Texas Holdem Tournament Rules Home

Texas Hold'em is a 5 card poker game where players make wagers on the confidence in their hand's chances of winning. This type of poker uses 5 community cards that all players can use and 2 hole cards that are face down. Like any poker game the styles and strategies of play can get very complex and take years of dedicated play to learn.

East Valley Poker Tour Rules

This is the official East Valley Poker Tour (EVPT) Rules sheet.The EVPT will host a monthly Texas Holdem event, on either the first or second Saturday of the month.

1. Most home poker tournaments don’t have buy-ins worth more than $50 to $100. But if you’re hosting a high-stakes event, you should consider hiring security. This also seems extreme, but it’s a good precaution when you’re holding a larger tournament with big buy-ins involved.
2. For a home tournament, many people preferred an evenly spread prize payout. One example is 50/30/20, spread among the top three winners; more winners equals more fun.
3. In limit events, there is usually a limit to the number of raises, usually the limit is 3 raises. Sometimes, when the hand only has 2 players left, then there is unlimited raising. If it is no-limit then there is never a limit to the number of raises.

The tournament is not for serious gamblers, it is a friendly environment for people that love to play cards.The purpose of this rule sheet is to outline the blind structure, prizes, and point structure.If you want serious poker, go to the casino – this gathering is for a few drinks, laughs, and check-raising your buddies.

The invites for the EVPT will be sent via email using an online invitation tool and responses are required to hold a seat in the tournament. Responses should be given via the Website invitation tool.

Each month, the format will be a Texas Holdem elimination tournament that will follow the guidelines set forth in the following pages.All monies collected for the tournament will be paid back to the winning participants. (see Prize Structure for payout breakdown).

Buy-in, Rebuy and Add-ons:

The initial buy-in for the tournament is $25, which will be exchanged for $2000 in tournament chips.

During the first 3 rounds of play, if a participant’s chip stack is below $2000, they may rebuy for $20, which will be exchanged for $2000 in tournament chips.

At the end of 3 rounds of play, every participant, regardless of chip stack, is allowed to do a $20 “add-on” for another $2000 in tournament chips.

After the add-on period ends, there are no more rebuys or add-ons for additional chips.

[ Below Rule Added May 31st, 2016]

If a player brings one or more guests that have never played in the EVPT, each guest will receive an additional $2000 in chips added to their starting stack. The player bringing the guest(s) will also receive $2000 in chips for their starting stack. Even if a player brings multiple guests, the player will only receive a total of $2000 in additional chips.

Late Attendance:

In order to reward those that show up early and on time, the rules are as follows:

1) Cards will be in-the-air at 6:15pm

2)Players showing up before 6:00pm will receive an additional $1000 for their starting stack, for a total starting stack of $3000.

3)Players showing up after 6:00pm will receive the standard $2000 starting stack.

4)Cards will be dealt at 6:15pm, and players who have RSPVd but haven't arrived, will start being blinded off.

5)Players who haven't arrived by the end of the 3rd round (approx 7:00pm) will have their chips removed from play

Prize Structure:

Each month, the buy-in, rebuy, and add-on money will be used for the prize distribution.

90% of the money collected each month will be used to pay-out the top finishers.

10% of the money collected each month will be set-aside for the “Final 10 Tournament”

The “Final 10 Tournament” is an end-of-year tournament to be played by the top 9 players with the highest point total at the end of the year.The point calculation is described in the next section.

The monthly prize pool will be split in the following percentages, rounding to the nearest $20.

Blind Structure:

Each round will last 20 minutes. The blind structure, along with break times are outlined in the table below:

*NOTE: At the end of the Round 7, when the $100 chips are going to be removed and raced off for $500 chips, there may be a case of a player not having at least $500 in chips. (This happened in January 2013). If this is the case, which would mean losing a race would knock the player out of the tournament, then no races will occur at any table. Every player at every table who has between $100-$400 in chips remaining after chipping-up their $100 chips will receive one $500 chip.

Point Structure:

To qualify for the “Final 10 Tournament”, you must finish in one of the top 10 positions in points.Points are accrued in the following manner:

-10 points for participating in a monthly tournament

-1 point for the position where you were knocked out of the tournament:

oe.g. If you are the first person knocked out, you get 1 point, second player, 2 points, etc.If you’re the winner and there are 20 players, you accrue 20 points.

-10 points for participating

Bets With Oversized Chips

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

Limit to Number of Raises

In limit events, there is usually a limit to the number of raises, usually the limit is 3 raises. Sometimes, when the hand only has 2 players left, then there is unlimited raising. If it is no-limit then there is never a limit to the number of raises.

Cards Speak

Texas Hold'em Tournament Rules Homemade

The value of a hand is what the cards show, not what the player announces - although a player deliberately and repetitively miscalling his hand with the intention of fooling other players can be penalized.

Verbal declarations stand

If a player verbally announces a move, then he will be required to play according to his verbal declarations - even if he hasn't moved his chips.

String Bets

String bets are not allowed. When raising, a player must either put the amount of the raise out in one motion or state the raise amount. If the raise is unannounced then the raise must be made in one motion. If the raise is announced but no amount is announced (“I raise”) then the amount of the raise must be in one motion. If both the raise and the amount are announced (“I raise 800”) then the player can make several motions to put chips into the pot since there is no question about the details.

If the last bet on the table was 200, and a player states 'I raise 600', then this means that the player is raising BY 600, not TO 600. In other words, he is betting 800.

Texas Hold'em Tournament Rules Home Page

Table Stakes

Only the amount of chips the player has at the start of a hand is the amount available to wager. A player may not dip into his pocket for additional money during the hand. A player may put cash (or his wallet) into his stack before the start of the hand and have “cash play” as long as the house has a rule that cash plays.

Deck Changes

In most games, players are not allowed to ask for deck changes. There is rarely a legitimate reason to ask for a deck change. At casinos, sometimes they will accommodate a player's request for a deck change in order to placate him because he is a customer. At a home game, asking for a deck change would be considered an idiot request.

Card Visibility

It is a player's responsibility to make sure his cards are visible to other players at all times (they are allowed to lift their cards off the table to look at them). Dealers should remind players about this rule if they see a player slipping.

Unprotected Hands

If a dealer kills an unprotected hand, the player can't do anything about it because it is his responsibility to protect his cards. 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.

English only at the table.

Only English may be spoken at the table to ease player's fears about collusion.

Calling Time

A player can call time to think about his hand.

Sitting Out

In a tournament, a player has the right to sit out for as long as he wants as long as he posts his blinds. In a limit game, a player may sit out but needs to post a dead blind when sitting back in.

Showing Cards

When a player is all-in, he has to show his cards.

Showing Cards - Showdown - Who Shows First?

At the showdown:

• If everyone checks, then everyone must show their hand - in the order according to the button.
• If there is betting on the final round, then the player who puts in the final bet has to show first and the callers show next - in order according to the button.

Showing Cards - Showing Cards to Other Players

You are not allowed to show your cards to another player. If you show your cards to one player then you need to show them to all players, whether it is during a hand or after.

Showing Cards - Asking to See Other Player's Cards

A player may ask to see another player's mucked cards if he thinks they were cheating. If a player make this request too often then it will be ruled that he is abusing the rule in order to unfairly get information about another player.

Showing Cards - Just Showing One

In informal games, a player is sometimes allowed to show only one card to take down the pot. For example, if the board is JJ882, then he would show a J to indicate he had the nut full house, assuming it is good enough to win the pot. In formal games, you must show both cards in order to win the pot.

Discussing a hand

In laid-back home games, most of the time players are allowed to talk about a hand in play because it is fun. In formal games, players (whether in the hand or not) are not allowed to discuss hands until the hand is over. Talking about a hand can hurt certain players in a hand. A player may be penalized for breaking these rules.

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HPG ADMIN on March 1, 2013