We use “Robert’s Rules of Poker, version 11” as the basis of our house rules for cash games, as applicable, and as modified by the clarifications and exceptions that comprise the remainder of this document. We often play a number of mixed games with rules and procedures that cannot be adequately covered under Robert's rules. For detailed procedures/policies on these games, see Game Rules/Procedures
Have Fun
Poker is a game, and games should be fun, win or lose.
Only play poker with money you can easily afford to lose.
Hold no grudges.
Bottom line: if you’re not enjoying yourself at the poker table, maybe you should stop for a while and do something else that you find enjoyable. If you are having fun, great — let’s play!
Friendly and Fair
We aim to play a friendly, fair game. People sometimes make mistakes. When an irregularity that is material to the game arises it will be discussed and, if possible, resolved using common sense in the spirit of fairness. If agreement cannot be reached quickly and amicably, these rules are the final word.
Miscellaneous
Show one, show all. If a player shows their cards to another player with a live hand, the dealer shall require the cards be exposed to the table immediately, even if the hand is still live. If a player shows their cards to any player (who does not have a live hand) during or after the hand, any player at the table has the right to see those exposed cards after the hand is over. A player who wishes to exercise this right must inform the dealer prior to the cards being mucked, at which point the dealer must keep the cards separate from the muck until the end of the hand.
No discussion of the hand in play until the action is complete. Exception: if there are only two people in the hand (heads up), they may discuss the hand as they wish. Absolutely no discussion of the hand in play if you are not involved in the hand.
Keep your highest value chips visible at the front of your stack, so that other players can quickly estimate your chip total. Don’t hide high-value chips behind the rest of your stack.
Keep your cards visible, on the table, in front of your chip stack. Don’t hide your cards behind your stack, don’t take your cards off the table, and don’t cover your cards completely with your hands.
Protect your cards. Use a chip or a card capper (card guard, card protector) on top of your cards, or place your hand partially on top of your cards. If your cards enter the muck, even accidentally, they’re dead.
Don’t splash the pot. Place your bet immediately in front of your cards, well separated from the pot.
Wait to take change. When calling or betting without exact chips, don’t take change immediately from the pot or from another player’s active bet; this can be very confusing, e.g. after a raise. Take change from the pot only after the betting is complete, and make your actions clear.
When no further action is possible after one or more players are all-in
Players are free to reveal their hole cards or keep them hidden until showdown
Running it twice is allowed when heads-up only if both players agree.
Seating is first-come, first-served.
Players should announce their intention to leave the game at least 30 minutes ahead. Exception: busted players may leave at any time and are not forced to re-buy. This is a soft rule whose goal is both to prevent hit-and-runs and to allow players to leave when they need to without being perceived as having hit-and-run. Following the spirit of this rule is more important than following the letter of it; as such, enforcement is at the host's (and to a lesser extent, the table's) discretion. Violation of this rule may result in being uninvited from future games.
Example 1: Winning a huge pot then immediately deciding to leave. This would likely be viewed as a violation of the rule.
Example 2: Deciding to leave without notice after playing for some time because you lost track of the time, without any recent hands of note. While technically a violation of the 30-minute rule, if the circumstances seem genuine, this would likely be viewed much more lightly than the previous example.
Example 3: Playing for 20 minutes, winning a huge pot, then immediately giving 30 minute notice, folding every hand for the next 30 minutes before leaving. While not a violation of the letter of the rules, this would likely be viewed as a violation of the spirit of the rule.
Stakes
Table stakes, chips only, no cash.
Exception: cash on the table may “play behind”, with declaration (e.g. when buying chips), before looking at your hole cards. An exception may also be made if there is a shortage of available chips.
Typical buy-ins
For big bet games, the minimum is 60 big blinds, maximum is the greater of 200 big blinds or the size of the big stack (approximately). The game may specify different buy-in limits, or the players may agree on different buy-ins. The limits must be made clear at the outset. Limits may be changed later only by unanimous consent of the table.
For fixed-limit games, the minimum is 10 big bets. There is no maximum buy-in for limit games, though the host may choose to cap buy-ins based on the availability of chips
Cash is preferred for buy-ins. Credit may be extended entirely at the host's discretion. Chips will be applied to amount owed first at cash-out. Any amount owed from a previous game must be paid prior to being allowed to participate in any future games.
No ratholing. Chips must remain in play until a player cashes out.
Each player is responsible for verifying that their chip count and the banker’s chip count and the final payout all match. Any discrepancies must be addressed immediately.
Blinds
We use the “forward moving button” rule for cash games (continuity of blinds). See Robert's rules for an explanation of this rule
New players entering a game-in-progress are not required to post a big blind.
Players with missed blinds who wish to rejoin the game must either post one of each missed blind or wait for (and pay) the big blind or straddle.
When both blinds are posted, the small blind is dead (added to the pot) and is not part of a bet.
“Buy the button” rule: A new or returning player may only enter the game between the button and the small blind (one hand early) by buying the button. The new player posts both the big blind (live) and the small blind (dead, in the pot) in place of the two players to his/her left, who take a one-hand break from posting blinds. On the next hand, the player who just bought the button gets the button (and the deal) and play continues normally. Everyone ends up posting one of each blind, as usual.
If a player is absent when it is their turn to act, their hand is dead and they forfeit their blind, if any. Exception: be lenient with the host/banker when they’re otherwise busy.
Live straddle bets are allowed, before looking at cards (ideally before any cards are dealt) by the player first to act (left of the big-blind). A straddle must be at least 2 big blinds and not more than 5 big blinds. The full amount of the last straddle is also the minimum raise in the pre-flop betting round.
Button straddles, sleeper straddles, and Mississippi straddles are not allowed, because they’re too obscure and confusing (requiring explanations that slow down the game), and they tend to kill action.
Dealing
How to shuffle, cut, and deal properly: see TruePokerDealer.com (or their YouTube channel)
To speed up the game, and avoid the difficulties that come with dealing from the ends of the table, a player (typically the host) will typically sit in the dealer's seatand act as dedicated dealer. Dealing duties may be handed off to another willing player if the dealer wants a break.
We typically use two decks and use a “rotating shuffle” to speed up play:
Use two decks of cards (with different color backs) on alternating hands.
When a hand is over, the dealer hands the just-used deck to the new button. The button shuffles the cards without cutting.
The dealer receives the just shuffled cards from the button of the previous hand, cuts the deck, and deals.
When the dedicated dealer is on the button, they may pass the deck to another player to shuffle. Dedicated dealer shall not shuffle for their own deals except in case of a misdeal
If a player is not able or willing to shuffle, they may pass off the deck to another player to shuffle for them.
Cut the deck with one hand only. Place the shuffled deck on the table. Place the cut card in front of the deck. (A “cut card” is an opaque plastic card used to hide the bottom card from accidental view.) Lift a significant number of cards (between ⅓ and ⅔ of the deck) from the top of the deck and place them onto the cut card. Using the same hand, lift the remaining cards off the table and place them onto the cards already on top of the cut card.
Absent players who have paid all their blinds for that round should be dealt in. Absent players with missed blinds should not be dealt in.
When the action comes around to an absent player, their hand will be mucked regardless of their position or blinds paid.
Dealing an absent player in or out does not cause a misdeal.
Place the burn cards, face down, near the board (the community cards) and separated from the general muck (typically, under the chips in the pot or under the button). This way, the number of burn cards is evident to all.
Showdown
Showdown for side pots occur prior to showdown for any main pot.
The player who made the last aggressive action on the final betting round must open his/her hand first. If the final round was checked down, the first player on the dealer’s left (earliest position player) must open first.
To win any part of a pot at showdown, all hole cards must be shown.
No slow rolls: turn over both hole cards together and without delay.
The cards speak, regardless of verbal declarations of hands.
Players are responsible for reading hands and determining the winner.
Any player, in the hand or not, may (and should) speak up immediately if they think a mistake is being made in the reading of hands.
If a player verbally declares their hand, the winning hole cards must still be shown.
If a player miscalls their hand, causing opponent(s) to muck, the miscalled hand is automatically disqualified — even if the mucked hand(s) can be retrieved.
Retrieving mucked cards. Players may retrieve their cards immediately after mucking by mistake, but only if their cards are clearly identifiable. This is a privilege that may be revoked if abused.
In the case of a split pot, after splitting evenly, any odd chips go to:
The top board in multi-board split-pot games, or in run-it-twice situations
Holdem Hand in Texoma (SOHE)
High-hand in hi-lo split games.
Winner of the board in split-board/hand games (e.g. drawmaha)
Left of dealer in all other situations.