Tournaments

Except as provided by this section, an organization shall conduct a poker tournament according to this chapter. 1. An organization shall post tournament rules and a written schedule for each tournament and satellite tournament. A schedule must contain: a. Name of the site and organization; b. Date or dates of the poker tournament; c. Structure of the tournament prize payouts, once determined; and d. Buy-in, fees, add-ons, rebuy, and bounty options. Optional dealer tip fees may not be part of the fees on the schedule. 2. Each table will set a maximum of eleven players. Players must be distributed as evenly as possible between all tables. 3. A seat assignment is determined at the time of the buy-in by the player randomly drawing a card from a specially marked deck or custom cards. 4. Tournament chips will be distributed directly to the player. 5. Texas hold'em must be played according to the following rules: a. The dealer shall deal two (hole) cards to each player, face downward, and one at a time. The first player to receive a card is the player to the left of the player who has the button. The last player to receive cards is the player assigned the button. After each player has received two cards, there is a betting round and the players may bet an amount not more than the posted table limit; b. The dealer shall discard the top card of the deck and place it in the discard card pile (burn a card) and deal three community cards from the deck face upward, in the center of the table. After the flop, another betting round occurs; and c. The dealer burns another card and then deals a fourth community card face upward in the center of the table. Another betting round takes place. The dealer burns another card before dealing the fifth community card face upward in the center of the table for the final betting round. A player shall make the best five card hand using any combination of hole and community cards. If there are two or more players remaining in the game after all bets are made, there is a showdown. The highest hand wins the pot. 6. Omaha poker must be played according to the following rules: a. The dealer shall deal four (hole) cards to each player, face downward, and one at a time. The first player to receive a card is the player to the left of the player who has the button. The last player to receive a card is the player assigned the button. After each player has received four cards, there is a betting round; b. The dealer shall discard the top card of the deck and place it in the discard card pile (burn a card) and deal three community cards from the deck face upward, in the center of the table. After the flop, another betting round occurs; c. The dealer burns another card and then deals a fourth community card face upward in the center of the table. Another betting round takes place. The dealer burns another card before dealing the fifth community card face upward in the center of the table for the final betting round. A player shall use two hole cards and three of the community cards to make their best hand. If there are two or more players remaining in the game after all bets are made, there is a showdown. In Omaha high, the highest hand wins the pot. In Omaha high-low split, the highest hand and the lowest hand split the pot. A player who wins in one direction (high or low) and ties a player for the other direction, receives three- quarters of the pot. A player who wins in both directions without a tie receives all of the pot. Aces may be used for either high or low. 7. A player confronted by a bet larger than the player's stack of chips may call "all in" and place the chips into the pot as a call. The excess part of the bet is either returned to the bettor or used to form a side pot with another player or players by matching the amount called. There is no limit on the number of side pots. Play must continue and the remaining players shall place their bets into the side pot or pots. At the showdown, if the player who is "all in" has the high hand, the player wins the pot. The player with the second highest hand wins the side pot. If the player who is "all in" does not have the highest hand, the player with the highest hand wins both pots. In a high-low game, a similar procedure must be used to award the pots to the highest and lowest hand. A player who is "all in" and loses must leave the table or rebuy, if applicable. 8. A player may call "all in" at any time during a betting round provided that the bet does not exceed the tournament limit. 9. Chips may not be transferred or purchased from another player. 10. All chips must remain visible on the table throughout the event. 11. If a player is absent from the seat at the start of the initial deal of the hand, any ante or blind bet will be posted by the dealer on the player's behalf. A player must be at the table by the time all other players receive their hole cards in order to have a live hand for that deal.