SECTION 1 – TOURNAMENT RULES

1.    Players receive 3,000 starting tournament chips for a $60 entry fee.  Additional 3,000 “Rebuy” chips are available for $20 as follows:

• Before the start of the tournament for all players
• At any time during play for players with 3,000 chips or less
• An unlimited number of rebuys are permitted within the first hour of play.
• At the end of the rebuy period each player is entitled to 1 optional “Add on”.
• Add ons will include another 3,000 chips for $20.

2.    All tournament chips must remain visible on the table throughout the event.

3.    Players who have committed their attendance to the Tournament Director but have not arrived by the deal of the first hand will, be assigned a seat, issued chips, and dealt hands.  The missing player’s stack will post all appropriate blinds. If the absent player does not arrive within the first hour, the remaining chips will be removed from play.

4.    A player is eliminated after the all of their tournament chips. All players must leave their seat after being eliminated from the event.

5.    Limits and blinds are raised at regularly scheduled intervals – See official blind schedule.

6.    When one level ends, all hands in play will be completed at that level with the next hand being the first at the new level.  For the purpose of this rule, a hand is considered in play once the dealer begins to distribute the cards.

7.    Initial seating is determined by random draw.

8.    If a player is needed to move in order to balance tables, the player due for the big blind will be automatically selected to move, and will be given the earliest seat due for the big blind at his or her new table.    

9.    There will be a redraw for seating when the field is reduced to the final table of 9 players.

10.    If multiple players go broke on the same hand, the player starting the hand with the larger amount of chips will be awarded the higher finishing place.

11.    Inappropriate behavior such as throwing cards or verbal abuse may be punished with a penalty of being dealt out for a length of 10 minutes.  Severe infractions may be punished by eviction from the tournament at the discretion of the Tournament Director.

SECTION 2 – GENERAL POKER RULES

1.      You must “protect” your hand at all times.  Your cards may be protected with your hands, a chip, or other object placed on top of them.  If you fail to protect your hand, you will have no redress if it becomes fouled or the dealer accidentally kills it.
   
2.    Your hand is ruled “dead” if:

• You announce that you are folding when facing a bet or a raise
• You throw your hand away in a forward motion
• If another players cards are thrown into an unprotected hand

3.    Cards not intentionally discarded by a player may be retrieved at the discretion of the Tournament Director if they are clearly identifiable.

4.    Players away from the table will be dealt a hand.  The player’s stack will post all required blinds until the player returns.

5.    All bets shall be placed in front of the player taking action, but should only be “scooped” into the pot by the dealer after the round of betting is completed.

6.    The dealer will assist in counting and/or announcing all wagers.

7.    A verbal statement denotes your action and is binding.  If in turn you verbally declare a fold, check, bet, call, or raise, you are forced to take that action.

8.    Rapping the table with your hand will be considered a check.

9.    The minimum bet (not all-in) will be the size of  the big blind in all betting rounds

10.    The minimum raise must be equal or greater than the size of the original bet.

11.    Check-raising is permitted and an unlimited number of raises are permitted for each round of betting.

12.    String raises are not allowed.  To protect your right to raise, you should either declare your intention verbally or place the proper amount of chips into the pot.

13.    If you put a single chip in the pot that is larger than the bet, but do not announce a raise, you are assumed to have only called.

14.    Cards speak  (cards read for themselves).  The dealer will assist in reading hands, but players are responsible for holding onto their cards until the winner is declared. Players are not required to accurately identify their hand.

15.    If there is wagering on the final betting round, the last player to take aggressive action by a bet or raise is the first to show the hand.  If everyone checks on the final betting round, the player who is first to act must show the hand first.

16.    The dealer will be responsible for creating side pots if one player is all-in and remaining players wish to continue betting.

17.    All hands will be turned faceup whenever a player is all-in and no further bets are possible.


SECTION 3 – IRREGULARITIES

1.    The following circumstances cause a “misdeal”, provided attention is called to the error before two players have acted on their hands.

• The first or second card of the hand has been exposed by the dealer.
• Two or more cards have been exposed by the dealer
• An incorrect number of cards has been dealt to a player
• Cards have been dealt to an empty seat.
• A player is dealt out who is entitled to a hand.
• If a card with a different color back appears during a hand

2.    Any exposed cards that do not cause a misdeal will be announced by the dealer and used later as burn cards.
 
3.    A card discovered faceup in the deck will be announced and replaced by the next card below it in the deck.

4.    If the dealer fails to burn a card or burns more than one card, the error should be corrected if discovered before betting action has started for that round.  Once action has been taken on a board card, the card must stand.