and the Tournament with respect to player’s activities at any Tournament. Player agrees tournament personnel decisions are final.
