Poker Nation House Rules
Floor Manager rulings are final! If you disagree with a ruling, you are welcome to sit out from the game and discuss it with the floor manager on duty. We will always attempt to make our rulings unbiased, and in the interest of fairness for all players involved, but if you’d like to have a discussion on the matter, you are welcome to, but it will not apply to the current hand. Prior history and poker experience may also have an impact on such decisions.
English only at the table. Please do not communicate in other languages during a hand.
Applicable charges must be paid before any cards are received. No betting or wagering of any kind may take place before the button charge is paid for a hand, or the seat charge paid for a tournament. This rule does not apply if charges are being waived for a promotional event.
Keep your chips and cards on the table. Please do not hide your cards behind your chips or fully under your hands. Do not hide your larger denomination chips behind smaller ones.
One player to a hand. Do not suggest possible hands, reveal anything about your folded cards, or speculate on what another player is holding or future events in the hand while a hand is in progress. Do not discuss the hand while you are still in it unless only two players remain. For tournaments, these conversations are not allowed until the tournament is down to two players.
Do not insult another player’s game decisions. Everyone has a right to play their cards any way they wish. Take your losses and wins with grace. Do not create a hostile or uncomfortable environment for other players.
Do not threaten or argue with another player. The general use of “curse” words is permitted. However, verbally threatening, insulting, or arguing with another player will not be tolerated. You will be asked to leave if you become argumentative in order to maintain a positive environment for our players. We will not hesitate to call the police for assistance if we perceive a threat to our property or another member of the club.
Do not use your cell phone while you are in a hand. Please pay attention to the game.
Straddles are allowed in cash games, with the following conditions. The player following the big blind may place a blind bet before receiving any cards. If that player elects to place a straddle bet, the player immediately following him may make an optional straddle as well, provided no player who will be dealt in that hand objects to it. The first straddle bet is equal to double the current big blind for that game, but may be rounded up to the nearest $5 at the player’s option. The second straddle bet is equal to double the first straddle bet. A straddle bet may not exceed 10% of a player’s total stack. (For example, you must have $40 in your stack to make a $4 straddle bet.) A straddle bet increases the current bet to that amount and if no one raises, the player who straddled will be given the option to raise in turn.
No “chops”. Players may not agree to “chop” a pot at any time. The pot will be awarded to the best hand at showdown, or the remaining player if all other players decide to fold.
Do not “slow roll”. The player who last showed aggressive action for the pot in question must show their hand first, but any player who believes they have the likely winner is encouraged to show their hand quickly so that the next hand can begin.
Cards speak. If you “table” your hand at the showdown (place on the table, face-up), your cards will speak for themselves, and you are not required to know what your best 5-card hand is. Do not make intentional, incorrect verbal declarations of your hand to cause another player to fold, or your hand may be ruled dead by the floor manager, and the pot awarded to the other player, regardless of whether or not their cards are identifiable in the muck.
“Rabbit Hunting” is discouraged. Please do not ask what cards would have appeared on the board. You may not “rabbit hunt” in a tournament at all in the interest of time.
No “going south”. No chips may be removed from play except for tips, button charges, and food/drink purchases unless you are leaving the game. If you return to the same game within six hours, you must buy in for at least the same amount you left with. You are not permitted to give chips to another player or allow another player to play your stack.
A “dead button” is used in tournaments, and a “moving button” in cash games. In tournaments, the button or small blind positions may be in empty seats to keep the rotation of blinds. In cash games, the button will always move to the next player, which may result in multiple big or small blinds until the button and blinds correct themselves. However, no player will have to pay more than one big and one small blind per orbit (provided, of course, that they are not required to post a missed blind).
No illegal substances. Members must abide by local laws. Do not smoke within 20 feet of the entrance of the club. Do not consume illegal drugs on the premises, and do not drive away from the premises while you are intoxicated beyond the legal limit. Please allow us to call you a cab.
These rules will be amended as needed. We will post amendments as soon as possible. Feel free to suggest if you notice something is missing from this list.
Robert’s Rules of Poker and the TDA Rulebook apply for all rules not mentioned here. Both of these rulebooks are available on request to any member who wishes to consult them.
Poker Nation Seating Policy
We will hold your seat for 15 minutes. If you leave the table with chips in play, your seat will be held for 15 minutes, at which time your chips will be removed from the table and held in the cage for your return if another player is waiting for a seat. If this happens, you will be placed at the top of the waiting list for one hour. Time extensions may be granted by the floor manager on a case-by-case basis.
Members may call ahead to get on the waiting list. If you have not arrived when a seat opens up, it will be offered to the next in line and your spot on the list will be retained. We will remove you from the list if you have not arrived within one hour of calling in.
Members may call ahead to lock up an existing seat for 15 minutes. If a seat is open with no one waiting, we will hold a seat for 15 minutes. If your time expires before you arrive and someone else arrives, you will be placed at the top of the waiting list for one hour and the seat given to the other player. No more than 2 seats may be locked up cumulatively at any time.
Poker Nation Penalty Policy
Penalty - First offense: Most minor offenses will only result in a verbal warning.
Penalty - Second offense: A second offense may result in a one-orbit penalty. The floor manager may rule your current hand dead or you may be allowed to finish it. You will not be allowed to play in any games in the club until the dealer button returns to the position it was in when your penalty was started.
Penalty - Third offense / other serious offenses: Offenses that have repeated three times in the same day, or more serious offenses may result in a up to a 24-hour ban from playing in the club.
Penalty - Very serious offenses: Serious offenses such as cheating, stealing, or violence on the premises may result in a permanent ejection from Poker Nation. Your membership fee will not be refunded. If you are in a tournament and not out of chips, your chips will be blinded down until they are gone. If your chips finished in the money, you may return the following day to collect your winnings. If you are in a cash game, your chips will be cashed out and your money will be given to you either immediately or the next business day at management’s discretion depending on the circumstances at the time.
Poker Nation
http://www.pokernationusa.com/staticpages/index.php/house_rules