Rules

Registration & Entry:

  • First: Punctuality is much appreciated. If you are running late, but will be here, please contact the host. This is especially important in sold out games. If we are full, and you do not inform the host, your seat may be given up to any alternate players by the end of the 1st blind level.
  • If there are no alternate players, your seat will still be available until 2nd break without being blinded in. If by the end of the 2nd break, you have Not informed the host of you being late, you will be considered a no-show. If you have communicated that you Will be here, chips will not be in play until you have arrived & paid your entry.
  • Host(s) will Not pay early for you.
  • Other players are NOT to pay for you in order to get the early bonus*
    *(exceptions: family, carpoolers, couples)
  • No Entry once the 2nd Break is over.
  • Playing here, you understand & agree to a specified portion of your buy-in being allocated to The Royal Championship. Which makes you eligible to receive payouts, respectively.
  • If you have started play but must leave:
    Please let the host know, so that your chips can be picked up.
    There is no refund.
    If you leave without informing the host, your chips will remain in play until for 1 blind level, unless you’ve communicated with the host that you will be here. If/when it comes to your final chips being put in, you will be automatically out, whether you have winning cards or not.
    If your chips are still in play at the time of going to Final table, they will be removed from play.


Alternates

You may arrive early, pay and still receive the early bonus.
Alternates will be seated as players are knocked out, in the order of their respective rsvp. If next in line is not present, then the next player will be seated. So forth and so on.

No Call No Show
I can not stress this enough. IF you’re running late, please let the host know.
If you RSVP, you are expected to show up. Seating is limited and there may be others wanting to play. If you do not show up, and do not communicate that you couldn’t make it, there will be consequences.
If you do a No-call No-Show, then it will show on the leaderboard as “NS” and any future RSVPs that you had, will be deleted.
If you have three NS in any one season, then any future rsvps may be subject to deletion, at host’s discretion.

PARTICIPANT CONDUCT AND TOURNAMENT INTEGRITY

  • The competitive integrity of all Tournament play is paramount. All participants must adhere to the spirit and letter of the Official Rules of Arcadia Poker which forbid play or any action that is illegal, unethical or constitutes cheating or collusion in any form.
  • Cheating is defined as any act a person engages in to break the established rules of play to gain an advantage.
    Cheating includes, but is not limited to, acts such as: collusion; chip stealing; transferring non-value Tournament chips from one event to another; introducing chips not intended for an event, into an event, card marking; card substitution; or the use of any kind of cheating device.
    Collusion is defined as any agreement between or among two (2) or more participants to engage in illegal or unethical acts against other participants.
    Chip dumping is defined as any agreement between or among two (2) or more participants for one or more of the participants to bet chips with the intent of increasing another participant’s stack.
    Soft play is defined as any agreement between or among two (2) or more participants to not bet or raise each other in order to minimize the number of chips lost by those participants participating in the agreement.
    Collusion includes, but is not limited to, acts such as: chip dumping; soft play; sharing card information with another participant; sending or receiving signals from or to another participant; the use of electronic communication with the intent to facilitate collusion; and any other act that Arcadia Poker deems inappropriate.
  • All participants are entitled to expect civility and courtesy from one another at every Tournament table and throughout the Tournament area. Any individual who encounters behavior that is not civil or courteous — or is abusive in any way — is encouraged to immediately contact the Poker Director.
  • Anyone found to have engaged in or attempted to engage in any act that Tournament officials believe in their sole and absolute discretion compromises or could compromise the competitive integrity of Arcadia Poker may be subject to but not limited to, the following:
    FORFEITURE OF CHIPS
    FORFEITURE OF PRIZE MONEY
    EJECTION FROM THE TOURNAMENT
    LOSS OF PRIVILEGE TO PARTICIPATE IN FUTURE ARCADIA POKER EVENTS
  • Any and all violations of this Code of Participant Conduct may be publicly disclosed in an effort to deter future violations and to assist other poker Tournaments in identifying participants who engage in play or any action that is illegal, unethical, or constitutes cheating or collusion in any form.
  • Arcadia poker prohibits the use of obscene or foul language at any time. Any participant who uses such language or makes a foul, profane, obscene or vulgar statement, or speaks abusively or in an intimidating manner to another participant, a dealer or a Tournament staff member, will be penalized.
  • Any participant who taunts another participant through theatrics or gestures or engages in any form of inappropriate behavior intended to disrupt other players in the tournament will be subject to penalty
  • Participant or staff abuse will not be tolerated. A participant will incur a penalty up to and including disqualification for any abuse towards another participant or staff member, and the participant could be asked to leave the property. Repeated etiquette violations, including, but not limited to, touching another participant’s cards or chips, body, or clothing, delay of game and excessive chatter will result in penalties.
  • Where a situation arises that is not covered by these rules, the Poker Director shall have the sole authority to render a judgment, including the imposition of a penalty, in accordance with the best interests of the Tournament and the maintenance of its integrity and public confidence.

POKER RULES

  • The Tournament Director and Dealers are to consider the best interest of the game and fairness as the top priority in the decision-making process. Unusual circumstances can on occasion dictate that decisions in the interest of fairness take priority over the technical rules. The Tournament Director (“TD”) reserves the right to overrule any floor decision.
  • Not at your seat = Dead hand: If you are not within arm’s length of your cupholder at the time your first card is dealt, then your hand is dead and is to be immediately mucked out of play.
  • Official Language: The English-only rule will be enforced at all Arcadia Poker tables during Tournament play. Participants who violate this rule are subject to penalty.
  • Official Terminology of Tournament Poker: Official terms are simple, unmistakable, time-honored declarations like: bet, call, fold, check, all-in. Regional terms may also meet this standard. The use of non-standard language is at participant’s risk because it may result in a ruling other than what the participant intended. It is the responsibility of participants to make their intentions clear.
  • Non-Standard and Unclear Betting: participants use unofficial betting terms and gestures at their own risk. These may be interpreted to mean other than what the participant intended. Also, whenever the size of a declared bet can reasonably have multiple meanings, it will be ruled as the lesser value. For example, “I bet five.” If it is unclear whether “five” means 500 or 5,000, the bet stands as 500.
  • Count of Opponent’s Chip Stack: Players are entitled to a reasonable estimation of opponents’ chip stacks. Players may only request a more precise count if facing an all-in bet. The all-in player is not required to count; if he opts not to, the dealer or floor will count it. Accepted action applies
  • Communication: All cell phones and other voice-enabled and “ringing” electronic devices must be set to vibrate or silent during Tournament play. Participants not involved in a hand (cards in muck) shall be permitted to text/email at the table, but shall not be permitted to text/email any other participant at the table. If a dealer, acting in its sole and absolute discretion, believes a participant is communicating with another participant at the table, both parties will be immediately disqualified from the Tournament.
    Phone calls are to be taken away from the table and participant’s hand(s) will be inactive until their return to the table, off the phone.
  • Declarations: Cards speak to determine the winner. Verbal declarations of hand value are not binding at showdown. However, deliberately miscalling a hand to cause another player to muck his hand, may be penalized. Any player, in the hand or not, should speak up if he or she thinks a mistake is being made in the reading of hands. However at the dealer’s discretion, any participant deliberately miscalling his or her hand will be subject to penalty.
  • Face up for All-Ins: All cards will be turned face up once a participant is all-in and all betting action for the hand is complete. If a participant accidentally folds/mucks their hand before cards are turned up, the Tournament Staff reserves the right to retrieve the folded/mucked cards if the cards are clearly identifiable.
  • Killing Winning Hand: A dealer cannot kill a winning hand that was tabled and was obviously the winning hand. A tabled hand is defined as a hand that a participant places on the table such that the dealer and all participants at the table can read. Participants are encouraged to assist in reading tabled hands if it appears that an error is about to be made.
  • Showdown: In a non all-in showdown, if cards are not spontaneously tabled, the Dealer may enforce an order of show. The last aggressive player on the final betting round (final street) must table first. If there was no bet on the final street, then the player who would be first to act in a betting round must table first (i.e. first seat left of the button) Players not still in possession of their cards at showdown, or who have mucked face down without tabling their cards, lose any rights or privileges they may have to ask to see any hand. The winning hand must be shown to claim the pot. If a participant refuses to show their hand and intentionally mucks his or her hand, the participant in violation will receive a penalty.
  • Awarding Odd Chips: If identical hands win, the pot will be split as evenly as possible and any odd chip goes to the first seat left of the button.
  • Playing the Board at Showdown: When playing the board a player must table all hole cards in order to get part of the pot.
  • Disputed Pots: The right to dispute a hand ends when a new hand begins. A hand begins with the first card dealt.
  • Color Ups: At scheduled color-ups, Players must have their chips fully visible and are encouraged to witness the color up. If after the color up, a player still has chips of a removed denomination, they will be  removed without compensation.
  • New Hand and New Limits: When time has elapsed in a round and a new level is announced, the new level applies to the next hand.
  • Calling-for-clock: Once a reasonable amount of time has passed and a clock is called(only by a current tournament player at the table), a participant will be given 45 seconds to make a decision. If action has not been taken by the time the 45 seconds has expired, there will be a 10-second countdown followed by a declaration or stop-watch alarm. If a participant has not acted before the declaration or alarm sounds, the hand will be dead.
  • Non-Standard Folds: Anytime before the end of the last betting round of a hand, folding in turn when there’s been no bet to you (ex: facing a check or first to act post-flop) or folding out of turn are both binding folds.
  • Dead Button: Tournament play will use the dead button rule. Dead Button is defined as a button that cannot be advanced due to elimination of a participant or the seating of a new participant into a position between the small blind and the button.
  • Combining tables: Dealers will try to keep tables even at all times. When they are off by 2 or more players, the table with more players will move player(s) big blind of the next hand (exception: designated dealer). Player moving over will sit as close to next big blind as possible. Transferred player can not come in on a small blind and can only come in ON the button, if it is a dead button.
  • Button in Heads-up Play: In heads-up play, the small blind is on the button and acts first pre-flop and last on all other betting rounds. The last card is dealt to the button. When beginning heads-up play, the button may need to be adjusted to ensure neither player has the big blind twice in a row.
  • Misdeals: May include but are not necessarily limited to:
    A) 2 or more boxed cards on the initial deal;
    B) first card dealt to the wrong seat;
    C) cards dealt to a seat not entitled to a hand;
    D) a seat entitled to a hand is dealt out;
    E) if either of the first 2 cards dealt off the deck or any other 2 down-cards are exposed by dealer error. Players may be dealt 2 consecutive cards on the button.
    If a misdeal is declared, the re-deal is an exact re-play: the button does not move, no new players are seated, and limits stay the same. Cards are dealt to players on penalty or who were not at their seats for the original deal, and their hands are killed after the re-deal. The original deal and re-deal count as one hand for a player on penalty, not two.
  • Verbal Declarations / Action in Turn: Verbal declarations in turn regarding wagers are binding. Participants must act in turn at all times. Action out of turn will be binding if the action to that participant has not changed. A check, call or fold is not considered action changing. If a participant acts out of turn and the action changes, the person who acted out of turn may change their action by calling, raising or folding and may have their chips returned. Participants may not intentionally act out of turn to influence play before them. A player skipped by out of turn action must defend his right to act. If the skipped player has not spoken up by the time substantial action occurs to his left, the out of turn action is binding. The Director will be called to render a decision on how to treat the skipped hand.
  • Methods of Calling: Standard and acceptable forms of calling include: A) verbally declaring “call”; B) pushing out chips equal to a call; C) silently pushing out an oversized chip; or D) silently pushing out multiple chips equal to a call
  • Method of Raising: A raise must be made by:
    A) Placing the full amount in the pot in one or more continuous motion(s) without going back toward the participant’s stack or
    B) Verbally declaring the full amount prior to the initial placement of chips into the pot or
    C) Verbally declaring “raise” prior to the placement of the exact amount to call into the pot and then completing the action with one additional motion back to the participant’s stack. If other than the exact amount to call, but less than a minimum raise is first put out, it will be ruled a minimum raise.It is the participant’s responsibility to make their intentions clear.
  • Raises: If a participant puts in a raise of 50% or more of the previous bet but less than the minimum raise, he or she will be required to make a full raise. The raise will be exactly the minimum raise allowed.
    All raises must be equal to or greater than the size of the previous bet or raise on that betting round. An all-in wager of less than a full raise does Not reopen the betting to a participant who has already acted. EXAMPLE: Player A bets 1,000. Player B raises to 4,000 total. Player C goes All-in for 5,000 total… if no more raising occurs and Player A calls the 5,000… Player B options are only to Call or Fold. Player A could have raised because he has not acted on either full raises. Now, if another player had raised to 8,000 or more, then player B would have the option to re-raise.
  • Over-sized Chip Betting: Putting a single over-sized chip into the pot will be considered a call if the participant doesn’t announce a raise.
  • Strings Bets and Raises: Dealers will be responsible for calling string bets/raises. All participants at the table are encouraged to assist in calling a string bet/raise if a dealer fails to identify it. String bets/raises called by a participant must be verified by a floor person. A string bet/raise is defined as attempting a bet or raise in multiple movements that include a return to a participant’s stack without a prior verbal declaration of intent or visual deception intended to induce action out of turn before a participant’s action is complete.
  • Cards and Chip-stacks kept Visible, Countable, and Manageable. Discretionary Color-Ups: Participants are entitled to a reasonable estimation of an opponent’s chip count; thus chips should be kept in countable stacks. Clean stacks in multiples of 20 are recommended as a standard. Participants must keep their higher denomination chips visible and identifiable at all times. Dealers will control the number & denomination of chips in play and may color up at their discretion. Players with live hands must keep their cards in plain view at all times.
  • Chips in Transit: All chips must be visible at all times. Participants may not hold or transport Tournament chips in any manner that takes them out of view or out of the Tournament area. A participant who does so will forfeit the chips and face disqualification. The forfeited chips will be taken out of play. It has never acceptable to conceal chips in any manner, whether in pockets, under clothing or in closed hands, etc. Chips must remain visible to floor staff, dealers and other participants at all times.
  • Protect Your Hand: participants must protect their own hands at all times. A protected hand is defined as a hand sitting on the table surface with a card guard placed on top of the hand. If a dealer or participant kills or fouls an unprotected hand, the participant will have no redress and will not be entitled to his or her money back. If the participant initiated a bet or raise and hasn’t been called, the uncalled bet or raise will be returned to the participant.
  • Bounties: Bounties are worth a predetermined cash dollar amount and are part of your buy-in. Regardless of where you place in the tournament, these chips are redeemable for a cash payout. They are earned by knocking a player out of our tournament and collecting the player’s bounty chip. If more than 1 player has the same hand when knocking out another, ie: Player A is all in, Player B & C both call and both make the same straight to defeat player A, who gets the bounty? First, if only one player had more chips than Player A, then that player gets the bounty. If both Player B & C had Player A covered, then the bounty will be awarded to the player with the highest hole card, including suit ranking.
  • Penalties: In its sole and absolute discretion, Dealers may impose penalties ranging from a verbal warning, one missed hand(away from the table) up to disqualification and expulsion from the Arcadia Poker. Penalties will be invoked in cases of soft-play, abuse or disruptive behavior, and cheating or collusion. A penalty will also be imposed if a participant throws a card off the table, forcefully mucks their cards causing one or all cards to turn over, violates the one-participant-to-a-hand rule or engages in similar behavior.
    One-participant-to-a-hand means a participant may not receive advice from anyone while in a hand and may not provide advice to any participant while that participant is in a hand.
    Dealers can assess a verbal warning, a missed hand or one-round penalties and disqualification.
    Repeat infractions are subject to escalating penalties up to disqualification.
    It should be noted that penalties may not always be imposed in successive manner. Tournament staff in their sole discretion, for example, can disqualify a person for a first offense if action of participant is deemed worthy.
  • Disqualification: A participant who is disqualified shall have his or her chips removed from play and no refund will be provided to that disqualified participant. Any participant who forfeits play for health or other personal reasons after the start of a Tournament will have his or her chips blinded off accordingly.
  • Table Talk / Disclosure: participants are obligated to protect the other participants in the Tournament at all times. Therefore, whether in a hand or not, participants may not:
    1. Disclose contents of live or folded hands
    2. Advise or criticize play at any time
    3. Read a hand that hasn’t been tabled
    4. Discuss strategy with an outside source.
  • Exposing Cards and Proper Folding: A participant exposing his or her cards with action pending will incur a penalty, and will have a dead hand. The penalty will begin at the end of the hand. All participants at the table are entitled to see the exposed card(s), if requested. When folding, cards should be pushed forward low to the table, not deliberately exposed or tossed high (“helicoptered”).

A good deal of money is spent on Nice Plastic playing cards, Chips & Poker tables. Please treat the property & people with respect and everything should be fine.  Please don’t drink more than you can handle, no fire-arms, and smoking of any kind is not allowed inside the house or near doorways or windows. Violation of these rules may result in suspension from future games here.

Don’t hesitate to ask any questions. Suggestions are also welcome.