Rules

below are some of the rules that were recently created/voted on at Bellagio's in Vegas. The ideal was to come up with "standard" rules for tournament play. Doughboys will be following these rules as well. You regular players will notice some changes to our current rules. I have made notations below the rules if there were changes to "Doughboys" current rules. The following was taken from the card player magazine Feb. 2004

Linda Johnson
2004 Tournament Directors Association Rules — Part I
Many tournament directors met at Bellagio's recently to vote on rules for the Tournament Directors Association (TDA) to use in 2004. The meeting was very productive, since the attendees really understood the need for standardized rules as a result of the tremendous growth in the popularity of poker tournaments. There was a lot of give and take, and in the end, we agreed to 37 TDA rules;  As chairperson for the meeting, I would like to thank the tournament directors who attended the meeting and gave their input.

The goal of the TDA is to adopt basic standards, rules, and procedures for poker tournaments that will positively impact the poker industry. Any tournament director who wants to register his card room to be a member of the TDA should contact Matt Savage at MsavageTD@aol.com or Dave Lamb at lamb502000@yahoo.com. There is no charge to be a member, but members must agree to abide by the TDA rules for the entire year.

Changes made to past rules are listed first.   top

Tournament Directors Association Rules

1. Chip-race rule: When it is time to color-up chips, they will be raced off with a maximum of one chip going to any player. The chip-race always will start in the No.1 seat.

* we used to start the race with the person sitting left of the dealer, we will now start in seat 1

Chip Race is described here :

The Chip Race
A confusing aspect of the increasing stakes is the way in which some tournaments get rid of the small denomination chips. At some point in the tournament, the dealer may "race off" all the red $5 chips. Each player puts all their red chips in front of them, and the dealer converts them to as many green $25 chips as possible. Whatever red chips remain are raced off: each player receives one card for each chip, and the player receiving the highest card (ace, king, etc) wins everybody's reds and converts them to greens. Bridge suits break ties for the high card (spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs). In other tournaments, the red chips may simply be rounded to green chips. Although rounding can change the total amount of money in play, it is better at preserving the players' relative chip positions.  Some tournaments use a new chip race technique that only awards one chip to the player with the highest card. Then that player is ineligible to receive more chips. If more chips remain, the player having the next highest card receives the next chip and becomes ineligible also, and so on until all chips are distributed.   top

TO SAVE TIME DURING THE COLOR UP PROCESS. WE WILL NOW USE THE "ROUND-UP" PROCESS. THIS IS SIMPLY THAT IF YOU HAVE <1-3> RED CHIPS (or the color we are clearing off the table) YOU WILL RECEIVE <1> OF THE NEXT HIGHER CHIP. NO RACE WILL TAKE PLACE ANYMORE

2. Odd chips: The odd chip(s) will go to the high hand. In flop games, when there are two or more high hands or two or more low hands, the odd chip(s) will go to the left of the button. In stud-type games, the odd chip will go to the high card by suit.

IF THERE IS AN <ODD> CHIP IN A SPLIT POT, THE ODD CHIP WILL GO TO THE PLAYER CLOSER TO THE BUTTON FROM THE <LEFT> WE USED TO GIVE IT TO THE PLAYER CLOSER <BEHIND> THE BUTTON BUT INSTEAD IT WILL BE <IN FRONT> OF THE BUTTON

3. Side pots: Each side pot will be split as a separate pot. They will not be mixed together before they are split.  top

4. Calling for the clock procedures: Once a reasonable amount of time has passed and a clock is called for, a player will be given one minute to make a decision. If action has not been taken by the time the minute is over, there will be a 10-second countdown. If a player has not acted on his hand by the time the countdown is over, the hand will be dead.

* if we start getting larger numbers of players then we will institute a "clock" but for now we will not use one unless someone is really abusing their time to act

5. Dead Button: Tournament play will use a dead button.

* we currently use this structure, simply put the button passes one seat to the left no matter weather someone is sitting there or not  top

6. Penalties: A penalty MAY be invoked if a player exposes any card with action pending, if a card(s) goes off the table, if softplay occurs, or similar incidents take place. Penalties WILL be invoked in cases of abuse, disruptive behavior, or similar incidents.

7. Players must be at the table to call time. In flop games, the big blind's hand will be dead if he is not there to act on it before the flop. In stud-type games, the forced low hand will be immediately dead if the player is not there to act on his hand at the time he is required to put money in the pot (the minimum bring-in will be posted and the hand will be killed).

8. Half-bet rule: If a player puts in a raise of 50% or more of the previous bet, he will be required to make a full raise. The raise will be exactly the minimum raise allowed.

* simply put... you must raise at <least> the amount of the big blind   top

9. All cards will be turned face up once a player is all-in and all action is complete.

10. In limit games, an oversized chip will be constituted to be a call if the player does not announce raise. In no-limit, an oversized chip before the flop is a call; after the flop, an oversized chip put in the pot will constitute the size of the bet.

* oversized chip example is... if the blinds are $5 $10 and you put in a $25 chip and don't say anything, then before the flop it is just a call and after the flop (first person to bet after flop) it is a bet of $25

11. The one player-to-a-hand rule will be enforced.   top

12. A draw for the button will be held at the beginning of each flop-type event.

13. Tournament and satellite seats will be randomly assigned. In satellites, the dealer will shuffle and give each player a seat assignment that cannot be exchanged.

14. The English-only rule will be enforced during tournament play. 

Accepted 2002 TDA Rules

15. A player who wants to use a cellular phone must step away from the table.

* we aren't going to enforce this unless we start getting larger number of players or if the phone call slows down play   top

16. There will be no foreign chips on the table except for a maximum of one card cap.

17. Deck changes will be on the dealer push or limit changes or as prescribed by the house. Players may not ask for deck changes.

* I myself thought this was an interesting rule. I have myself asked for a deck change during tournament play in Vegas and no one said anything about it

IN A NUT SHELL.... THERE WILL BE <NO> DECK CHANGES DURING THE TOURNAMENT UNLESS A CARD GETS BENT OR MARKED IN SOME WAY THAT IS OBVIOUS

18. When time has elapsed in a round and a new round is announced, the new limits apply to the next hand. A hand has begun with the first riffle.

19. A player may not miss a hand. If a player announces the intent to rebuy before the first card is dealt, that player is playing behind and is obligated to make the rebuy.

20. Players must keep their highest denomination chips visible at all times.

* this one I agree with 100%  many times I have seen players "hide" their bigger chips and you cant see what their chip count is   top

21. Verbal declarations as to the content of a player’s hand are not binding; however at management’s discretion, any player deliberately miscalling his hand may be penalized.

22. No rabbit hunting is allowed.

23. A player who intentionally dodges his blind(s) when moving from a broken table may forfeit the blind(s) and/or incur a penalty. The money will be put into the next pot and may be considered dead money.

24. All chips must be visibly displayed at all times. Players may not have tournament chips in their pockets at any time. A player who has chips in his pocket will forfeit the chips. The forfeited chips will be taken out of play from the tournament.

25. Moving players: In flop games, players will be moved from the big blind to the worst position.   top

26. In limit events, there will be a limit to raises, even when heads-up. (The limit will be the house limit.) Once the tournament becomes head-up the rule does not apply.

27. In stud-type games, if any of the players’ two down cards are exposed due to dealer error, it is a misdeal.

28. If a dealer kills an unprotected hand, the player will have no redress and will not be entitled to his money back. An exception would be if a player raised and his raise had not been called yet, he would be entitled to receive his raise back.

29. Dealers cannot kill a winning hand that was turned face up and was obviously the winning hand.

30. Verbal declarations in turn are binding. Action out of turn may be binding.   top

31. Floor people 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 the technical interpretation of the rules be ignored in the interest of fairness. The floor person’s decision is final.

* simply put.... Doughboy's decision is final lol

32. Management reserves the right to cancel or alter any event at its sole discretion in the best interest of the casino or its players.

33. Players going from a broken table to fill in seats assume the rights and responsibilities of the seat. They can get the big blind, the small blind, or the button. The only place they cannot get a hand is between the small blind and the button.

34. Penalties available for use by the TD are verbal warnings, 10, 20, 30, and 40 minutes away from the table and may be used with discretion. These may be utilized up to and including disqualification. A player who is disqualified shall have his chips removed from play.   top

35. Players, whether in the hand or not, may not discuss the hands until the action is complete. Players are obligated to protect the other players in the tournament at all times. Discussing cards discarded or hand possibilities is not allowed. A penalty may be given for discussion of hands during the play.

36. A player who exposes his cards during the play may incur a penalty, but will not have his hand killed.

*** YOUR HAND WILL BE DEAD AT DOUGHBOY'S IF YOU SHOW IT WITH ACTION STILL LEFT

37. In NL or PL, when raising, you either put the amount of the raise out in one motion or state your raise amount. If you state the amount, you may make more than one motion.

* this seems to be a problem when you get a lot of "new" players. I feel that enforcing this will help all of us out in the long run

the only other "change" that will be made at Doughboy is   top

in closing, the above rules have pretty much been followed at Doughboys. With the exception of the new "chip race" thing will pretty much stay the same. If anyone has any comments or questions on the above then please let me know.