Poker Rules @ Poker-Play.com

THE BUY-IN

1. If you enter a game that is already in play, you must use a 'buy-in' to get in that specific poker game.  A 'buy-in' entails that you place a wager for ten times the amount of the previous high bet.  Unless otherwise indicated, this is the only way to join a poker game in progress.  

2. You are allowed to make only one short buy-in for a game. Adding to your stack is not considered a buy-in, and may be done in any quantity between hands.

3. A player who must transfer from one game to another game with the same buy-in limit can do so with the same amount of money that was being played on the game before the 'buy-in'.  However, the player must have sufficient funds ahead of time in order to do so. 

MISDEALS

1. The following lists various causes of misdeals.  The hand can be saved so long as two consecutive players have not played on their hands.  If consecutive play has been executed, the hand must be played until its finish.  If any of the following occurs, the hand should be dealt again:  

(a) The first or second card of the hand has been dealt face-up or accidentally exposed.
(b) Two or more cards have been dealt face-up or accidentally exposed by the dealer.
(c) Two or more boxed cards (improperly faced or marked cards) are found in the card deck.
(d) Two or more extra cards have been dealt in the starting hands of a game.
(e) An incorrect number of cards has been dealt to a player.  This can be fixed only if the player with the incorrect number is the next player in the dealing sequence. 
(f) Any card has been dealt out of the proper dealing sequence and has been dealt over with more cards (except an exposed card may be replaced by the burn-card).
(g) The button was in the improper position.
(h) The first card was improperly dealt to the wrong position.
(i) Cards have been dealt to an empty seat or a player not permitted into the current hand.
(j) A player who is permitted to a hand, has been mistakenly dealt out by the dealer.  This player must be present at the table or have posted a blind or ante for this rule to insure them.  

2. Action is considered to occur in stud games when two players after the forced bet have acted on their hands. In button games, action is considered to occur when two players after the blinds have acted on their hands. Once action occurs, a misdeal can no longer be declared. The hand will be played to conclusion and no money will be returned to any player whose hand is fouled.

DEAD HANDS

1. Your poker hand will be called out 'Dead' if any of the following occurs:

(a) You fold or announce that you are folding when confronted with a bet or raise.  
(b) You wave your hand, signaling the player behind you to act on their hand.  Even if you are not faced with a bet, when the player behind you makes a move, then your hand is dead.  
(c) While playing stud, if you are confronted with a bet, you lift your up-cards off the table, turn your up-cards over, or, mix your up-cards with your down-cards.
(d) The hand does not contain the right amount of cards for that specific game. 
(e) You use a joker as a hole-card in a game where jokers are not permitted for use.  
(f) If you are under the clock and exceed the time limit when confronted with a bet or a raise. 

2. Cards that have been thrown into the muck may be ruled dead. However, a hand that is absolutely recognizable may be retrieved if doing so is in the best interest of the current game. If a hand was folded due to incorrect information imparted to the player, then the hand will most likely be reacquired.  

3. A card is dead (face-up or face-down) if it has been placed into another players hand. 

IRREGULARITIES

1. In button games, if it is found out that the button was improperly placed on the previous hand, the button and blinds will be fixed for the new hand in a way that offers each player a single chance for each  new position on the round.

2. You, the player, are responsible for protecting your own hand at all times. You can protect your cards by placing your hands, a chip etc. on top of them.  If you did not take any steps to cover your cards and they were tampered with by the dealer, you are responsible for it.  

3. If a stray card with a different color back or design from the deck appears during the playing of the hand, all previous action taken in the game is undone, and all wagers are given back to their respected players.   If a stray card appears in the stub, then all previous action still stands.  

4. If two identical cards of the same rank and suit are discovered in the hand, all previous action is null and void, and all wagers in the pot are returned to the respected players. 

5. If a player knows that the deck is defective, they are obliged to make it known.  However, if the player conceals this information and tries to take the pot, they will lose their chance for a refund, and the chips from their wager will go towards the next hand. 

6. If there is money carried over from the previous  pot, only players who were dealt a hand on the original pot can play the new game.   

7. A face-up card discovered in the playing deck will be deemed null and void.  It will be taken from the deck and replaced by the card immediately below it in the dealer's card pile.  If the face-up card was not discovered until after the next card was dealt, then the face-up card will be substituted with the very next card in the deck after all the cards have been dealt.   

8. In a game where jokers have been designated, prior to the hand, as non-playable, then the joker is replaced either before the card after it is dealt, or after all cards in the hand have been dealt.  It is the players responsibility to bring the dealers attention to a joker that was dealt to him/her.  If the joker is discovered after the game has started, then the hand with the joker is deemed a dead hand.  

9. It is the players responsibility to look at all their cards before play commences.  Any defective card found later on, will cause the hand to be dead, and all wages will be forfeited.  

10. If cards are discovered missing from the playing deck, the results of the previous hands still stand as they were, and a new deck will be used henceforth.  

11. If the dealer accidentally deals an extra card - and the first round of wages has not commenced yet - then the extra card is thrown back into the deck to serve as a burn-card. 

12. Any card that is flashed by the dealer, whether it was in view of a player or not, is deemed an exposed card and will not be dealt into the hand.  If a card is flashed by a player, regardless if another player saw it or not, that card will still be played.  In order to call out a flashed card, the player must declare that the dealt card was exposed before the player looks at the card. If a card is dealt off of the table by the dealer, regardless if it stays face-down, it is deemed an exposed card and treated as such.     

13. A player does not have the choice of keeping or replacing an exposed card dealt to them because of dealer error. 

14. The player is responsible for safeguarding their hand.  If the players cards are physically revealed (dropping cards, turning out the hand holding cards, etc.)  the player must still play the hand.  

15. If cards are dealt before all the first bets have been made, those cards will be deemed unplayable, and will be replaced by new cards when all wages have been finished. 

BETTING AND RAISING

1. Check-raise is allowed in all poker games, except in specific forms of lowball.

2. In no-limit and pot-limit poker games, unbarred raising is permitted.

3. In a game of limit poker, with a pot in which three or more players are not in, the following 'raise' restrictions apply: (a) In a game with three or more betting rounds, a maximum bet and three raises are permitted. 
(b) In a game with two betting rounds, a maximum bet and four raises are permitted.   

4. During heads-up play, unbarred raising is permitted.  Only when the raising has been capped  prior to the action being heads-up, does this rule apply.  When the raising is capped, it cannot be uncapped by future folds leaving two players in heads-up status.  

5. In limit play poker games, an all-in wager that is less than half a bet does not reopen the wagering for another player who has already put into the pot for all prior bets.   A player confronted with less than half a bet may fold, call, or finish the wager until it is adequate. An all-in-wager of a half a bet or more is deemed a full bet.  In this case, a player may fold, call, or make a full raise on the current pot.  

6. Any wager must be, at a minimum, the amount of the previous bet or raise in the pot, unless the  player is going all-in on the hand.

7. The smallest chip that is permitted to be wagered in a hand is equivalent to the smallest chip used in the antes, blinds, rake, or collection.  Smaller chips than this amount do not play even in quantity, so a player wanting action on chips such as these must change them up between card deals. If betting is in the amount of single dollars or greater, a portion of a dollar does not play. A player going all-in must place all chips that play into the pot.

8. A verbal statement, pertaining to action, holds that player to their word. In other words, if a player verbally proclaims that they are folding, raising, etc. then that player is bound by their word and is obligated to act as they have spoken.  

9. A pass is executed by tapping ones hand on the playing table.

10. If a player deliberately moves out of turn, and acts ahead of another player, they will not be allowed to raise the pot on their next turn to act.  A verbal declaration that is out of turn will be dismissed and no penalties will be infringed on the player responsible. 

11. To keep the right to act, a player must stop the current action by declaring “time” (or an equivalent word). Failure to do this prior to the actions of three or more players may forfeit your right to act. You cannot forfeit your right to act if there are players in front of you who have not acted at the current time.   Therefore, if someone before you has not acted, but, there are three or more players who have acted behind you, your right to act is still live and active.  

12. When a player throws chips into the pot, they are not permitted to undo that action.  One condition allows a player to take their chips back from the pot:  When the player is unaware that a raise has been made on the pot, then that player can take back their bet and act in another fashion - Provided that the player behind has not acted yet.   

13. In a game of limit poker, if a player makes a forward motion, but hesitate to place their chips, he/she will be forced to take their action if the player behind them executes their action. 

14. String raises are not permitted. In order for a player to reserve their right to raise the pot, they must either verbally announce their desire, or throw the required amount of chips into the pot. By placing a full bet plus a half bet or more into the pot at one time,  the player is, in essence,  declaring a raise, and must be execute the entire action. 

15. If a single chip is placed into the pot, and is larger than the bet, the player must verbally declare a raise.  If the player does not announce a raise, they are assumed to have only called. 

16. All wagers and calls of improper amounts are required to be brought up to proper size if the discrepancy is discovered before the betting round has been finished. This pertains to actions such as betting a smaller amount than the minimum bring-in, and betting the lower limit on an upper limit betting round. If a wager is supposed to be placed in a rounded off dollar amount, but is not, then it must be corrected and changed to the right amount closest in size. A player who has previously acted may not change a call into a raise if the wager amount is altered.  

THE SHOWDOWN

1. In order to take home any portion of the pot, a player must reveal their hand, face-up on the poker table.

2. Although the dealer helps in analyzing the players' hands, it is each players obligation to keep their own hand in their possession while the dealer declares a winner.  Verbal proclamations pertaining to the contents of a players hand do not hold fast when determining a winner; However, it is deemed unethical for a player to intentionally miscall their hand in hopes of causing another player to fold or alter their own hand.  If this happens, the player responsible for the deception may be obligated to return their winnings to the pot, and not be permitted to play henceforth.  

3. All persons associated with a game, I.e. players, dealer, floor manager, are obligated by ethical gambling standards to report any errors that may take place during the game, such as the incorrect dispersion of winnings from the pot and incorrect chip offerings into the pot.  

4. Before the pot is awarded to the winner/winners, all losing hands will be declared dead and killed by the dealer.  

5. If a player has been called-in during a game, that player has the right to view any hands that have been 'called' prior to calling-in.  This is a bonus and a privilege however, and if it is misused in any way, the dealer has the right to bar a player from using it again.  Remember that a hand is dead if it has been folded, and is requested to be seen by any other player than the pot winner.  If two remaining players ask to see each others hands, then both hands are deemed live, and a winner will be declared.  

6. If cards are revealed to another player, then the same cards must be revealed to all other players at the table, even if the players did not see them when they were first exposed.  If a card/cards are exposed during the deal to player who is not in the current pot, then those cards do not have to be revealed to the other players until the deal is complete. 

7. Of all the players who are all-in on the final betting round of the hand, the player who acted first during that round is required to reveal their final hand before the other players do so. If any players made wagers on the final betting round, the last player to do so is obligated to reveal their final hand first.  If a player is deemed to be a probable winner, they are urged to reveal their hand first so that the next game can commence sooner.  In games with side-pots, those players who have interest in that pot must reveal their final hands before any other player who is all-in just for the primary pot.

TIES

1. The ranking of suits is implemented in poker games, but, is only used to break ties when there are two cards of the same rank.  Suits are never used in determining a winner for the pot. (The pot will be divided accordingly if such is the case)  The order of suits from lowest to highest rank is as follows:  Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades.  

2. If there are too many players at a table, the dealer will deal a card to each potential player, starting from the dealers left.  The player/players dealt the lowest cards will be obligated to move to another table, or stand down.  When determining the receiver of the button, or seating order, the practice of card drawing is implemented.     

3. An odd chip will be reduced down to the smallest unit played in the game.

4. No player may be given more than one odd chip.

5. If two or more hands are tied, an odd chip will be awarded according to the following:

(a) In a button game, the first hand from the left of the button receives the odd chip.
(b) In a stud game, the highest card according to suit in high games, and the lowest card according to suit in low games, will receive the odd chip. All cards are factored into this determination - Not just the five cards of the hand.  
(c) In high-low split games, the high hand is given the odd chip in a split between the high and the low hands. The odd chip between tied high hands is given in the manner as in a high game of that poker form, while the odd chip between tied low hands is awarded as in the manner of a low game of that poker form.
(d) All side pots and the main pot will remain independent and will always be split as separate pots.