Pacific Northwest Poker League

No Limit Hold 'Em Tournament Official Rules

1. All players start with an equal amount of chips and continue play until one player remains and accumulates all of the chips.

2.  Players are obligated to take their "Blinds" ( a "blind is a fixed amount of money, determined by the size of the game that is automatically put into the pot in Hold-em tournaments, prior to the hand being dealt, to force action).  Blinds are raised consistently throughout the tournament according to the blind structure.

3.  The dealer button remains in position until the appropriate blinds are taken.  Players must post blinds every round.

4.  If a player in the small blind is eliminated, the button moves to the empty position and the player immediately to the right of the button deals the hand for the missing player.  If the player in the big blind is eliminated, the small blind position is dead and only the big blind is posted.  This ensures that all players post the big blind every round.

5.  New players are dealt in immediately unless floor manager states otherwise.

6. The lowest denomination of chip in play will be removed from the table when it is no longer needed in the blind structure.  All lower denomination chips that are of sufficient quantity for new chip will be changed up directly.  The remaining odd chips will be rounded up to the next chip denomination.

7.  The Small Blind (SB) is the position immediately to the left of the dealer button and the Big Blind (BB) is the player to the immediate left of the SB.  (It is possible for a player to take two BB in a row.  For Example, if he had just had the BB at his table, which just broke down and then was seated in the BB at his new table.)

8.  When two players remain, the player due to assume the BB as well as the button so that the player in the BB has the last opportunity to act (i.e., check or raise the BB).

9. An absent player is always dealt a hand, and will be put up for all blinds.

10.  If a player is accidentally dealt a card face up (or a card is seen by someone at the table), the dealer continues to deal the hole card to all players.  The dealer then replaces the seen card with a new card and the seen card becomes the first burn card.

11. If your cards are touched by other cards including the flop/turn/river cards, even when you are showing for determination of the winner, your hand CAN be considered mucked (even if your hand would have won otherwise!!!)  Keep your cards in front of you until play is complete!  If your cards are not protected by either your hand or a card protector (see the floor manager for card protectors) and ANY cards touch yours, your hand CAN considered mucked. See Floor Manager For Enforcement of this rule!  

12. All bets must be placed in front of you, NOT in the pot. After the betting action for the round is complete, then the chips are to be placed into the main pot.

 13.  If a player lacks sufficient chips for a blind or forced bet, the player is entitled to get action on whatever amount of money remains.  In this situation, a side pot could occur for players with remaining chips.

14.  All hands will be turned up whenever a player is “all in” and the betting action is complete. With the exception of the “called” players cards, players are under no obligation to show their hands.  The “showing of hands” are at the complete discretion of the “conceded” player and looking at these cards without the conceded players permission is grounds for disqualification.

15.  When a player loses all of his chips, they are eliminated from play. 

16.  If two or more players are eliminated on the same hand, the player who started the hand with the most chips will be awarded the higher finishing position.

17.  Tournaments will continue until one player wins all of the chips.  A 3-hour time limit may be applied, if so the player with the most chips wins.

18.  Player's chips must remain on the table at all times and visible to all players and dealer. The only time that your chips can leave the table is when you are being reassigned to another table.

19. State your betting intent before placing your chips, i.e., “raise”, “call”, or  “check”.  If only one chip is placed as a bet and is not CLEARLY verbalized as a raise, it will be considered a call.  NO EXCEPTIONS!!!

20.  All cards must remain above the tabletop during play.

21.  All bets and raises must be at least the amount of the big blind, but can be any amount above that.

22. It is illegal to move more chips than you intend to bet into the “play area”. Once chips have been placed in front of you (the play area)  they cannot be removed for ANY reason. 

23.  One player per hand.  Once the player is eliminated from a session, they must vacate their seat. Observers who speculate on cards in play or assist players still in the tournament will be asked to leave and could cause the “assisted” player to be disqualified.

24. It is a violation of both this leagues rules and poker etiquette to leave the table unnecessarily, hold up action with “non playing” activities, excessive socializing with members not at your table as well as sharing and obtaining information about your hand from others during play.

25.  Poker etiquette is expected from all players.  Inappropriate behavior like throwing cards/chips that go off the table, arguing, excessive cursing, cheating etc., may result in the player being evicted from the tournament and the facility and may not be allowed to play in the future tournaments.

26.  Management retains the right to cancel any event or alter it in a manner fair to all players.

27.  All participants are prohibited from placing any form of currency on a session table, as state law prohibits this.  There will be no exception to this rule and violators will be asked to leave immediately.

28.  There will be no gambling whatsoever on any hands or outcomes of the tournaments.  Any violation will result in the player being evicted from the current tournament, the facility and all future tournaments.

29.  The floor manager's decision is final on all disputes. All Rules are enforceable by the floor manager exclusively, not the players.  please contact floor manager for decision regarding enforcement of any and all rules.  Common sense shall prevail!