Poker for Bars Rules and Tips
Rules
Official Rules for Eldon Hospitality Poker For Bars
Eldon Hospitality reserves the right to bar any player for violating any of the following:
“Collusion” or any other form of cheating
Providing Eldon Hospitality or it’s representatives or agents; false or misleading information regarding their identity; during player registration, tournament play, or during the presentation of any prizes or awards.
Verbally or physically threatening any Eldon Hospitality employee, representative, or another player.
Destroying or attempting to destroy or deface any property of Eldon Hospitality or the property of the host location.
Creating a disturbance such as uncontrolled arguing, shouting, or other excessive noise.
Poker Etiquette
The following actions are considered improper and could be grounds for disciplinary action (s).
“Deliberately” Acting out of turn
“Splashing” chips into the pot
“Needlessly” stalling the action of the game
“Deliberately” discarding cards away from the muck or throwing cards into the muck. Cards are to be released in low flight.
Revealing cards of a live hand prior to the completion of the hand.
Making comments or gestures that could unfairly influence the course of play.
Decision making Policies
The Tournament Director has the right to make any necessary decision, in the spirit and fairness of the game or event even if the decision clearly contradicts another rule or ruling. NOTE: The same action may have a different ruling depending on the player in question. Ie; The Tournament Director may consider “Experience” or a players “past History” when rendering a decision.
Any decision by the Tournament Director is “FINAL”.
Players should request an interpretation or ruling as soon as they are aware of an error or notice that the decision is necessary. The delay in requesting a decision may influence the decision.
A hand has begun at the point a shuffle has begun. The first riffle of the cards is the start of the shuffle. NOTE: The posting of blinds does not constitute the beginning of the hand.
General
CASH IS NOT ALLOWED ON THE TABLES
All players must be 21 years of age or older
All Chips are to remain on the table unless directed otherwise by the host
Higher denomination chips should be most visible
Cards are to remain above the table and not past the edge of the table
Looking through the deck or burn pile during or after a hand is NOT permitted.
Activity that slows the play of the game such as use of cell phones is prohibited
Observers shall remain several feet away from a table that is playing.
Speaking a foreign language at the tables is not permitted.
Misdeals
The following actions are considered misdeals;
If the dealer exposes either the first or second card dealt during a hand.
The dealer exposes two or more cards during a deal or if the dealer deals more than two extra cards in the starting of the game.
If the dealer fails to deal a hand to a player entitled to receive one.
If the dealer deals out of sequence. The dealer began the hand by dealing the wrong person first.
If an entire starting hand is dealt to an empty seat or to a player not entitled to be a hand.
If after the starting hand has been dealt, any player has the wrong number of cards. Exception: If the player who received the first card in the hand is dealt an extra card upon the completion of the deal, and if that card has not been exposed and it can be identified as the third and improper card, that card becomes the first burn card. The card shall be retrieved by the dealer and placed in the middle of the table as the first burn card.
Dead Hands
You fold or say you are folding when facing a bet or a raise. NOTE: Folding out of turn or stating you are folding out of turn violates the rules of etiquette.
You throw your hand in a forward motion so as to appear to fold, causing another player to act.
Throwing cards into another player's hand may result in both hands being declared dead. NOTE: This would also violate the rules of etiquette.
Cards thrown into the muck may be ruled dead, however, in the best interest of the game, identified hands may be recovered at the directors discretion.
Irregularities
There will be no amends to an unprotected hand that becomes fouled, or mixed with discards or burn cards, or unintentionally killed.
If two cards of the same rank and suit or a card with a different back is discovered during a hand, all action is void and chips in the pot are returned to the respective betters. If a card with a different back is found in the stub or deck, the hand is played out.
A card dealt off table or flashed by the dealer shall be treated as an exposed card. If a player drops a card onto the floor, they still play that card.
If the dealer deals any card before betting is finished, those cards will not play, even if the player (s) that haven’t reacted decide to fold.
Cards missing from the deck does not necessarily constitute a misdeal.
Betting and Raising
With the exception of going all-in, any wager or raise must be at least equal to the previous bet or raise in that round of betting.
Example: Blinds 100-200 and the next player to act wishes to raise. The player wishing to raise must raise at least 200 over the blind.
Example: Blinds at 100-200 and the player raises 500. Another player who wishes to re-raise, he or she must re-raise at least an additional 500
Check-Raises are permitted
If a player checks out of turn, or verbally states they are calling out of turn, they are not permitted to raise and may only call a bet during that round of betting.
If a player states that they intend to raise and verbally state the amount, that is the amount they are bound to. Should a player put more into the pot than they indicated during their statement, they may have those chips returned. If the player puts less into the pot than declared during their statement, they must add chips needed for their stated bet or raise.
String betting is not allowed. To protect your right to raise, you should declare your intention verbally or by placing the right amount of chips into the pot.
String Betting: Is the hesitation, whether deliberate or not, between betting and raising which could allow the player time to observe a response or reaction from another player influenced by his/her actions.
Simply: A player either bets, calls, folds, or raises in the same motion statement. A player can not state “I call….and raise”. A player deemed to have created a string bet may only call or fold.
IF A PLAYER SHOWS CARDS OF AN ACTIVE HAND TO ANY PLAYER, ALL PLAYERS AT THE TABLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO SEE THE CARDS AS WELL.
If players check during the final round of betting, the first player who acted is the first player to show their hand.
If there is betting during the final round of betting, the last player taking aggressive action is the first to show their hand. EXAMPLE: Player “A” bets 200 and player “B” raises 200, and player “A” calls the raise, player “B” made the final aggressive action and shows their hand first. Had player “B” not raised and only called the bet made by player “A”, player “A”” would have made the final aggressive action and would show their hand first.
In the event that a side pot exists, players from the side pot will show their hands prior to those in the main pot. The order remains the same as outlined above.
Tournament Direction
By participating in any Eldon Hospitality Event, a player agrees to play by the rules and to behave in a courteous manner.
If reasonable to do so, any violators should be verbally warned by the host.
If it becomes necessary to remove a player from the event for not heeding the verbal warning of the host or, for a serious rule infraction, the disqualified players chips are to be removed from play.
In the event a player must leave the event for whatever reason:
- The player is blinded out until the next increase in blinds
- After the blinds have been raised, the player may not re-enter the event and their remaining chips shall be removed from play by the host.
- If it is obvious that the player will not return prior to the blind increases, the chips should then be removed immediately by the host.
Initial table assignment and seating is achieved by random draw.
All Players shall receive the same amount of chips.
Players are responsible for ensuring they have the correct amount of starting chips PRIOR to their table beginning play. If play has already started at the table and the player becomes aware they have the incorrect amount of starting chips, the host, at their discretion, may remedy the player's chip count.
NO PLAYER may enter the event after the blinds have increased. A player at the discretion of the host, may enter the event prior to the first blind increase.
The first dealer at the table is determined by all players at the table drawing a card. The player with the highest ranked card shall deal the first hand. In the event two or more players tie with high cards during the draw, those who tied shall draw again until an individual high card has been determined.
The deal shall rotate around the table and move from the previous dealer to his left.
Blind increases will be regular intervals of 20 minutes but if the pace of play otherwise dictates, the host may raise the blinds at any time.
When blind increases have been announced by the host, the new blind is to begin upon the start of the next hand.
Posting blinds does not constitute the start of a hand. The start of the hand is when the cards are first shuffled by the next deal.
When blinds are increased, the lowest denomination of chip in play will be removed from the game when it is no longer needed in the blind structure and will be changed out to larger denomination chips.
Players should count the chips that are being removed in view of the other players and host.
As the host removes the chips, he/she will “Chip Up” any odd number.
Cards read for themselves, HOWEVER, if you call your hand at a lower rank and another hand is higher, you will be bound by what you declared.
Spectators have no right to call hands. Spectators shall be a distance away from the players that allows hosts to maneuver between them and the players.
PLAYERS are responsible for holding onto their cards until a winner has been declared in the hand. If a player releases the hand into the muck but later determines they indeed won the hand or had right to the pot in a split etc. the original declared winner stands. The player mucking has no rights to the hand or pot.
All chips are to remain on the table and in clear view of all players at all times, with higher denomination chips being most visible.
The host will consolidate tables in a manner as to insure that players' blinds are nor omitted from obligated posting. (A player who is due to post big blind or small blinds will not be removed from a table.) If it becomes necessary to do so and several players (3 or more) are moved onto a table, players at that table will then re-cut for a high card to determine the order of the deal. During heads up play, the dealer shall always be small blind.
In the event more than one player is eliminated at the same time, to determine their order of finish, the player losing the most chips shall receive the higher order of finish. In the event the chip totals were the same, the player with the highest hand will receive the higher order of finish. In the event the cards on the table are played as the best hand, the player who made the final aggressive action while betting shall receive the higher order of finish.
Blinds
Advantages and disadvantages are a part of poker.
The player to the immediate left of the dealer is the small blind, and the player to the immediate left of the small blind is the Big blind.
Blinds are a disadvantage and are forced bets. Blinds may not be chopped.
In some instances the small blind may be dissolved but big blind must always be played.
Eldon Hospitality Poker for Bars events are for the entertainment of the customers of the bars.
The host is empowered to make any decision or ruling. Even if it clearly is against the rules; to promote the best interest of the bar, the customers, and the players, in that order.
A decision made by the host is final.
Good luck and thank you for playing Poker for Bars.
Starting Chips: White: 5ea $10 Green: 10 ea $20 Blue: 5ea $50 Red: 5ea $100
Advanced Chips: Black: $500 Purple: $1000 Pink: $5000
As the blinds are increased, chip colors that are no longer used will be collected from the players. The host will “chip up” the players as needed. Example: When removing green chips, a player with a total count of 225 in green chips would receive 250.
Play Structure - Blinds raise every 15 minutes
Starting Blind 10/20 (White/Green)
2nd Blind 20/40 (White/Green)
Chip Change
3rd Blind 50/100 (Blue/Red)
4th Blind 100/200 (Blue/Red)
5th Blind 200/400 (Blue/Red)
Chip Change
6th Blind 500/1000 (Black/Purple)
7th Blind 1000/2000 (Black/Purple)
8th Blind 2000/4000 (Black/Purple)
Chip Change
9th Blind 5000/10,000 (Pink)