Online Poker Tournaments Rules

Posted by Pocket52 on January 20th, 2021

In order for an online poker tournament to run smoothly, players must adhere to a number of rules. We list the most important ones here, useful to know.

1. Floor people

Leaders should always act in the interests of the game and have honesty as the highest priority when making a decision. Unusual circumstances can sometimes dictate abandoning the technical interpretation of the rules in the interests of fair play. The decision of the floor person is final.

2. Sidepot

A pot that arises when several players are all-in but not all have the same amount of chips. The poker chips of the player with the smallest stack and everyone who pays all-in go into the main pot. The chips played by the remaining players will go into a side pot. Each pot will be split as a separate pot. They will not be joined together until they are split. This affects the procedure around the remaining chips.

3. Request Clock Procedure

When a reasonable amount of time has passed a player can request the clock, the player whose turn it is will be given one minute to make his decision. If that decision has not been made by then, a ten-second countdown will be performed aloud. If the player has not yet acted, his hand will be 'dead'.

4. Dead button

A 'dead button' may occur at the table. If the small blind flies off the table, he should get the button the next hand. Now the button is placed in front of the empty seat, instead of in front of the player to the left of it.

5. Cards face up

If at least one player is all-in and all the action has been done (ie there is a maximum of one player in the pot with chips left in front of him), all cards must be exposed before any further dealt. It is allowed to deal as usual and the players can decide for themselves whether or not to reveal their hand.

6. 50% Rule

If a player raises 50% or more of the previous bet or raise, he will be required to supplement it up to a full raise. This raise will be exactly the minimum increase allowed. If a player places less than 50% of the previous bet or raise without verbal declaration of his raise, it will be a call only.

7. Large chip

Placing a single large chip will be considered a call if the player does not indicate a raise. In No Limit, if no bet has already been made, a single large chip will be the amount of the bet. Unless stated otherwise by the player.

8. One player per hand

Only one player per hand is allowed. It is not allowed to seek advice from other players or spectators during a hand.

9. Highest chips

Players must always keep the highest value poker chips visible to other players.

10. Verbal Showdown

Verbal statements about the player's poker hand at showdown are not binding. Try to be honest about your hand at all times and show what you have.

11. Rabbit hunting

Rabbit hunting is asking for the remaining cards that would have been dealt with when the pot was completed. This is only allowed in exceptional cases and with the consent of all players. Players who keep wanting to know what the last card would have brought will slow down the game.

12. Chips visible

All chips must be visible at all times. Players are not allowed to have chips in their pockets at any time. A player who has chips in their pockets will have to hand them in and they will be removed from play.

13. Misdeal

In flop games, a misdeal is when one of the first two cards is revealed. If this happens in the first partial round, the deal will be repeated. If this happens in the second partial round, the person who gets the wrong card will be skipped and will then receive the burn card as the 2nd card. Unless the victim, without having seen his card, disagrees, he can ask to share it again.

14. Unprotected hand

It is the player's job to protect his hand. If the dealer mucks an unprotected hand, the player will have no right to get his chips back. An exception is if the player in question has raised, but his raise has not yet been called. In this case, he can get back the amount of his raise that has not yet been called.

15. Mucking Winning Hand

When the board is exposed and the other player mucked (closed), the winner is not obliged to show his hand.

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