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ROBERT'S RULES OF POKER - VERSION 6


“Robert's Rules Of Poker” is authored by Robert Ciaffone, better known in the poker world as Bob Ciaffone, a leading authority on cardroom rules. He is the person who has selected which rules to use, and formatted, organized, and worded the text. Nearly all these rules are substantively in common use for poker, but many improved ideas for wording and organization are employed throughout this work. A lot of the rules are similar to those used in the rulebook of cardrooms where he has acted as a rules consultant and rules drafter. Ciaffone authored the rulebook for the Poker Players Association (founded in 1984, now defunct), the first comprehensive set of poker rules for the general public. He has done extensive work on rules for the Las Vegas Hilton, The Mirage, and Hollywood Park Casino, and assisted many other cardrooms.

The general philosophy used in this rulebook is to make the rules sufficiently detailed so a decision-maker will know what the proper ruling is in each situation. A rule should do more than produce the right ruling. It should be stated so the decision-maker can refer to specific language in the rulebook, to have the ruling is accepted as correct.

THE FANTASY POKER LEAGUE IS A SUB DIVISION OF ACES OVER TEXAS LLC.
ACES OVER TEXAS LLC RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE RULES WITHOUT NOTICE FOR THE IMPROVEMENT THE GAME


THIS IS THE OFFICIAL RULEBOOK FOR THE FANTASY POKER LEAGUE

Welcome to The Fantasy Poker League (TFPL). Your presence in our establishment means that you agree to abide by our rules and procedures. By taking a seat in one of our tournaments, you are accepting our management and tournament directors to be the final authority on all matters relating to that game of Texas Hold’em no-limit poker.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

(1) PROPER BEHAVIOR (2) LEAGUE POLICIES (3) GENERAL POKER RULES (4) BUTTON AND BLIND USE (5) HOLD'EM (6) GLOSSARY

(7) AMENDMENTS

(8) HAND RANKINGS


SECTION 1 - PROPER BEHAVIOR Back to top

CONDUCT CODE

Management will attempt to maintain a pleasant environment for all our customers and employees, and we are not responsible for the conduct of any player. We have established a code of conduct, and may deny the use of our League to violators. The following are not permitted under any circumstances:
  1. Collusion with another player or any other form of cheating.
  2. Verbally or physically threatening any patron or employee of TFPL or a host establishment.
  3. Using profanity or obscene language.
  4. Creating a disturbance by arguing, shouting, or making excessive noise.
  5. Throwing, tearing, bending, or crumpling cards.
  6. Destroying or defacing establishment or TFPL property.
  7. Using an illegal substance.
  8. Carrying a weapon.
  9. Side bets of any nature, solicitation of TFPL players for illegal activity.
Any of the above behaviors will result in a minimum 2 week suspension, and depending on the severity of the violation, a player may be permanently suspended from playing at any TFPL location.

POKER ETIQUETTE

The following actions are improper, and grounds for warning, suspending, or barring a violator:
  1. Repeatedly or deliberately acting out of turn.
  2. Deliberately splashing chips into the pot.
  3. Agreeing to check a hand down when a third player is all-in.
  4. Reading a hand for another player at the showdown before it has been placed face-up on the table.
  5. A non-dealer telling someone to turn a hand face-up at the showdown.
  6. Revealing the contents of a live hand in a multi handed pot before the betting is complete. Revealing the contents of a folded hand before the betting is complete. Do not divulge the contents of a hand during a deal even to someone not in the pot, so you do not leave any possibility of the information being transmitted to an active player.
  7. Needlessly stalling the action of a game.
  8. Deliberately discarding hands away from the muck. Cards should be released in a low line of flight, at a moderate rate of speed (not at the dealer's hands or chip-rack).
  9. Stacking chips in a manner that interferes with dealing or viewing cards.
  10. Making statements or taking action that could unfairly influence the course of play, whether or not the offender is involved in the pot.
  11. Slow rolling or only showing one card in all-in situation.

TOBACCO USE

(These rules are for an establishment that does not completely bar smoking.) Ash trays and idle tobacco products are not allowed at, near, or on the poker table. Pllayers are asked to smoke away from the tables.


SECTION 2 - LEAGUE POLICIES Back to top

DECISION-MAKING
  1. Management reserves the right to make decisions in the spirit of fairness, even if a strict interpretation of the rules may indicate a different ruling.
  2. Decisions of the tournament director are final.
  3. The proper time to draw attention to an error or irregularity is when it occurs or is first noticed. Any delay may affect the ruling.
  4. A ruling may be made regarding a pot if it has been requested before the next deal starts (or before the game either ends or breaks down to another table). Otherwise, the result of a deal must stand. The first riffle of the shuffle marks the start for a deal.
  5. If a pot has been incorrectly awarded and mingled with chips that were not in the pot, and the time limit for a ruling request given in the previous rule has been observed, management may determine how much was in the pot by reconstructing the betting, and then transfer that amount to the proper player.
  6. To keep the action moving, it is possible that a game may be asked to continue even though a decision is delayed for a short period. The delay could be needed to check with TFPL Management. In such circumstances, a pot or portion thereof may be impounded by the decision is pending.
  7. The same action may have a different meaning, depending on who does it, so the possible intent of an offender will be taken into consideration. Some factors here are the person's amount of poker experience and past record.
PROCEDURES
  1. The Tournament Director and Location Management will decide when to start or close any game.
  2. Cash is not permitted on the table at any time. All cash transactions between players and the establishment must be done away from any and all poker action. Any chips from another establishment, bar leagues, or home games are not permitted on the table, do not play in the game, and if discovered will be confiscated.
  3. Chips may not be removed from the table for any purposes. The Fantasy Poker League and or location are not responsible for any shortage or loss of chips do to the removal of them from the table. During a player's absence, their chips will be protected as best as possible.
  4. All games are table stakes (except “playing behind” as given in the next rule). Only the chips in front of a player at the start of a deal may play for that hand, except for chips not yet received that a player has coming from the tournament director. The amount being delivered must be announced to the table. Awareness of the amount being in play for each opponent is an important part of poker. All chips must be kept in plain view.
  5. "Playing behind" is allowed only for the amount of tournament chips being granted by the tournament director, while awaiting their arrival. The amount in play must be announced to the table. Food chips must be earned prior to making an all-in action. No bonus chips can be earned once a player is involved in an all-in situation. If a player hasn’t physically received the bonus chips, they must declare the $5K behind when they declare all-in.
  6. Playing out of a rack is not allowed.
  7. Only one person may play a hand. There is no sweating by spectators allowed.
  8. No one is allowed to play another player's chips.
  9. Permission is required before taking a seat in a game.
  10. Playing over without permission from the tournament director is not allowed.
  11. Pushing bets (“saving” or “potting out”) is not allowed.
  12. Posting for another person is not allowed.
  13. Splitting pots will not be allowed in any game. Chopping the big and small blind by taking them back when all other players have folded is not allowed.
  14. Insurance propositions are not allowed.
  15. Players must keep their cards 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.
  16. Any player is entitled to a clear view of an opponent's chips. Higher denomination chips should be easily visible.
  17. Your chips may be picked up by the tournament director if you are away from the table for more than 12 minutes. Your absence may be extended if you notify the tournament director in advance. Frequent or continuous absences may cause your chips to be picked up from the table.
  18. An assigned seat or lock-up will be re-assigned if someone is waiting to play.
  19. A new deck must be used for at least a full round (once around the table) before it may be changed, unless a deck is defective or damaged, or cards become sticky.
  20. Looking through the discards or muck pile is not allowed.
  21. After a deal ends, dealers are asked to not show what cards would have been dealt. No rabbit hunting.
  22. A player is expected to pay attention to the game and not hold up play. Activity that interferes with this such as reading at the table is discouraged, and the player will be asked to cease if a problem is caused.
  23. A non-player may not sit at the table.
  24. Speaking a foreign language (including sign language) while involved in a hand is not allowed.
SEATING
  1. You must be present to add your name to the tournament registration or waiting list.
  2. It is the player's responsibility to be in the playing area and hear the list being called. A player who intends to leave the playing area should notify the tournament director.
  3. The tournament director will control the seating of new players to best preserve the viability of existing tables. A new player will be sent to the game most in need of an additional player. A transfer to a similar table is not allowed if the table being left will then have fewer players than the table being entered.
  4. The tournament director reserves the right to require that any two players not play in the same game (husband and wife, relatives, business partners, and so forth).
  5. When a tournament starts, active players will draw a card for the button position. The button will be awarded to the highest card by suit. (spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs)
  6. In a new game, the player who arrives at the table the earliest gets first choice of remaining seats. If two players want the same seat and arrive at the same time, the higher player on the list has preference. The tournament director may reserve a certain seat for a player for a good reason, such as to assist reading the board for a person with a vision problem.
  7. To avoid a seating dispute, a supervisor may decide to start the game with one extra player over the normal number participating. If so, a seat will be removed as soon as someone quits or gets knocked out of the game.
  8. To protect the balance of tables in an existing game, a forced move may be invoked. If a player refuses to move to a new table, that player will be forced to quit, and can no longer play at that location on that day.
  9. In all tournament games, a player going from a must-move or coming in off the waiting list may wait for the big blind to pass. The player does not have to enter the game as a new player, does not have to post an amount equal to the big blind or wait for the big blind. The TD will attempt to move people to identical seat positions, however this is not always feasible.

SECTION 3 - GENERAL POKER RULES Back to top

MISDEALS
  1. The following circumstances cause a misdeal, provided attention is called to the error before two players have acted on their hands. (If two players have acted in turn, the deal must be played to conclusion, as explained in rule #2)
    1. The first or second card of the hand has been dealt face up or exposed through dealer error.
    2. Two or more cards have been exposed by the dealer.
    3. Two or more boxed cards (improperly faced cards) are found.
    4. Two or more extra cards have been dealt in the starting hands of a game.
    5. An incorrect number of cards have been dealt to a player, except the top card may be dealt if it goes to the player in proper sequence.
    6. Any card has been dealt out of the proper sequence (except an exposed card may be replaced by the burn card).
    7. The button was out of position.
    8. The first card was dealt to the wrong position.
    9. Cards have been dealt to an empty seat or a player not entitled to a hand.
    10. A player has been dealt out who is entitled to a hand.
  2. Once action occurs, a misdeal can no longer be declared. The hand will be played to conclusion, and no money will be returned to any player whose hand is fouled. Action is considered to occur when two players after the blinds have acted on their hands.
DEAD HANDS
  1. Your hand is declared dead if:
    1. You fold or announce that you are folding when facing a bet or a raise.
    2. You throw your hand away in a forward motion causing another player to act behind you (even if not facing a bet).
    3. The hand does not contain the proper number of cards for that particular game.
    4. You act on a hand with a joker as a hole card in a game not using a joker. (A player who acts on a hand without looking at a card assumes the liability of finding an improper card, as given in Irregularities, rule #8.)
    5. A player exposes his/her cards at any time while the cards are in play. Anyone can call that players hand dead.
  2. Cards thrown into the muck are ruled dead. The tournament director will make an extra effort to rule a hand retrievable if it was folded as a result of incorrect information given to the player.
  3. Cards thrown into another player's hand are dead, whether they are face up or facedown.
IRREGULARITIES
  1. If it is discovered tha the button was placed incorrectly on the previous hand, the button and blinds will be corrected for the new hand in a manner that gives every player one chance for each position on the round (if possible).
  2. You must protect your own hand at all times. Your cards may be protected with your hands, a card token, tournament chip, or other object placed on top of them. If you fail to protect your hand, you will have no redress if it becomes fouled or the dealer accidentally kills it.
  3. If a card with a different color back appears during a hand, all action is void and all chips in the pot are returned to the respective bettors. If a card with a different color back is discovered in the stub, all action stands.
  4. If two cards of the same rank and suit are found, all action is void, and all chips in the pot are returned to the players who wagered them (subject to next rule).
  5. A player who knows the deck is defective has an obligation to point this out. If such a player instead tries to win a pot by taking aggressive action (trying for a freeroll), the player may lose the right to a refund, and the chips may be required to stay in the pot for the next deal.
  6. If there is extra money in the pot on a deal as a result of forfeited money from the previous deal (as per rule #5), or some similar reason, only a player dealt in on the previous deal is entitled to a hand.
  7. A card discovered face up in the deck (boxed card) will be treated as a meaningless scrap of paper---except when it is naturally a part of the flop, burn, turn or river. If the face up card is exposed before betting has been completed, and is being treated as a scrap of paper, it will be replaced by the next card below it in the deck, except when the next card has already been dealt facedown to another player and mixed in with other down cards. In that case, the card that was face up in the deck will be replaced after all other cards are dealt for that round.
  8. If you play a hand without looking at all of your cards, you assume the liability of having an irregular card or an improper joker.
  9. One or more cards missing from the deck does not invalidate the results of a hand. The missing card will be added to the deck for the next hand.
  10. Before the first round of betting, if a dealer deals one additional card, it is returned to the deck and used as the burn card.
  11. Procedure for an exposed card varies with the poker form, and is given in the section for each game. A card that is flashed by a dealer is treated as an exposed card. A card that is flashed by a player will play. To obtain a ruling on whether a card was exposed and should be replaced, a player should announce that the card was flashed or exposed before looking at it. A down card dealt off the table is not an exposed card.
  12. If a card is exposed due to dealer error, a player does not have an option to take or reject the card.
  13. If you drop any cards out of your hand onto the floor, you must still play them.
  14. If the dealer prematurely deals any cards before the betting is complete, those cards will not play, even if a player who has not acted decides to fold. The rest of the deck will be dealt out, and then the premature cards will be placed in the deck, shuffled once, and then cut once.
BETTING AND RAISING
  1. Check-raise is permitted in all games.
  2. In no-limit, unlimited raising is allowed.
  3. Unlimited raising is allowed in heads-up play. This applies any time the action becomes heads-up before the raising has been capped. Once the raising is capped on a betting round, it cannot be uncapped by a subsequent fold that leaves two players heads-up.
  4. Any raise or bet must be double the previous bet. For example: Blinds are 200/400. A player raises to 1600, the next player must raise to at least 3200, the next raise must be at least 6400, unless a player is going all-in.
  5. The smallest chip that may be wagered in a game is the smallest chip used in the antes, blinds, rake, or collection. Smaller chips than this do not play even in quantity, so a player wanting action on such chips must change them up between deals.
  6. A verbal statement denotes your action and is binding. If in turn you verbally declare a fold, check, bet, call, or raise, you are forced to take that action. In the event that you acted out of turn, you will not be allowed to raise—you can only call previous action. See #8 below.
  7. Tapping the table with your hand is a pass/check.
  8. Deliberately acting out of turn will not be tolerated. A player who checks out of turn may not bet or raise on the next turn to act. An action or verbal declaration out of turn may be ruled binding if there is no bet, call, or raise by an intervening player acting after the infraction has been committed.
  9. To retain the right to act, a player must stop the action by calling “time” (or an equivalent word). Failure to stop the action before three or more players have acted behind you may cause you to lose the right to act. You cannot forfeit your right to act if any player in front of you has not acted, only if you fail to act when it legally becomes your turn. Therefore, if you wait for someone whose turn comes before you, and three or more players act behind you, this still does not hinder your right to act.
  10. If you make a forward motion with chips and thus cause another player to act, you may be forced to complete your action.
  11. A player who bets or calls by releasing chips into the pot is bound by that action and must make the amount of the wager correct. (This also applies right before the showdown when putting chips into the pot causes the opponent to show the winning hand before the full amount needed to call has been put into the pot.) However, if you are unaware that the pot has been raised, you may withdraw that money and reconsider your action, provided that no one else has acted after you. If there is a gross misunderstanding concerning the amount of the wager, see Section 14, Rule 8.
  12. String raises are not allowed. To protect your right to raise, you should either declare your intention verbally or place the proper amount of chips into the pot. Putting a full bet plus a half-bet or more into the pot is considered to be the same as announcing a raise, and the raise must be completed. (This does not apply in the use of a single chip of greater value.)
  13. If you put a single chip in the pot that is larger than the bet, but do not announce a raise, you are assumed to have only called. Example: In a $100-$200 blind level, when a player bets $200 and the next player puts a $500 chip in the pot without saying anything, that player has merely called the $200 bet.
  14. All wagers and calls of an improperly low amount must be brought up to proper size if the error is discovered before the betting round has been completed. This includes actions such as betting a lower amount than the minimum bring-in (other than going all-in) and betting the lower limit on an upper limit betting round. If a wager is supposed to be made in a rounded off amount, is not, and must be corrected, it shall be changed to the proper amount nearest in size. No one who has acted may change a call to a raise because the wager size has been changed.
THE SHOWDOWN
  1. To win any part of a pot, a player must show both his/her cards face up on the table, whether they were used in the final hand played or not.
  2. Cards speak (cards read for themselves). The dealer assists in reading hands, but players are responsible for holding onto their cards until the winner is declared. Although verbal declarations as to the contents of a hand are not binding, deliberately miscalling a hand with the intent of causing another player to discard a winning hand is unethical and may result in forfeiture of the pot.
  3. Any player, dealer, or tournament director who sees an incorrect amount of chips put into the pot, or an error about to be made in awarding a pot, has an ethical obligation to point out the error.
  4. All losing hands will be killed by the dealer before a pot is awarded.
  5. Any player who has been dealt in may request to see any hand that has been called, even if the opponent's hand or the winning hand has been mucked. However, this is a privilege that may be revoked if abused. If a player other than the pot winner asks to see a hand that has been folded, that hand is dead. If the winning player asks to see a losing player's hand, both hands are live, and the best hand wins.
  6. Show one, show all. Players are entitled to receive equal access to information about the contents of another player's hand. After a deal, if cards are shown to another player, every player at the table has a right to see those cards. During a deal, cards that were shown to an active player who might have a further wagering decision on that betting round must immediately be shown to all the other players. If the player who saw the cards is not involved in the deal, or cannot use the information in wagering, the information should be withheld until the betting is over, so it does not affect the normal outcome of the deal. Cards shown to a person who has no more wagering decisions on that betting round, but might use the information on a later betting round, should be shown to the other players at the conclusion of that betting round. If only a portion of the hand has been shown, there is no requirement to show any of the unseen cards. The shown cards are treated as given in the preceding part of this rule.
  7. If everyone checks (or is all-in) on the final betting round, the player who acted first is the first to show the hand. If there is wagering on the final betting round, the last player to take aggressive action by a bet or raise is the first to show the hand. In order to speed up the game, a player holding a probable winner is encouraged to show the hand without delay. If there is a side pot, players involved in the side pot should show their hands before anyone who is all-in for only the main pot.
TIES
  1. The ranking of suits from highest to lowest is spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs. Suits never break a tie for winning a pot. Suits are used to break a tie between cards of the same rank (no redeal or redraw).
  2. Dealing a card to each player is used to determine things like who moves to another table. If the cards are dealt, the order is clockwise starting with the first player on the dealer's left (the button position is irrelevant). Drawing a card is used to determine things like who gets the button in a new game, or seating order coming from a broken table.
  3. An odd chip will be broken down to the smallest unit used in the game.
  4. No player may receive more than one odd chip.
  5. If two or more hands tie, an odd chip will be awarded as follows:
    1. The first hand clockwise left of the dealer gets the odd chip.
    2. All side pots and the main pot will be split as separate pots, not mixed together.
    3. The TD will award an extra blue chip in the event of a tie.

SECTION 4 - BUTTON AND BLIND USE Back to top

A round disk called the button is used to indicate which player has the dealer position. The player with the button is last to receive cards on the initial deal and has the right of last action after the first betting round. The button moves clockwise after a deal ends to rotate the advantage of last action. One or more blind bets are usually used to stimulate action and initiate play. Blinds are posted before the players look at their cards. The small blind is posted by the player immediately clockwise from the button, and the big blind is posted by the player two positions clockwise from the button. Action is initiated on the first betting round by the first player to the left of the blinds. On all subsequent betting rounds, the action begins with the first active player to the left of the button.

RULES FOR USING BLINDS
  1. The minimum allowable raise sizes for the opener are specified by the poker form used and blind amounts set for a game. They remain the same even when the player in the blind does not have enough chips to post the full amount.
  2. Each round every player must get an opportunity for the button, and meet the total amount of the blind obligations. Either of the following methods of button and blind placement may be designated to do this:
    1. Moving button – The button always moves forward to the next player and the blinds adjust accordingly. There may never be more than one big blind.
    2. Dead button – The big blind is posted by the player due for it, and the small blind and button are positioned accordingly, even if this means the small blind or the button is placed in front of an empty seat, giving the same player the privilege of last action on consecutive hands.
  3. A player posting a blind in the game's regular structure has the option of raising the pot at the first turn to act. Although chips posted by the big blind are considered a bet, this option to raise is retained if someone goes all-in with a wager of less than the minimum raise.
  4. In heads-up play with two blinds, the small blind is on the button.
  5. A new player entering the game has the following options:
    1. Wait for the big blind and post.
    2. Wait for the deal to pass.
  6. A new player who elects to let the button go by once without posting is not treated as a player in the game who has missed a blind, and does not need to post only the big blind when entering the game.
  7. A new player cannot be dealt in between the big blind and the button. Blinds may not be made up between the big blind and the button. You must wait until the button passes. [See “Section 16 – Explanations,” discussion #3, for more information on this rule.]
  8. When you post the big blind, it serves as your opening bet. When it is your next turn to act, you have the option to raise.
  9. If a player who owes a blind is dealt in without posting, and the player mucks their card--the hand is dead, and the player must post their blind anyway.
  10. These rules about blinds apply to a newly started game:
  11. A live “straddle bet" is not allowed.

SECTION 5 - HOLD'EM Back to top

In hold'em, players receive two down cards as their personal hand (hole cards), after which there is a round of betting. Three board cards are turned simultaneously (called the “flop”) and another round of betting occurs. The next two board cards are turned one at a time, with a round of betting after each card. The board cards are community cards, and a player may use any five-card combination from among the board and personal cards. A player may even use all of the board cards and no personal cards to form a hand (play the board). A dealer button is used. The usual structure is to use two blinds, but it is possible to play the game with one blind, multiple blinds, an ante, or combination of blinds plus an ante.

RULES

These rules deal only with irregularities. See the previous chapter, “Button and Blind Use,” for rules on that subject.
  1. If the first or second hole card dealt is exposed, a misdeal results. The dealer will retrieve the card, reshuffle, and recut the cards. If any other hole card is exposed due to a dealer error, the deal continues. The exposed card may not be kept. After completing the hand, the dealer replaces the card with the top card on the deck, and the exposed card is then used for the burn card. If more than one hole card is exposed, this is a misdeal and there must be a redeal.
  2. If the dealer mistakenly deals the first player an extra card (after all players have received their starting hands), the card will be returned to the deck and used for the burn card. If the dealer mistakenly deals more than one extra card, it is a misdeal.
  3. If the flop contains too many cards, it must be redealt. (This applies even if it were possible to know which card was the extra one.)
  4. If before dealing the flop, the dealer failed to burn a card, or burned two cards, the error should be rectified if no cards were exposed. The deck must be reshuffled if any cards were exposed.
  5. If the dealer fails to burn a card or burns more than one card, the error should be corrected if discovered before betting action has started for that round. Once action has been taken on a board card, the card must stand. Whether the error is able to be corrected or not, subsequent cards dealt should be those that would have come if no error had occurred. For example, if two cards were burned, one of the cards should be put back on the deck and used for the burn card on the next round. If there was no betting on a round because a player was all-in, the error should be corrected if discovered before the pot has been awarded.
  6. If the dealer burns and turns before a betting round is complete, the card(s) may not be used, even if subsequent players elect to fold. Nobody has an option of accepting or rejecting the card. The betting is then completed, and the error rectified in the prescribed manner for that situation.
  7. If the flop needs to be redealt for any reason, the board cards are mixed with the remainder of the deck. The burn card remains on the table. After shuffling, the dealer cuts the deck and deals a new flop without burning a card. [See “Section 16 – Explanations,” discussion #2, for more information on this rule.]
  8. A dealing error for the fourth board card is rectified in a manner to least influence the identity of the board cards that would have been used without the error. The dealer burns and deals what would have been the fifth card in the fourth card's place. After this round of betting, the dealer reshuffles the deck, including the card that was taken out of play, but not including the burn cards or discards. The dealer then cuts the deck and deals the final card without burning a card. If the fifth card is turned up prematurely, the deck is reshuffled and dealt in the same manner. [See “Section 16 – Explanations,” discussion #2, for more information on this rule.]
  9. You must declare that you are playing the board before you throw your cards away. Otherwise, you relinquish all claim to the pot.

NO LIMIT

A no-limit betting structure for a game gives it a different character from limit poker, requiring a separate set of rules in many situations. All the rules for limit games apply to no-limit and pot-limit games, except as noted in this section. No-limit means that the amount of a wager is limited only by the table stakes rule, so any part or all of a player's chips may be wagered.

NO-LIMIT RULES
  1. The number of raises in any betting round is unlimited.
  2. All bets must be at least equal to the minimum bring-in, unless the player is going all-in. (A straddle bet is not allowed)
  3. All raises must be equal to or double the size of the previous bet or raise on that betting round, except for an all-in wager. A player who has already acted and is not facing a full size wager may not subsequently raise an all-in bet that is less than the minimum bet (which is the amount of the minimum bring-in), or less than the full size of the last bet or raise.
    Example: Blinds are 200/400. Player A bets $400 (to $800) and Player B raises $800 more, making the total bet $1200. If Player C goes all in for less than $1600 total (not a full $1200 raise), and Player A calls, then Player B has no option to raise again, because he wasn't fully raised. (Player A could have raised, because Player B raised.)
  4. A player who says "raise" is allowed to continue putting chips into the pot with more than one move; the wager is assumed complete when the player's hands come to rest outside the pot area. (This rule is used because no-limit play may require a large number of chips be put into the pot.)
  5. A wager is not binding until the chips are actually released into the pot, unless the player has made a verbal statement of action.
  6. If there is a discrepancy between a player's verbal statement and the amount put into the pot, the bet will be corrected to the verbal statement.
  7. If a call is short due to a counting error, the amount must be corrected, even if the bettor has shown down a superior hand.
  8. Because the amount of a wager at big-bet poker has such a wide range, a player who has taken action based on a gross misunderstanding of the amount wagered needs some protection. A bettor should not show down a hand until the amount put into the pot for a call seems reasonably correct, or it is obvious that the caller understands the amount wagered. The decision-maker is allowed considerable discretion in ruling on this type of situation. A possible rule-of-thumb is to disallow any claim of not understanding the amount wagered if the caller has put eighty percent or more of that amount into the pot.
    Example: On the end, a player puts a $500 chip into the pot and says softly, “Four hundred.” The opponent puts a $100 chip into the pot and says, “Call.” The bettor immediately shows the hand. The dealer says, “He bet four hundred.” The caller says, “Oh, I thought he bet a hundred.” In this case, the bettor had an obligation to not show the hand when the amount put into the pot was obviously short, and the “call” can be retracted. Note that the character of each player can be a factor.
  9. A bet of a single chip without comment is considered to be the full amount of the chip allowed. However, a player acting on a previous bet with a larger denomination chip is calling the previous bet unless this player makes a verbal declaration to raise the pot. (This includes acting on the forced bet of the big blind.)
  10. If a player tries to bet or raise less than the legal minimum and has more chips, the wager must be increased to the proper size. (This does not apply to a player who has unintentionally put too much in to call.) The wager is brought up to the sufficient amount only, no greater size.
  11. All wagers may be required to be in the same denomination of chip (or larger) used for the minimum bring-in, even if smaller chips are used in the blind structure. If this is done, the smaller chips do not play except in quantity, even when going all-in.
  12. Only the tournament director has the right to place a maximum time limit for taking action on your hand. The clock may be put on someone by the dealer as directed by the tournament director, if a player requests it. If the clock is put on you when you are facing a bet, you will have one additional minute to act on your hand. You will have a ten-second warning, after which your hand is dead if you have not acted.
  13. TFPL does not condone "insurance" or any other “proposition” wagers. The tournament director will decline to make decisions in such matters, and the pot will be awarded to the best hand. Players are asked to refrain from instigating proposition wagers in any form.

SECTION 6 - GLOSSARY Back to top

ACTION: A fold, check, call, bet, or raise. For certain situations, doing something formally connected with the game that conveys information about your hand may also be considered as having taken action. Examples would be showing your cards at the end of the hand, or indicating the number of cards you are taking at draw.

AGGRESSIVE ACTION: A wager that could enable a player to win a pot without a showdown; a bet or raise.

ALL-IN: When you have put all of your playable money and chips into the pot during the course of a hand, you are said to be all-in.

ANTE: A prescribed amount posted before the start of a hand by all players.

BET: The act of placing a wager in turn into the pot on any betting round, or the chips put into the pot.

BIG BLIND: The largest regular blind in a game.

BLIND: A required bet made before any cards are dealt.

BLIND GAME: A game which utilizes a blind.

BOARD: (1) The board on which a waiting list is kept for players wanting seats in specific games. (2) Cards faceup on the table common to each of the hands.

BOARDCARD: A community card in the center of the table, as in hold'em or Omaha .

BOXED CARD: A card that appears faceup in the deck where all other cards are facedown.

BROKEN GAME: A game no longer in action.

BURNCARD: After the initial round of cards is dealt, the first card off the deck in each round that is placed under a chip in the pot, for security purposes. To do so is to burn the card; the card itself is called the burncard.

BUTTON: A player who is in the designated dealer position. See dealer button.

BUTTON GAMES: Games in which a dealer button is used.

BUY-IN: The minimum amount of money required to enter any game. .

CARDS SPEAK: The face value of a hand in a showdown is the true value of the hand, regardless of a verbal announcement.

CAPPED : Describes the situation in limit poker in which the maximum number of raises on the betting round have been reached.

CHECK: To waive the right to initiate the betting in a round, but to retain the right to act if another player initiates the betting.

CHECK-RAISE: To waive the right to bet until a bet has been made by an opponent, and then to increase the bet by at least an equal amount when it is your turn to act.

COLOR CHANGE: A request to change the chips from one denomination to another.

COMMON CARD: A card dealt faceup to be used by all players at the showdown in the games of stud poker whenever there are insufficient cards left in the deck to deal each player a card individually.

COMMUNITY CARDS: The cards dealt faceup in the center of the table that can be used by all players to form their best hand in the games of hold'em and Omaha .

COMPLETE THE BET: To increase an all-in bet or forced bet to a full bet in limit poker.

CUT: To divide the deck into two sections in such a manner as to change the order of the cards.

CUT-CARD: Another term for the card used to shield the bottom of the deck.

DEAD CARD: A card that is not legally playable.

DEAD HAND: A hand that is not legally playable.

DEAD MONEY: Chips that are taken into the center of the pot because they are not considered part of a particular player's bet.

DEAL: To give each player cards, or put cards on the board. As used in these rules, each deal refers to the entire process from the shuffling and dealing of cards until the pot is awarded to the winner.

DEALER BUTTON: A flat disk that indicates the player who would be in the dealing position for that hand (if there were not a house dealer). Normally just called “the button.”

DECK: A set of playing-cards. In these games, the deck consists of either: (1) 52 cards in seven-card stud, hold'em, and Omaha. (2) 53 cards (including the joker), often used in ace-to-five lowball and draw high.

DISCARD(S): In a draw game, to throw cards out of your hand to make room for replacements, or the card(s) thrown away; the muck.

FACECARD: A king, queen, or jack.

FIXED LIMIT: In limit poker, any betting structure in which the amount of the bet on each particular round is pre-set.

FLASHED CARD: A card that is partially exposed.

FLOORPERSON: A tournament director who seats players and makes decisions.

FLOP: In hold'em or Omaha , the three community cards that are turned simultaneously after the first round of betting is complete.

FLUSH: A poker hand consisting of five cards of the same suit.

FOLD: To throw a hand away and relinquish all interest in a pot.

FOURTH STREET : The second upcard in seven-card stud or the first boardcard after the flop in hold'em (also called the turn card).

FOULED HAND: A dead hand.

FORCED BET: A required wager to start the action on the first betting round (the normal way action begins in a stud game).

FREEROLL: A chance to win something at no risk or cost.

FULL BUY: A buy-in of at least the minimum requirement of chips needed for a particular game.

FULL HOUSE: A hand consisting of three of a kind and a pair.

HAND: (1) All a player's personal cards. (2) The five cards determining the poker ranking. (3) A single poker deal.

HEADS-UP PLAY: Only two players involved in play.

HOLECARDS: The cards dealt facedown to a player.

KICKER: The highest unpaired card that helps determine the value of a five-card poker hand.

KILL (OR KILL BLIND): An oversize blind, usually twice the size of the big blind and doubling the limit. Sometimes a “half-kill” increasing the blind and limits by fifty percent is used. A kill can be either voluntary or mandatory. The most common requirements of a mandatory kill are for winning two pots in a row, or for scooping a pot in high-low split.

KILL BUTTON: A button used in a lowball game to indicate a player who has won two pots in a row and is required to kill the pot.

LIVE BLIND: A blind bet giving a player the option of raising if no one else has raised.

LIST: The ordered roster of players waiting for a game.

LOCK-UP: A chip marker that holds a seat for a player.

MISCALL: An incorrect verbal declaration of the ranking of a hand.

MISDEAL: A mistake on the dealing of a hand which causes the cards to be reshuffled and a new hand to be dealt.

MISSED BLIND: A required bet that is not posted when it is your turn to do so.

MUCK: (1) The pile of discards gathered facedown in the center of the table by the dealer. (2) To discard a hand.

MUST-MOVE: In order to protect the main game, a situation where the players of a second game must move into the first game as openings occur.

NO-LIMIT: A betting structure allowing players to wager any or all of their chips in one bet.

OPENER: The player who made the first voluntary bet.

OPENER BUTTON: A button used to indicate who opened a particular pot in a draw game.

OPTION: The choice to raise a bet given to a player with a blind.

OVERBLIND: Also called oversize blind. A blind used in some pots that is bigger than the regular big blind, and usually increases the stakes proportionally.

PLAY BEHIND: Have chips in play that are not in front of you (allowed only when waiting for chips that are already purchased). This differs from table stakes.

PLAY THE BOARD: Using all five community cards for your hand in hold'em.

PLAY OVER: To play in a seat when the occupant is absent.

POSITION: (1) The relation of a player's seat to the blinds or the button. (2) The order of acting on a betting round or deal.

PROPOSITION BET: A side bet not related to the outcome of the hand.

PROTECTED HAND: A hand of cards that the player is physically holding, or has topped with a chip or some other object to prevent a fouled hand.

PUSH: When a new dealer replaces an existing dealer at a particular table.

PUSHING BETS: The situation in which two or more players make an agreement to return bets to each other when one of them wins a pot in which the other or others play. Also called saving bets.

RACK: (1) A container in which chips are stored while being transported. (2) A tray in front of the dealer, used to hold chips and cards.

RAISE: To increase the amount of a previous wager. This increase must meet certain specifications, depending on the game, to reopen the betting and count toward a limit on the number of raises allowed.

RERAISE: To raise someone's raise.

SETUP: Two new decks, each with different colored backs, to replace the current decks.

SIDE POT: A separate pot formed when one or more players are all in.

SHOWDOWN: The showing of cards to determine the pot-winner after all the betting is over.

SHUFFLE: The act of mixing the cards before a hand.

SMALL BLIND: In a game with multiple blind bets, the smallest blind.

SPLIT POT: A pot that is divided among players, either because of a tie for the best hand or by agreement prior to the showdown.

STACK: Chips in front of a player.

STRADDLE: An additional blind bet placed after the forced blinds, usually double the big blind in size or in lowball, a multiple blind game.

STRAIGHT: Five cards in consecutive rank.

STRAIGHT FLUSH: Five cards in consecutive rank of the same suit.

STREET: Cards dealt on a particular round in stud games. For instance, the fourth card in a player's hand is often known as fourth street , the sixth card as sixth street , and so on.

STRING RAISE: A wager made in more than one motion, without announcing a raise before going back to your stack for more chips (not allowed).

"TIME": An expression used to stop the action on a hand. Equivalent to “Hold it.”

TURNCARD: The fourth street card in hold'em or Omaha.

WAGER: (1) To bet or raise. (2) The chips used for betting or raising.


SECTION 7 - AMENDMENTS Back to top
CHANGES MADE BY THIS CARDROOM

Here are the amendments, additions, and clarifications to these rules made by:
Aces Over Texas LLC – The Fantasy Poker League (TFPL))
  1. All Players must be registered members of The Fantasy Poker League. Registration can be done online at: www. TFPL.net or at any TFPL event.
  2. Players must be 18 years of age to participate, and players must be at least 18 years of age to receive prize payouts. Some locations require Players to be 21 years of age.
  3. All Players arriving prior to session start time will begin with an equal amount of chips and continue to play until one Player remains and accumulates all the chips. Blinds are raised consistently throughout the tournament according to the blind structure.
  4. Late arriving players can join a tournament until the end of the fifth blind level (500/1000)---unless the players are already in the points. If a Player arrives during the first blind, 500 is deducted from their starting chip stack. If a player arrives during the second blind, 1000 is deducted. During the 3rd level, 1000 is deducted. During the 4th level, 1500 is deducted. During the 5th level, 3000 is deducted.
  5. The lowest denomination of chip in play will be removed from the table when it is no longer needed in the blind structure. All lower-denomination chips that are of sufficient quantity for a new chip will be changed up directly. The remaining odd chips will be rounded up to the next chip denomination.
  6. If a table is reseated and at least 50% of the Players are new to the table, then the Players “high-card” for the button immediately prior to resuming the session unless it is the final table, where players will “high card” to establish the dealer.
  7. An absent Player is always dealt a hand and will be put up for the Blinds.
  8. If the Player is not present when it becomes his/her turn to act, the hand is mucked (folded). This includes situations in which a live Blind is not present to act, since an absent Player cannot exercise the option to check, raise or fold.
  9. The current dealer is the only Player allowed to touch the muck pile. No Player is allowed to turn over any cards in the muck pile. After completion of the hand, the current dealer will collect all cards and pass the deal and button.
  10. If at anytime a Player’s cards touch the muck pile, the cards are dead and must remain in the muck and the Player loses all action on that hand.
  11. If a Player lacks sufficient chips for a Blind, the Player is entitled to get action on whatever amount of money remains. In this situation a side pot is created for Players with remaining chips.
  12. If a player is “All In” and can not match the correct bet or raise (see rule 19), the remaining players can CALL to match the all in player. If a player wishes to raise in this situation, they must do so in accordance with rules 32 and 33.
  13. Whenever a Player(s) is/are all in and all betting action is complete and no more betting can be made against anyone in the hand, all hands in play will be turned face-up. Only the dealer will make this call and must ask if all betting is done. If a player turns over their hand prior to the betting being complete, that player mucks their hand. Anyone with a live hand available must let the dealer and other players know that the betting is not over. If that player hides the fact that they can still bet, that player mucks their hand.
  14. If all of Rule 21 is followed and still the dealer is at fault for a turned up hand, then the remaining live players in the hand divide the chips in the pot and the last round of action is taken back by the players that bet those chips. The uneven chips go to the player left of the dealer button.
  15. When a Player loses all of his/her chips, they are eliminated from play and must leave the table.
  16. If a player is eliminated from a tournament and is in the points, they must immediately sign out to claim their points. Players that do not sign out immediately to gain position will lose their points for that tournament.
  17. If two or more Players are eliminated on the same hand, the Player who started the hand with the most chips will be awarded the higher finishing position. In cases where both players have the same amount of money, the player with the better hand is awarded the higher finishing position. If two players are eliminated but the hand is the same, for instance, both players have the same amount of chips and the same hand, the person with the most blue chips will be awarded the higher finishing position.
  18. Tournaments will continue until one Player wins all the chips. Or players have made an agreement to chop the winnings. Some locations do not allow chops.
  19. One Player per hand. A Player may not ask advice as to how to act during his/her action, from anyone. If a Player shows his/her cards to another Player at the table, he/she must show all Players. (Show one – Show all).
  20. Only the dealer is allowed to touch the chips in the pot. Players must make change from a neighbor first. If change cannot be made between hands, then the Player should state his/her action (Check, Call or Raise) then put down a chip. The dealer will pull the change from the pot and give it the Player after the action is completed by all Players. The dealer must state that the “Pot is right”, all Players should then push their chips into the center of the table.
  21. No slow rolls. If a Player is “Called”, they must expose their cards. If a Called player exposes only one card and waits to see the other player’s cards before exposing their second card, then only the exposed card plays and not the “Slow Rolled” card.
  22. Dealer must shuffle cards at least three times, and must cut cards every hand.
  23. Session play never stops, except during break time. If Players are seated at a table that has empty seats, the tournament host must be notified. Play continues until other Players are seated or until Players are moved to another table.
  24. Poker etiquette is expected from all Players. Inappropriate behavior 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 behavior may be punished by eviction from the tournament.
  25. Management retains the right to cancel any event or alter it in a manner fair to the Players.
  26. All participants of any Fantasy Poker League tournaments are prohibited from placing any form of currency (other than Fantasy Poker League poker chips) on a session table, as the state law prohibits. There will be no exceptions to this rule and violators will be asked to leave immediately.
  27. Absolutely NO wagering anything of value on the outcome of a Fantasy Poker League tournament and or any hands played during such. (No side bets, No cash bets, etc.) Any member found violating this rule will be banned from Fantasy Poker League tournaments.
  28. TFPL reserves the right to refuse any service to any Player at anytime.
  29. The tournament director host has final decision on all disputes.
SECTION 8 – HAND RANKINGS Back to top
  • Royal Flush
  • Straight Flush
  • Four of a Kind
  • Full House
  • Flush
  • Straight
  • Three of a Kind
  • Two Pair
  • Pair
  • High Card

1. Royal Flush:


A, K, Q, J, 10
all of the same suit

2. Straight Flush:


Any five card sequence
in the same suit
(Ex: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)

3. Four of a Kind:


All four cards of
the same index
(Ex: Q, Q, Q, Q)

4. Full House:


Three of a kind
combined with a pair
(Ex: K, K, 3, 3, 3)

5. Flush:


Any five cards of the same
suit, but not in sequence

6. Straight:


Five cards in sequence,
but not in the same suit

7. Three of a Kind:


Three cards of the same index

8. Two Pair:


Two separate pairs
(Ex: Q, Q, 7, 7)

9. Pair:


Two cards of the same index

10. High Card:

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