The Poker Tour is a poker tournament company hosting free poker tournaments at local bars and restaurants. The Poker Tour, and all of its associates, are the official judge, referee and/or moderator and hosts of any and all The Poker Tour poker tournaments. If questions arise during tournament play the final decisions to resolve these questions will be left with The Poker Tour, and its associates.
Texas Hold 'em No-Limit poker is the game The Poker Tour will play.
There will be no guaranteed seats at the Final Winner's Grand Tournament. If a player is late for the Final Winner's Grand Tournament that player will not be allowed to play.
A player may win as many Winner's Certificates as he/she is able to win. However, a player will still only get one seat at the Final Winner's Grand Tournament. A Winner's Certificate will be worth 1,500 in starting poker chips at the Final Winner's Grand Tournament. Winners with multiple wins will be able to bring to the Final Winner's Grand Tournament additional Winner's Certificates up to a maximum of five (5) certificates for a starting 7,500 chip count. Each additional win above a 5th win will be worth an additional 100 in chips. A player may win as many wins as possible.
Bounty certificates are worth an additional 500 in starting chips and Consolation certificates are worth an additional 750 in starting chips. Each Consolation certificate after the 5th one will be worth an extra 50 in starting chips. A player may bring a total of 5 Bounty certificates with them to the tri-annual event, but a player must have a win to participate in the tri-annual event. An Owner Bounty will be considered a Winner's certificate and will be worth 1,500 in starting chips. The change to the Owner Bounty system is that you must have earned an actual win to make an Owner Bounty worth a win. An Owner Bounty alone will not get you into the Final Winner's Grand Tournament.
There will be no guarantees that a player who has signed up to play at The Poker Tour tournament will be allowed to play. All players will receive 1,500 in starting poker chips at local The Poker Tour events.
Players will play until only one player is left to be declared the winner.
The Poker Tour will be playing a Small/Big Blind format. The player to the immediate left of the Dealer's Button will post a Small Blind. The player to the immediate left of the Small blind will post a Big Blind to start the game. Players will be dealt their cards, and if choosing to play, will match (or raise) the Blind in turn.
We reserve the right to eject any player who is causing a disruption or disturbance. There is no guarantee that a person will be allowed to play. Any player who is casuing a disruption or disturbance may be warned, and if warned, may be ejected from tournament play.
A player may use his/her cellular telephone at the table only if they are not in a hand. If you choose to use your cellular telephone while you are in a hand your dealer will declare your hand to be dead.
.:: SPECIFIC TOURNAMENT RULES ::.
Floor People - Floor people are to consider the best interest of the game and fairness as the top priority in the decision-making process. Unusual circumstances can on occasion dictate that decisions in the interest of fairness take priority over the technical rules. The floor person's decision is final.
Odd Chips - The odd chip(s) will go to the left of the button. Remember, the pot will be split as evenly as possible.
Side Pots - Each side pot will be split separately.
Calling for a Clock - Once a reasonable amount of time has passed and a clock is called for, a player will be given a maximum of 30 seconds to make a decision. If action has not been taken before time expires, there will be a 10-second countdown. If a player has not acted by the time the countdown is over, the player's hand will be dead. Any player at the table may call for a clock.
Dead Button - Tournament play will use a dead button, when applicable.
Penalties and Disqualification - A penalty MAY be invoked if a player exposes any card with action pending, throws a card off the table, violates the one-player-to-a-hand rule, or when similar incidents take place. Penalties WILL be invoked in cases of soft play, abuse, or disruptive behavior. Penalties available to the Tournament Director (TD) include verbal warnings and missed hand penalties, or a players hand declared dead. A missed hand penalty will be assessed as follows: The offender will miss five (5) hands per penalty; for the period of the penalty the offender shall remain away from the table. A player who is disqualified shall have his/her chips removed from play. Repeat infractions are subject to escalating penalties.
At Your Seat - A player must be AT HIS/HER SEAT by the time all players have been dealt complete initial hands in order to have a hand live. Otherwise, the hand will be declared dead. Players must be at their seat to call time.
Face Up - All cards will be turned up once a player is all-in and all betting action is complete.
Raise Requirement - If a player puts in a raise of 50 % or more of the previous bet, but less than the minimum raise, he/she will be required to make a full raise. The raise will be exactly the minimum raise allowed. An all-in bet of less than a full raise does not reopen the betting to a player who has already acted.
Oversized Chip - A single oversized chip will be considered a call if the player does not announce a raise. If a player puts in an oversized chip into the pot and states a raise, but does not state the amount, the raise will be the maximum allowable up to the amount of that chip. After the flop, an initial bet of a single oversized chip without comment will constitute the size of the bet. To make a raise with a single oversized chip a verbal declaration must be made before the chip hits the table surface.
No Disclosure, No Advise, 1 Player to a Hand - Players are obligated to protect the other players in the tournament at all times. Therefore, players, whether in the hand or not, may not:
Disclose contents of live or folded hands
Advise or criticize play before the action is complete
Read a hand that hasn't been tabled
If a dealer makes a mistake and does not correct it a player may call for a correction to be made
The one-player-to-a-hand rule will be enforced.
Random Seats - Tournament seats will be randomly assigned.
Official Language - The English-only rule will be enforced during play of hands.
Communication Devices - A player may not use a cellular phone, text-messaging device, or any other communication device while in a hand.
Washing of Cards - Players may not ask for a "wash" of the cards. Dealers are encouraged to "wash" their cards, but it is at their discretion.
New Limits - When time has elapsed in a round and a new level is announced by the TD, the new level applies to the next hand. A hand begins with the first shuffle.
Higher Denomination, Chips Visible - Players must keep their higher denomination chips visible at all times.
Declarations - Verbal declarations as to the content of a player's hand are not binding; however, any player deliberately miscalling his/her hand may be penalized.
Rabbit Hunting - Rabbit hunting, or playing the cards out, WILL NOT BE ALLOWED AT ANY TIME!!!
Dodging Blinds - A player who intentionally dodges (a) blind(s) when moving from a broken table will incur a penalty.
Chips Visible - All chips must be visible at all times. Players may not hold or transport tournament chips in any manner that takes them out of view. A player who does so will forfeit the chips and will face disqualification. The forfeited chips will be taken out of play.
Breaking Tables - Players going from a broken table to fill in seats assume the rights and responsibilities of that position. They can get the big blind, the small blind or the button. The only place they cannot get a hand is between the small blind and the button.
Raises - There is no cap on the number of raises during tournament play. A raise must be at least the size of the previous raise, not the size of the total bet, if an initial raise has in fact been made. If a raise has not been made then the raise will at least equal the bet made.
Misdeals - Exposure of 1 of the first 2 cards dealt is a misdeal. If 2 cards are exposed during the deal of players down cards it is a misdeal. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule. Players may not be dealt 2 consecutive cards while on the button.
Unprotected Hands - If a dealer kills an unprotected hand, the player will have no redress and will not be entitled to a refund of bets. However, if a player had raised and the raise had not yet been called, the raise will be returned to the player.
Killing Winning Hand - Dealers cannot kill a winning hand that was tabled and was obviously the winning hand. Players are encouraged to assist in reading tabled hands if it appears that an error is about to be made.
Verbal Declarations - Verbal declarations in turn are binding.
Action out of Turn- Action out of turn WILL be binding. A check, call, or fold out of turn is not considered action changing and is not binding. If a player bets out of turn and the player in front of him/her raises, the player acting out of turn may not recover his/her chips should they decide to not call the raise and fold. Once a player's chips have been placed in play the chips belong to the pot.
Methods of Raising - A raise must be made by (1) placing the full amount in the pot in 1 motion; or (2) verbally declaring the full amount prior to the initial placement of chips into the pot; or (3) verbally declaring a raise prior to the initial placement of the amount to call into the pot and then completing the action with 1 additional motion.
Ethical Play - Poker is an individual game. Soft play will result in penalties, which may include forfeiture of chips and/or disqualification. Chip dumping will result in disqualification.
Pot Size - Dealers WILL NOT, at any time, count the pot. The only exception to this rule is when a player is considering calling a bet/raise and needs to know how much it will take to call.
Button in Heads-Up - When heads-up the small blind is on the button and acts first pre-flop. After pre-flop the big blind acts first. When beginning heads-up play the button may need to be adjusted to ensure that no player takes the big blind twice in a row.
Etiquette Violations - Repeated etiquette violations will result in penalties. Examples include, but are not limited to, unnecessarily touching other player's cards or chips, delay of game, and excessive chatter. Players are required to act in turn.
Showdown - At the end of the last round of betting, the player who made the last aggressive action in that betting round must show first. If there was no bet the player to the left of the button shows first and so on clockwise.
Action Pending - Players must remain at the table if they still have action pending on a hand.
String Betting/Raises - String betting/raising is not allowed.
Playing the Board - A player must show both cards when playing the board in order to get part of the pot.
The Poker Tour WILL enforce the 'Show One, Show All' rule.
