Rules
Syndicate Rules Season VII
2011-2012
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House Rules - Basic Syndicate Procedures
We use these House Rules plus the Tournament Directors
Association rules to govern play.
The following are basic TDA Rules reminders
Please Note: While we use these
house rules and the TDA rules as guides, the "Floor" or Tournament
Director has discretion due to the unique nature of The Syndicate. Since
we do not have professional dealers there is an increased possibility
for error or disagreement. Every attempt will be made to follow the
established rules while keeping the game as fair as possible.
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POKER TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION
Rules Version 2009.2.0, released Sept. 15, 2009
The
PokerTDA is comprised of poker room personnel from around the world
whose objective is to draft a standardized set of rules for poker
tournaments. The TDA has developed the following tournament poker
rules, which supplement the standard or "house rules" of this card
room/casino. If there is a conflict between these rules and the
rules and regulations of the applicable gaming agency, the gaming agency
rules apply.
General
Concepts
1.
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 floorperson's decision is final.
2.
Official Language The
English-only rule will be enforced in the United States during the play
of hands. English will be used in international play along with the
local or native language.
3.
Communication
Players
may not talk on the phone while at the poker table.
House rules apply to all other forms of electronic devices.
Seating
Players; Breaking & Balancing Tables
4.
Random Seats
Tournament and satellite seats will be randomly assigned.
Accommodations for players with special physical needs will be made when
possible.
5.
Breaking Tables Players
going from a broken table to fill in seats assume the rights and
responsibilities of the 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.
6.
Balancing Tables
In flop
and mixed games when balancing tables, players will be moved from the
big blind to the worst position, including taking a single big blind
when available, even if that means the seat will have the big blind
twice.
Worst position is
never the small blind. The table from which a player is moved will be as
specified by a predetermined procedure.
In stud-only games, players will be moved by position (the last
seat to open up at the short table is the seat to be filled).
Play will halt on any table that is three or more players short.
7.
Number of Players at Final Table
In flop
games, the final table will consist of ten (10) players.
In stud-type games, the final table will consist of nine (9)
players.
Pots /
Showdown
8.
Declarations
Cards
speak.
Verbal declarations
as to the content of a player's hand are not binding; however, any
player deliberately miscalling his or her hand may be penalized.
9.
Face Up All cards
will be turned face up once a player is all-in and all betting action is
complete.
10.
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.
11.
Showdown At the
end of 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. In
stud games, the player with the high board must show first. In razz, the
lowest board shows first.
12.
Odd Chips The odd
chip will go to the high hand. In flop games when there are two or more
high hands or two or more low hands, the odd chip(s) will go to the left
of the button. In stud games, the odd chip will go to the high card by
suit. However, when hands have identical value (e.g., a wheel in
Omaha/8) the pot will be split as evenly as possible.
13.
Side Pots Each side
pot will be split separately.
14.
Playing the Board A player
must show both cards when playing the board in order to get part of the
pot.
15.
Disputed Pots The right
to dispute a hand ends when a new hand begins. (See rule #18.)
General
Procedures
16.
Chip Race When it
is time to color-up chips, they will be raced off with a maximum of one
chip going to any player. The chip race will always start in the No.1
seat. A player cannot be raced out of a tournament: a player who loses
his or her remaining chip(s) in a chip race will be given one chip of
the smallest denomination still in play. Players are encouraged to
witness the chip race.
17.
Deck Changes Deck
changes will be on the dealer push or level changes or as prescribed by
the house. Players may not ask for deck changes.
18.
New Limits
When time
has elapsed in a round and a new level is announced by a member of the
tournament staff, the new level applies to the next hand.
A hand begins with the first riffle.
If an automatic shuffler is being used, the hand begins when the
green button is pushed.
19.
Re-buys
A player
may not miss a hand. If a player announces the intent to rebuy before a
new hand, that player is playing chips behind and is obligated to make
the re-buy.
20.
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 one minute 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.
21.
Rabbit Hunting
No rabbit
hunting is allowed.
Rabbit hunting is revealing any of the cards
“that would have come” if the hand had not ended.
Player
Present / Eligible for Hand
22.
At Your Seat A player
must be at his or her seat by the time all players have been dealt
complete initial hands in order to have a live hand. A player must be at
his/her seat to call time.
23.
Action Pending
A player
must remain at the table if he has a live
hand.
Button /
Blinds
24.
Dead Button
Tournament play will use a dead button.
25.
Dodging Blinds A player
who intentionally dodges any blind when moving from a broken table will
incur a penalty.
26.
Button in Heads-up In
heads-up play, the small blind is on the button and acts first. When
beginning heads-up play, the button may need to be adjusted to ensure no
player takes the big blind twice in a row.
Dealing
Errors
27.
Misdeals In
stud-type games, if any of the player's two down cards are exposed due
to dealer error it is a misdeal. In flop games, exposure of one of the
first two cards dealt is a misdeal. Players may be dealt two consecutive
cards on the button.
28.
Four-Card Flop
If the
flop contains four (rather than three) cards,
whether exposed or not, the dealer shall scramble the 4 cards face down.
A floorperson will be called to randomly select one card to be
used as the next burn card and the remaining three cards will become the
flop.
Play: Bets
& Raises
29.
Verbal Declarations / Acting in Turn
Verbal
declarations in turn are binding. Players are required to act in
turn. Action out of turn will be binding if the action to that
player has not changed. A check, call or fold is not considered
action changing.
30.
Methods of Raising In
no-limit or pot-limit, a raise must be made by (1) placing the full
amount in the pot in one motion; or (2) verbally declaring the full
amount prior to the initial placement of chips into the pot; or (3)
verbally declaring “raise” prior to the placement of the amount to call
into the pot and then completing the action with one additional motion.
It is the player's responsibility to make his intentions clear.
31.
Raises
A raise
must be at least the size of the largest previous bet or raise of the
current betting round.
If a
player puts in a raise of 50% or more of the previous bet but less than
the minimum raise, he or she must make a full raise. The raise will be
exactly the minimum raise allowed (see exception for multiple
same-denomination chips Rule 33). In no-limit and pot limit, an all-in
wager of less than a full raise does not reopen the betting to a player
who has already acted.
32.
Oversized Chip
Anytime when facing a bet (or blind), placing a single oversized
chip in the pot is a call if a raise is not first verbally declared. To
raise with a single oversized chip, a declaration must be made before
the chip hits the table surface. If a raise is declared (but not an
amount), the raise is the maximum allowable for that chip. When not
facing a bet, placing an oversized chip in the pot without declaration
is a bet of the maximum allowable for the chip.
33.
Multiple Chips
When facing a bet, unless a raise is
first declared, multiple same-denomination chips is a call if removing
one chip leaves less than the call amount.
Example of a call: preflop, blinds 200-400: A makes it 1200 (an 800
raise), B puts out two 1000 chips without declaring raise. Placing chips
of mixed denominations in the pot is governed by the 50% standard in
Rule 31.
34.
Number of Raises
There is
no cap on the number of raises in no-limit games. In limit events there
will be a limit to raises even when heads-up until the tournament is
down to two players; the house limit will apply.
35.
Pot Size
Players
are entitled to be informed of the pot size in pot-limit games only.
Dealers will not count the pot in limit and no-limit games.
36.
String Bets and Raises
Dealers
will be responsible for calling string bets and
raises.
Play: Other
37.
Chips on the Table
Players
must keep their higher denomination chips visible and identifiable at
all times.
38.
Chips
in Transit
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.
39.
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.
Etiquette &
Penalties
40.
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 similar
incidents take place. Penalties WILL be invoked in cases of soft play,
abuse, or disruptive behavior. Penalties available to the TD include
verbal warnings and “missed hand” penalties.
Except for a one-hand penalty, missed hand penalties
will be assessed as follows: The offender will miss one hand for every
player, including the offender, who is at the table when the penalty is
given multiplied by the number of rounds specified in the penalty.
For the period of the penalty, the offender shall remain away
from the table but will continue to be dealt
in.
Tournament staff can assess a one-hand
penalty, one-, two-, three-, or four-round penalties or
disqualification. A player who is disqualified shall have his or her
chips removed from play. Repeat infractions are subject to escalating
penalties.
41.
No Disclosure Players
are obligated to protect the other players in the tournament at all
times. Therefore, players, whether in the hand or not, may not:
1.
Disclose contents of live or folded hands,
2.
Advise or criticize play
at any time,
3.
Read a hand that hasn't been tabled. The
one-player-to-a-hand rule will be enforced.
42.
Exposing Cards A player
who exposes his cards with action pending may incur a penalty, but will
not have a dead hand. The penalty will begin at the end of the hand.
43.
Ethical Play Poker is
an individual game. Soft play will result in penalties, which may
include forfeiture of chips and/or disqualification. Chip dumping
and/or all other forms of collusion will result in
disqualification.
44.
Etiquette
Violations
Repeated
etiquette violations will result in penalties. Examples include, but are
not limited to, unnecessarily touching other players’ cards or chips,
delay of the game, repeatedly acting out of turn or excessive chatter. |
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found on this website
is subject to change.
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