CHANCES POKER – HOUSE RULES

1. Management reserves the right to make all decisions with fairness in mind, even if an interpretation of the rule(s) may indicate an alternate ruling
2. Only English to be spoken at the poker tables.
3. Patrons are expected to treat staff and other players with respect and should expect the same from others. A patron may be asked to leave the room if they are responsible for creating a negative experience for others.
4. Patrons showing signs of intoxication will not be permitted to play.
5. Anyone not playing is not permitted to sit at the tables.
6. The Poker Room House-person will attempt to separate spouses or friends wherever possible in the interest of the integrity of the game.
7. Cell phone use is permitted at the table but not while active in a hand. If a player is on their phone during an active hand their cards will be mucked and any money already at risk will be forfeited.
   • Phones are not to be held over the poker table but are permitted on the bumper.
8. Cards and chips should be visible to all players and the dealer at all times. Higher denominations of chips are to be placed in the front of the stacks and easily visible.
9. When players enter a game they are required to make a full buy-in (full minimum). Only one short buy (50% of minimum) will be permitted per game.  A top up to minimum buy-in is not considered a short buy.
10. Chips must not be introduced at a table in the Poker Room, from the gaming floor, without approval from the Poker Room House-person.
11. A player joining play between the button and the small blind may super post (buy the button).
12. A time bank will be utilized only if another player feels a player is taking too long to make a decision. If they request ‘time’, the House-person will allow them 60 seconds to act.  If no action is taken by the expiration of the 60 seconds the House-person has the right to declare the hand dead and all money in play forfeited.
13. When cards are being dealt on the fly and a card is flashed, that card will be considered dead. A misdeal will be declared when:
    • The dealer flashed two or more cards upon initial deal out.
    • The first card to the button is flashed.
    • The dealer flashes one of the first two cards of the deck
    • A card is dealt off the table.
14. Discrepancies:
    • If a card is dealt to a space without a player
      • If it is realized before they have dealt to the next player, the card shall be moved to that player
      • If it is not realized until subsequent players have received cards, the misdealt card or hand shall be deposited into the discarded cards in front of the dealer
    • If a player’s first card is exposed due to a dealer error, they shall not keep the card
      • After completing the deal, the dealer shall replace the exposed card with the one from the top of the deck
      • The exposed card shall be used as the first burn card.
      • When two or more cards are exposed due to dealer error the round shall be deemed a misdeal
      • Cards shall remain valid and in play if a player exposed a card, whether purposefully or accidentally.
    • If a player does not received the correct number of cards on a deal, and no action has been taken on any hands, a misdeal shall be declared
      • If there has been action by one or more players, only the hand of the player with the incorrect number of cards shall be declared dead.

15. For a bet to be active, the player must place the bet over the commitment line or verbally announce a bet. In both cases the bet is binding.
    • A verbal statement indicating action is binding and takes precedent over a different physical action.
16. If a player acts out of turn they are committed to that action.
    • If a player checks out of turn they can only call or fold their hand when it becomes their turn. They are not permitted to bet or raise until their next turn for action.
    • If a player bets out of turn that bet is committed. If a preceding player makes a higher bet, and the player acting out of turn does not choose to call that bet, they must forfeit the bet already placed or called.
17. The onus is on the player to protect their own hand at all times. Cards may be protected by holding them in view of the dealer and other players or placing a chip or other object on top of their cards.  Anyone not protecting their cards will have no recourse if the hand becomes fouled or is accidentally mucked by the dealer.
    • Any cards touching the muck will be declared dead.
18. If multiple hands tie and there is an extra chip, that chip will be awarded to the first hand clockwise from the button.
19. All cards must be shown to win the pot, regardless whether only one shown is enough to secure a winning hand.
20. String bets are not permitted.
21. Rabbit hunting (asking the Dealer to reveal what the next card would have been) is not permitted.
22. All table stakes at the beginning of a hand are considered ‘Table Stakes’.
    • Lending of table stakes between players is strictly prohibited.
    • An additional buy-in cannot be conducted mid-hand
    • Chips may only be added between hands and must be purchased from the House-person or the Dealer
      • See Rule 10 for the process to introduce gaming chips purchased or obtained outside of the Poker Room
    • If you leave a table for an extended period of time and return the same day, you may be asked to buy-in again in an amount equal or greater than the amount you earlier removed from the table.
    • Chips may only be removed from play at the table to make minor purchases such as drinks, food or tips.

23. Straddle bets are permitted and must by posted before the first card is dealt.
    • Straddle bet must be double the big blind ($5 in 1-2 games)
      • The button has the first right to straddle
    • Double straddle bets are not permitted.
24. When two or more of the same game are being played:
    • The main table will never have fewer players than a feeder table.
    • If no one volunteers to be moved, the deck will be shuffled and cards dealt out to each player with the low card forced to move.
    • The feeder table should not go below 6 players unless the main table has less than 8 players.
    • Any player leaving the feeder table and later returning are likely to be reseated at the feeder table upon their return.
25. Commitment line: Any and all chips that cross the line are committed.  If you cross the line with chips in hand they are pot committed if they are following normal raise requirements. 
    • The House-person may declare cards live even if they have crossed the commitment line. Players are expected to roll over their own cards.  A Dealer may only do so when requested by the player.
26. All new players must post (blinds) to play except when moving from a feeder table or when playing over a meal marker
27. When the action hits a position, the player is required to be seated or the hand will be mucked in turn.
28. Markers:
    • Meal Markers are good for 45 minutes
      • Cannot be requested sooner than 6 hours in between
      • Not accepted if the player is gaming elsewhere during this period
    • Only one player is permitted to take a meal marker at a time per table.
    • Chips in play will be counted and retained in a secure area until the player returns
      • Another player can play over the meal marker in the player’s absence
        • If a seat becomes available the patron playing over the meal marker is required to move.
      • If there is play over the meal marker, the returning player does not have to post upon their return.
    • Money markers:
      • Are good for up to 15 minutes
        • Other gaming is not permitted while a marker is being utilized
        • If a player vacates a table without leaving chips it will be assumed the player has forfeited their seat
        • No more than two players at a time, per table, will be permitted to vacate the table and utilize a money marker

29. Angling:
    • Angling is only permitted at ‘heads up’ and it must be done in a respectful manner. Showing one card only, prior to the completion of action, is not permitted.  If a player purposely shows one card to the opposing player, prior to the completion of action, that player will be required to show both cards, and action can continue. 
30. Showdown:
    • When determining which player must show their hand first, it will be the player who made the last ‘aggressive’ action (bet or raise). If there is no action on the river, the player who is most left of the button is required to show their cards first.
31. If a player shows their cards to another player during or after showdown, we abide by the ‘show one, show all’ rule.
    • If cards are shown to an inactive player at any point during the hand, upon request, your cards may be shown to the entire table after showdown.
    • If your cards are purposely shown to another player with an active hand, your hand will be treated as an exposed hand and will be shown to the entire table prior to any additional action. You will no longer be permitted to any aggressive action but will be permitted to check, call, or fold.
32. In No-Limit games when a player goes all in, the amount must be enough for a full raise in order for the betting action to be re-opened, unless a subsequent player already has a right to action based on their positioning
33. Raises:
    • The initial raise following the big blind must be a minimum of double the big blind
    • All re-raises must be equal or higher to the amount of the most previous raise
    • A verbally stated raise is to be accompanied by a single motion over the line or otherwise it will be considered a string bet and the player will be committed to a minimum raise only.
34. Any situation not covered previously will be managed by the Casino Management team and their decision shall be deemed final.

What does NLHE stand for?

No Limit Hold’ Em

What are the different kinds of tournaments?

We currently have three different kind of tournaments, “Re-buy” “Freeze-out” and “Re- Entry”. A “Re-buy” tournament allows players to buy in again up to a certain cut-off time. With each re-buy the tournament prizing grows. A “Freeze-out” tournament only permits the initial tournament fee and prizing is set based strictly on the number of participants.  A “Re-entry” is similar to the “Re-buy” with the exception of waitlisted patrons have the first option for “Re-entry”. Knocked out patrons wishing to re-enter are placed at the bottom of the wait list where in the re-buy tournaments the seated players has the first option.