- Must be 18 years of age or older to enter
- The tournament will begin promptly at 11am. A player can arrive late. His or her spot will be reserved and his or her blinds will be paid automatically until he or she arrives.
- Seats are assigned at random. Seat changes are not permitted.
- The button will be positioned at Seat 1 to start play.
- The tournament ends when one player accumulates all the chips in play.
- If two or more players are eliminated on the same hand, the player with more chips at the beginning of the hand is placed higher. If players started the hands with an identical amount of chips, both players tie for that rank, and any prizes due to those players will be equally distributed between them. During hand-for-hand play (as described in rule #20 below), two players eliminated during a single "synchronized" hand are treated as having been eliminated on the same hand, even if they are at different tables.
- Time limit: a player has 2 minutes to place his or her bet once he or she gets formally asked for 'Time' by another player.
- A "forward moving button" rule will be used in the tournament. According to this rule, no player ever receives the button twice in a row; at the completion of every hand, the button is moved clockwise to the small blind. The implication of this rule is that when players are eliminated, there may be players who get a reprieve from one or both blinds. Since these are basically random occurrences, no player will receive any long-term advantage, and the rule is necessarily fair for all players.
- When two players remain, the button will post the small blind, and act first on the opening round.
- Poker is an individual (not a team) game. Any action or chat intended to help another player is unethical and is prohibited. Unethical play, such as soft-play and chip dumping, may result in penalties.
- There is no raise cap in this no-limit tournament.
- Prizes will be awarded at the conclusion of the tournament.
- Players, whether in the hand or not, may not discuss the hands until the action is complete. Players are obligated to protect the other players in the tournament at all times. Discussing cards discarded is not allowed. A penalty may be given for discussion of hands during the play. Although, a hand may be discussed when play has been reduced to heads-up play and only by the remaining players.
- Un-registration: Players are permitted to unregister from the tournament up to 72 hours before the tournament without penalty. After that point players forfeit 100 percent of their entry fee.
- With trivial exceptions, a player may play on only one account during a tournament and may not "hand off" his seat in mid-event to a different player. Violation of this rule may result in penalties ranging from a warning, to disqualification from the tournament (with partial or full forfeiture of winnings).
- In case of disputes, the decision of tournament management will be final.
- In the event of an exposed card during the deal, the player for whom the card was intended does NOT have the option to accept the card. The exposed card will be shown to all players at the table and it will become the first “burned” card before the flop.
- A card will be “burned” before the flop, turn, and river.
- There will be no straddling allowed in the tournament.
- When betting, raising, or re-raising, you can either verbally say the amount or place in one physical motion the amount of the bet or raise beyond the bet line. String betting is prohibited. String betting is defined as going back to your chips to add value to your bet or raise after already placing chips beyond the bet line. Please note that any chips in a player’s hand that cross the bet line are in play and cannot be returned.
- A player may only show his/her hole cards if he/she is all-in and it is heads-up or if he/she is heads-up against an all-in player.
- Re-buys and Add-ons will be available at the first break.
♠ Return to Top ♠
Texas Hold'em Basics
Texas Hold'em is a community card game, meaning that some cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table and shared by all players. Each player is dealt two pocket or hole cards which they consider with the five community cards to make the best possible five-card hand.
The person who is dealt last is regarded as the dealer and as such is marked with a dealer button. At the end of the hand the button is passed clockwise to the next player.
Blinds Placement
Most hands of poker begin by some form of forced betting. This is to ensure that there is action with every hand. Hold'em is played with two blinds (a bet before the pocket cards are received). The two players to the left of the dealer start with placing blind bets. The small blind is posted by the first player and the big blind by the second. The big blind is always the minimum bet at the table and the small blind is half. During a betting round, each player in turn takes one of the following actions:
| Bet | Put money in the pot equal to or greater than the big blind | |
| Call | To match/equal another player's bet | |
| Fold | Forfeit cards and your chance of winning the pot | |
| Check | Passing on making an action (if no bet is in play) | |
| Raise | To increase another player's bet by an amount equal to or greater than the amount of the bet | |
| Re-Raise | To increase another player's raise by an amount equal to or greater than the amount of the most recent raise | |
First Round - The Pre Flop, Dealing The Cards
When the blind bets are placed, the dealer gives out two cards to each player. The dealer deals clockwise. The two cards are called "hole cards" or "pocket cards".
After this the players choose if they would like to make a bet. The person after the big blind starts. In the first round you cannot "Check", but you can do any of the following: Call, Raise, Re-Raise or Fold. All players shall put the same amount in for the game in order to continue. So if one player “raises”, the other players must either call or re-raise, or fold (drop out of the round).
Second Round - The Flop
Dealer turns three cards on the table - the Flop. These three cards are community cards and can be used in combination with the two hidden cards each player has in his/her hand.
The remaining players now start the second round of bidding. The first player to the left of the dealer starts the bidding round. The following actions can now be taken: Check, Bet/Raise, Call or Fold.
All players must put the same amount into the pot, or fold before the round has ended.
The same rules apply for both the betting and the raising in each round from now on.
Third Round - The Turn
The dealer now displays the fourth community card on the table so all players have six cards to play with. A round of betting now takes place.
Fourth and Final Round - The River
The fifth and last community card on the table is displayed. A round of betting now takes place.
The Showdown
In all, five of the seven cards can be used. This means that each player can form the best possible five-card hand from their two hole cards and the five community cards on the table. Players do not have to use any of their own cards if they don't want to. Players can "play the board" if the best hand is shown there. The remaining players now show their cards, and the winner is found. If a player shows his/her cards and a secondary player is not able to beat these cards, the secondary player chooses to show his cards or not.
In the event of a tie, the pot will be split evenly among those players with tying five-card hands. In no circumstances will a 6th card come into play to break a tie.
Rating of The Hands
- Royal flush
The highest poker hand. It consists of AKQJT all in the same suit. As all suits are equal, all royal flushes are equal.
- Straight flush
Five cards of the same suit in sequence, such as 76543 of hearts. The ace can play low to make 5432A, the lowest straight flush.
- Four of a kind
Four cards of the same rank accompanied by a "kicker", like 44442. Ranked by the quads, so that 44442 beats 3333K.
- Full house
Three cards of one rank accompanied by two of another, such as 777JJ. Ranked by the trips, so that 44422 beats 333AA.
- Flush
Five cards of the same suit, such as AJ942 of hearts. Ranked by the top card, and then by the next card, so that AJ942 beats AJ876.
- Straight
Five cards in sequence, such as 76543. The ace plays either high or low, making AKQJT and 5432A.
- Three of a kind
Three cards of the same rank and two kickers of different ranks, such as KKK84. Ranked by the trips, so that KKK84 beats QQQAK, but QQQAK beats QQQA7.
- Two pair
Two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank and a kicker of a third rank, such as KK449. Ranked by the top pair, then the bottom pair and finally the kicker, so that KK449 beats any of QQJJA, KK22Q, and KK445.
- One pair
Two cards of one rank accompanied by three kickers of different ranks, such as AAK53. Ranked by the pair, followed by each kicker in turn, so that AAK53 beats AAK52.
- High card
Ranked by the top card, then the second card and so on, as for flushes.
