POKER ETIQUETTE

Some general rules regarding Poker Etiquette to make the tournaments more enjoyable for all:

1. Act in turn. Do not fold, call, bet, raise or re-raise until it is your turn to do so.

2. One player to a hand. Don't ask for or give advice during a hand. You are not allowed to show your cards to another player. If you show your cards to 1 player then you need to show them to all players, whether during a hand or after.

3. Keep your bets and raises in front of you. Don't put bets into the main pot until all betting is done and the table is ready for the next card. This helps to avoid confusion over who bet, called, raised, etc. and also ensures that the correct amounts are placed into the pot.

4. No string betting. String betting is defined as placing an amount of chips out to bet and then reaching back for more chips. It is best to announce your intentions - "I'm going to raise another $500" - IF you don't set out out the correct amount after announcing your bet you can and must reach back for more chips and place the correct amount.

5. Shuffling. Dealer must shuffle cards a minimum of 4 times and then cut the cards for each hand.

6. Misdeals: a.) If a card is dealt face up by accident the Dealer continues to deal all of the hole cards as usual. The Dealer then replaces the improperly dealt card with a new one and the improperly dealt card becomes the first burn card. b.) If two cards are miss dealt in a hand the hands are dead and the dealer will reshuffle and deal again.

8. Raises must be equal to or greater than the previous bet. The minimum bet amount must be equal to the Big Blind.

9. Split pots. If 2 or more players tie, the pot will be split between the players who tied. If there is an odd chip, it will be left in the middle and become a part of the next hand's pot.

10. Player's chips and cards must remain on or above the table at all times.

11. Blinds go up at the end of the next hand, not during a Dealer shuffle.

12. Cards Speak: the value of a hand is what the cards show, not what the player announces.

13. Keep quiet once you are out of a hand. Don't entice another player to make a call, bet, etc. Don't ponder outloud about who might have what hand, etc.

14. Making change. It is important to make change with other players and not from the pot.

15. Moving of players. Players will be moved during the tournament to keep the tables as equal as possible. The player to the right of the dealer at the end of the hand in progress from the full table will be moved to the table that is short handed. When we are down to 9 players left at 2 tables the blinds will freeze, and they will be dealt hand for hand until we are down to 8 players and a final table.