Action Etiquette

Check Raising (Sandbagging) is allowed:
Check Raising means that if player A checks, then player B raises, player A is allowed to re-raise the bet.
An oral statement denotes a player's action, and is binding. It is best to orally declare your intentions to avoid confusion (*see string bets). A player should orally declare: fold, check, bet, call, or raise. It is best to orally declare the amount of a bet/raise (e.g., “I bet $10” or “I raise $30”). That said; rapping the table in turn constitutes a check.

String bets are not allowed. Any bet that is not orally declared prior to chip movement must be executed in one motion. An active player may not move chips from their stack into the playing area, reach back, one or more times, and move more chips into play, then declare this arbitrary amount of chips to be a legitimate bet. Only the original (first motion) amount of chips that was moved into play constitutes the current bet amount.

Bets should be placed in front of the player, not splashed into the pot. This permits all players to easily verify the current bet status. Once a round of betting is completed, the pot should be moved into the center of the table.

A player is never obligated to drop out of contention because of insufficient funds to play or to call the full amount of a bet. The player may call a bet for the total amount of chips possessed by that player. The excess part of the bet is either returned to the bettor or used to form a side pot with another player or players who matched the amount called, as applicable. There is no limitation on the number of side pots. A player who has put all remaining chips in play into the pot is said to be all-in. It is common for the player to verbally declare “All-in” when going all-in.

Live straddles are allowed in cash games. The player wishing to straddle must be in the seat to the immediate left of the big blind, and must place “twice the big blind amount” in play prior to the cards being dealt. This player then has the last pre-flop “option”, instead of the big blind.

Card Handling Etiquette

The cards will be riffle shuffled a minimum of seven(7) times, and cut once between each new deal.

If the first card a player in the blinds receives a misdeal pre-flop, the entire hand is declared a misdeal. Any other players receiving a misdeal pre-flop will be dealt a replacement card, and the misdealt card becomes the first burn card. More than one card being misdealt pre-flop constitutes a misdeal of the entire hand.

Any card that leaves the table during play (for any reason) is declared “dead” and will be shown and announced to every player at the table.

The cards may not leave the table at any time, or for any reason, during the game.

Players in a cash game may choose to reveal (one or both of) their own active hole cards, to the entire table, during the play of a hand and their hand remains “live”, unless they declare themselves to be folded or they muck.

Any live hole cards that touch mucked cards are declared “dead” unless said cards are “capped”.

Players who “hide” their hole cards (intentionally or not) risk being skipped in the action rotation, or causing a misdeal of the entire hand. This includes, but is not confined to:
Placing hole cards behind their own chip stack.
Covering hole cards from plain sight with their hands.
Removing hole cards from the table.

Active hole cards should be in plain view in front of the player, and “capped” with a poker chip or other item of the player’s choosing.

Burn cards that are exposed are shown and announced to the entire table. Active cards that are exposed prematurely will be shuffled back into the deck and the hand will continue.

If called, a player must show both hole cards to win a pot. If at any point during the hand, one player makes a bet that all others decline to call, the hand is over immediately, and the player who made the final wager takes the pot without the need to show his or her cards*.

*A special circumstance exist whereby any player at the table may request to see the hole cards of two players who play a hand to the river, and then one folds to the other when faced with a bet. This tactic is used to expose players who are suspected of colluding, and is consider “bad form” to make this request, unless a legitimate concern exists.

Insurance/side deals/multiple flops/proposition bets are all allowed, providing three conditions are met:
• All players active in the pot agree.
• The overall game action is not slowed, hindered, or otherwise delayed an inordinate amount of time.
• The “deal” does not suggest, nor constitute collusion, in the opinion of any players present at the table.
These criteria being met, active players in a pot may agree to run multiple flops, or divide the active pot in any way they choose.

Any player may “opt out” of any hand being dealt and retrieve his or her ante (blind) from the pot, provided they do so before the cards are dealt.

General Poker Etiquette

Any player, not involved in a hand, should not make verbal comments regarding the hand while it is in play. This includes, but is not confined to:
Calling out the board.
Speculating audibly on involved players’ hands.
Announcing the cards you folded.
Talking to, or about, players currently involved in the hand.
Otherwise creating distractions, visual and/or audible, during a hand in which you are not involved.

Acting slowly / acting out of turn is considered “bad form” and will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. This includes, but is not confined to:
Having to be told repeatedly to put in your blinds.
Having to be told repeatedly that the action is on you.
Folding, betting, or raising out of turn.
Consistently taking an inordinate amount of time to act.

Cheating
Practices such as: Card marking through bending or crimping cards, signaling, partnerships, and any other practice that grants an unfair advantage to any player(s) at the table will not be tolerated.

Buying in/Cashing-Out
Only the host or a person designated by the host will buy in or cash out players at the table. Please do not touch chips that are not in play.
If for any reason we run short on chips, cash on the table plays and is not to be taken off the table until play is concluded. When a player concludes for the night, all chips will be cashed-out. Any player may conclude play and ‘cash-out’ at any time, and for any reason.
The host will recount and verify all cash outs. This isn’t because we don’t trust you. We as hosts are responsible for the money in the game bank and are responsible for any mistakes made.

General Game Notes

These games are BYOE (Bring Your Own Everything)
Remember these games are not raked so please don’t expect to be catered to. You will be disappointed.
The game,stakes and buyin are posted when the game is announced. Please don’t expect them to change at game time.

If you have suggestions to make the game better and more enjoyable. Please email or talk to the host in private. We are always looking for ways to improve our games.

Legal Stuff

Many of the people that I have talked to are confused, and have many misconceptions about the legality of playing poker for money in the state of Texas. Here is the law concerning this type of activity:
The Texas Penal Code provides a defense to prosecution for gambling if (1) the game is conducted in a private place, (2) no person receives any economic benefit other than personal winnings, and (3) except for the advantage of skill or luck, the risks of losing and the chances of winning are the same for all players.

We vigorously take all precautions to meet these criteria. We do not have a “rake” or charge any admission. The ‘house’ does not profit from these games in any way. We run a ‘square game’ and are playing only for recreation and fun. Any player who does not come to the table with this attitude will not be invited again.