Monmouth University Athletics

GENERAL TOURNAMENT RULES

• By participating in this Tournament, you agree to abide by the rules and behave in a courteous manner. Repeated infractions of the same type may result in removal from the tournament. Chips from a disqualified player will be removed from play.
• For the purposes of this tournament, the facilitators will be Jon Cascone and Keith Olenik. All inquires (not laid out in these rules) will be handled by them and all decisions will be final.
• This tournament will be No-Limit Texas Hold-em with a two blind structure (small and large blinds).
• There will be no cost to participants.
• The tournament will commence at (TBA) p.m. Please plan to arrive at (TBA) p.m.
• Chip denominations: Green 25; Red 50; Blue 100; Black 500; Yellow 1,000
• Each player will receive 4,600 worth in chips.
• Each level of play will progress as per table below. Hands in progress at the bell will be completed.
• A change of seat is not allowed after play starts, except as assigned by the facilitators.
• The number of players at each table will be kept reasonably balanced by the transfer of a player as needed. Change of tables will be conducted by the facilitators in a random manner.
• New players are dealt in immediately unless they sit down in the Small Blind or Dealer Position. In these two cases, they must wait until the deal passes.
• In Heads-Up play with two blinds—the Dealer is the Small Blind.

THE ORDER OF PLAY

• Before the first hand, a facilitator at each table will deal one card to each player and the high card will be declared dealer. Suit ranking: Spades, Hearts, Diamonds and Clubs.
• The player seated directly to the left of the dealer will post the Small Blind. The player directly to the left of that person will post the Big Blind.
• The dealer position will rotate one position clockwise after each hand.
• All players will be dealt two hole cards. Any player not at the table when it is his/her turn to act will have his or her cards folded and his/her blind (if applicable) entered into the pot by the dealer.
• The person to the left of the Big Blind is the first to act. He or she must call, raise, or fold. The small blind must call a full bet or fold when play reaches his or her position. If the pot has not been raised, the Big Blind has the option to check or raise when play reaches his or her position. If the pot has been raised, he or she has the option to re-raise unless raising has been capped.
• The Flop: After first round of betting, the dealer will burn one card into the muck, and place three community cards face-up in the center of the table, followed by a second round of betting, beginning with the small blind.
• The Turn: After the second round of betting, the dealer will burn one card into the muck, and place one community card face-up in the center of the table, followed by a third round of betting, beginning with the small blind.
• The River: After the third round of betting, the dealer will burn one card into the muck, and place the last community card face-up in the center of the table, followed by a fourth and final round of betting, beginning with the small blind.

BETTING AND RAISING

• For all rounds of betting, the smallest allowable bet will be equivalent to the current Big Blind, unless a player is going all-in.
• Raising will be capped at three raises per round unless play is "heads-up," at which point, raising will be unlimited.
• If betting continues after a player has gone all-in, a side-pot will be created for the remaining bettors only. Please make sure all side pots are separated from the main pot.
• Check raising is allowed.
• No string raising will be allowed. String raising constitutes stating one intention and then executing another. For example, "I call $500 . . . and raise $1,000." When placing a bet, a player must clearly state whether he or she is calling, raising, or folding prior to moving any chips.
• If you put a single chip into the pot that is larger than the current bet, but do not announce a raise, you are assumed to have only called.
• 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.
• Tapping the table with your hand or knuckle is considered a check.
• A player who bets or calls by releasing chips into the pot is bound by that action. However, if you are unaware that the pot has been raised, you may withdraw your money and reconsider your action provided no one else has acted after you.

THE SHOWDOWN

• A player must show all cards in his/her hand, face-up on the table to win any part of the pot.
• Cards speak. Any player involved in a show-down is strongly encouraged to reveal his or her cards, even if he or she thinks he or she has lost the pot.

HOUSE POLICIES

• Smoking is prohibited!
• The deck is not changed on request. Deck change will only occur if damaged cards are discovered.
• Only one person may play a hand.
• No one is allowed to play another player's chips.
• Players must keep their cards in full view.
• Any player is entitled to a clear view of an opponent's chips. At any time, a player may be asked to "count-down" his or her stack to indicate his or her chip position to another player.
• Looking through the muck or deck stub is not allowed.
• After a deal ends, dealers are not allowed to show what cards would have been dealt.
• If you show cards to any player during or after a deal, any players at the table have the right to see those exposed cards.
• If two or more players go broke in the same hand, the player who started the hand with more chips will place in the higher position for the tournament.
• Chips cannot, under any circumstances, be removed from the table.
• Chopping of blinds will not be allowed.
• Any error or irregularity must be addressed before the beginning of the next hand.
• In the case of a tie, the pot will be split between each winner, with odd chips going to the first hand clockwise from the button.
• If it is discovered that the button was placed incorrectly on the previous hand, the button and blinds will be corrected in a manner that gives every player one chance for each position on the round, if possible.
• One or more cards missing from the deck does not invalidate the results of a hand.
• Before the first round of betting, if the dealer deals one additional card, it is returned to the top of the deck and used as the Burn Card.
• A card that is flashed by a dealer is treated as an exposed card and will be shown to each player and added to the burn. A card that is flashed by a player will play. If you drop a card on the floor, out of your hand, you must still play that card.
• Once you are out of chips, you are out of the tournament.
• Once a player is eliminated, that player must leave the playing area before the next hand starts.

PROPER BEHAVIOR

The following will not be tolerated and will result in removal from the tournament with forfeit of stake:

• Collusion with another player or any other form of cheating.
• Verbally or physically threatening anyone.
• Creating a disturbance by arguing, shouting, or making excessive noise.
• Throwing, tearing, bending, or crumpling cards.
• Destroying or defacing property.
• Using an illegal substance.

POKER ETIQUETTE

The following actions are improper and grounds for warning, suspending, or barring a violator:

• Deliberately acting out of turn.
• Deliberately splashing chips into the pot.
• Reading a hand for another player at the showdown before it has been placed face-up on the table.
• Telling anyone to turn a hand face-up at the showdown.
• Revealing the contents of a live hand in a multi-handed pot before the betting is complete.
• Needlessly stalling the action of a game.
• 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-stack).
• Stacking chips in a manner that interferes with dealing or viewing cards.
• Making statements or taking action that could unfairly influence the course of play, whether or not the offender is involved in the pot.

WHAT CONSTITUTES A MISDEAL

• If the first or second card of the hand has been dealt face-up or exposed through dealer error.
• Two or more cards have been exposed by the dealer.
• Two or more boxed cards are found in the deck.
• Two or more extra cards have been dealt as downcards.
• An incorrect number of cards have been dealt to a player.
• A card dealt out of the proper sequence (except an exposed card may be replaced by the burn card).
• The button was out of position.
• The first card was dealt to the wrong position.
• Cards have been dealt to an empty seat.
• A player has been dealt out who is entitled to a hand.

WHAT CONSTITUTES A DEAD HAND

• You fold or announce that you are folding when facing a bet or a raise.
• You throw your hand away in a forward motion causing another player to act behind you.
• Cards thrown into another players hand are dead, whether they are face up or face down.
• You are not physically at the table when it is your turn to act.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

• Bet: To wager an amount of chips at pre-set intervals.
• Big Blind: The player two positions to the left of the dealer who is forced to make a full bet before play begins.
• Blind Bet: A forced bet made by the blinds, before play begins, to stimulate action.
• Burn Card: A card that is placed face down into the muck, before a round is dealt. This is done to prevent a cheater from stacking the deck of cards.
• Capped Raising: When a pot has been raised the maximum number of times on a round.
• Cards Speak: If a player reveals his or her cards at a showdown, but mistakenly declares the wrong hand value, he or she will not be bound by his or her error. The value of his or her revealed cards will speak for itself.
• Check: To decline to bet when it is your turn to act.
• Check Raise: To decline to bet when it is your turn to act, but make a raise in turn, when a player behind you bets.
• Chip Position: The value of a player's chips in relation to other players.
• Community Card(s): A card or cards in the center of the table that are used by each player in conjunction with his or her hole cards, to make his/her best five card hand.
• Count Down: When a player counts his or her chips, at the request of another player, to determine his or her chip position relative to that player.
• Dead Hand: A hand that is no longer in contention for the pot.
• Deck Stub: The cards left over in the deck after a deal.
• The Flop: the first three community cards that are dealt face-up in the center of the table.
• Fold: To release your cards into the muck when faced with a bet.
• Heads-up: Betting between only two players.
• Hole Card(s): A card or cards that are dealt face down to a player, and are unique to that player.
• Muck: The pile of dead cards, that is made up of burnt and folded cards.
• No-Limit: When there is no maximum allowable bet.
• Raise: To increase the wager when faced with a bet.
• The River: The last community card that is dealt face-up in the center of the table.
• Showdown: When cards are revealed by players after all betting is completed, to determine the best hand.
• Small Blind: The player one position to the left of the dealer who is forced to make half the amount of a full bet before play begins.
• String Raise: Stating one intention and then executing another.  For example, "I call $500 . . . and raise $1,000".
• The Turn: The fourth community card that is dealt face-up in the center of the table.

TOURNAMENT LEVEL AND BLIND STRUCTURE