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Cash Game rules

General Rules

  1. Poker manager / floor manager – For the poker manager and his representative, regard for fairness and the most appropriate solution in the interest of the game take highest priority. Situations not mentioned in this rule are decided by management or its representative reasonably and in accordance with the respective circumstances. In the interest of fairness, unusual circumstances can mean a rule is not interpreted in its actual sense. The decisions of the poker manager or his representative are final.
  2. Player responsibilities – Players are expected to verify their registration information and seat assignment, protect their hands, clearly state their intentions, follow the action, act in turn, defend their right to act, keep their cards visible, keep their chips correctly stacked, remain at the table during a live hand, speak up if they notice an error, transfer tables promptly when asked, follow the hand, know and comply with the rules, and generally contribute to an orderly tournament.
  3. Table language – While playing for a pot only German or English may be spoken.
  4. Official terms – In the various actions, simple, unmistakable, internationally customary declarations such as bet, raise, call, all-in, raise pot, complete and passive actions such as fold and check are to be used. The use of non-standard declarations or gestures occurs at one's own risk because it may result in a decision other than what was intended by the player. The players bear the responsibility for making their intentions clear.
  5. Electronic devices – The use or placement on the poker table of mobile telephones, tablets, laptops or other electronic devices or objects is not tolerated under any circumstances. For telephone calls the player must leave the table. Every player may place or use various electronic devices (with the exception of headphones) next to the gaming table as long as he is not actively participating in a hand and the game has not been interrupted. The hand of a player who violates this rule may be declared invalid.

    The chips and cards of the players must be visible to the other players and personnel at all times and a fast game must be guaranteed.
  6. At your seat – Every seat where a valid table stake is placed receives cards. If a player leaves his seat, his blinds will be taken in every round in turn as long as there is a valid table stake active placed.                The hand of a player who is not at his seat once the deal is completed is invalid.
  7. Pot limit – In No-limit the dealer may at no time provide information about the amount of the pot.
  8. Indivisible chips – All bets must be divisible by the ante or small blind and can be made using any valid Casinos Austria value chips. Exception: in Limit 2/5 all bets must be divisible by the big blind. The player receives any resulting odd chips back. If a pot needs to be split between two or more players due to parity of hands, in Texas Hold'em and Omaha the odd chip goes to the player sitting closest to the button according to the betting order.

    In Seven Card Stud, the odd chips go to the player with the highest card (including by suit) in his hand. A pot is only split up to the amount of the small blind or ante.
  9. Misdeal – A misdeal occurs when:
    a.) Two or several additional cards have been dealt
    b.) No cards have been dealt to a player
    c.) The first or second card has been revealed

    If two or more active actions (bet, call, raise, re-raise, all-in, ...) are taken before the error is noticed, the erroneous hand is declared invalid and the game continues regularly. A game can no longer be declared invalid after the flop.
  10. Unprotected hands – If the dealer collects an unprotected hand, the player does not receive back the bets he has placed up to that point. Exception: a player has raised and his raise has not yet been called by anyone. In this case the player receives his raise back.
  11. Responsibility to attend – Players in the middle of a hand must remain seated. A hand may be declared invalid if the player is not at his seat during the hand.
  12. Table change – A player is not allowed to change to another table without permission from the floor manager. A player can put his name on a waiting list for another limit or another type of game. If a table change occurs in the same variant at the same limit, the full table stake must be brought into play at the table. The decision as to whether and when a player may change is up to the floor manager.
  13. Deck of cards – The deck of cards can be exchanged at any time by management or a representative. A player may not demand a new deck.

Bets

  1. Table stake – All bets that have been placed must be divisible by the respective ante or small blind and can be made using any valid Casinos Austria AG value chips. The player receives any resulting odd chips back. Players may not remove any chips from their table stake unless leaving the game. Increasing the table stake is possible between hands, but never during an actual hand. If a player leaves the game with a table stake higher than the minimum buy-in of the table, he is not permitted to play with a smaller table stake in the same limit on this day. Cash may not be paid for the table stake. If a player wishes to buy in or to increase his table stake using bank notes, the dealer must immediately change them into chips.
  2. Limits – The type of limit is determined before the game begins: split limit / pot limit / no limit. The limit determines the size of possible bets and the amount of the blinds or ante.
  3. Buy-in – In order to join a game, a player must place at least the minimum buy-in in chips visibly on the table. In order to receive a hand, the player must be able to bet at least the respective big blind or ante. The buy-in is always determined before the game begins and can only be changed in consultation with the floor manager.
  4. Blinds – A new player does not have to pay a blind unless it is his turn.
    Blinds always will be taken from every active table stake, even though the player is absent. There are no missed blind situations.

    In pot limit, all blinds paid in this manner count toward the pot.

    A player coming from a table that has been broken or who has been asked by the floor manager to change tables does not have to pay a blind.

    If a player moves two or more seats (occupied by active players) away from the button in a clockwise direction, the player must pay the big blind.

Actions

  1. Straddle – In Hold’em there is a chance for an additional live straddle. Only in consultation with the floor manager can the option of a button straddle be taken. New players must be made aware of this before the game begins.
  2. Bets / actions in and out of turn – If a player acts in turn with an insufficient bet because he has failed to notice a raise, he must complete his bet, otherwise he loses all claims to his bets and the pot. A raise is no longer permitted. 

    If a player moves his chips towards the pot in a forward motion, prompting another player to act, he may be forced to complete the action. The betting line is a visual guide but is not binding. The amount must be bet in one continuous motion without returning to the chip stack.

    The floor manager can declare a penalty in the event of repeated actions that do not comply with the orderly course of play.

    If a player acts out of turn, his verbal and physical announcements or actions are only binding if the situation has not changed in the meantime. Check, call and fold are not considered changes.

    The floor manager can declare a penalty in the event of repeated actions that do not comply with the orderly course of play.

    Comments on the value of a hand are not binding. Intentionally false comments are subject to penalty.

    Folding (passing) hole cards out of turn is subject to penalty.
  3. Raising –  In pot and no limit there is no limitation on the number of raises. The minimum raise is always as high as the previous raise. In split limit three raises are permitted per round of betting. If only two players are left in the game before a third raise, the number of raises is no longer restricted.

    In pot and no limit there are three options for placing a valid raise:

    a) The amount is placed in one motion.
    b) The exact amount is announced before being placed.
    c) The player announces “raise”, places the amount for the call and then the raise in one motion. 
    If a player moves an uncounted amount of chips in the direction of the pot, it can be decided that the stake is the sum of all these chips.

    If a player bets a large amount of chips, these chips will only be counted by the dealer if the bet is called or if the dealer is asked to do so by another player.

    If a player opens the round of betting in Stud in the lower limit, even if a pair is revealed and there is a raise for the lower limit, the same player who opened the round of betting has to raise by the upper limit.
  4. Accepted action – A player is responsible for determining the correct amount of an opponent’s bet before calling, regardless of what is stated by other players or the dealer. If a player requests a count but receives incorrect information from the dealer or another player and he bets that amount, he accepts the full correct action and is subject to the correct bet or all-in amount.
  5. Oversized chip – If a player bets a chip which is bigger than the previous bet, it is only a raise if he also announces it. Announcing "raise" must occur before placing the bet. The increase is equal to the value of the chip.

    If with blinds of € 30 / € 60 a player bets two chips of € 50 each without announcement before the flop or following a previous bet, his action is considered a call even though two chips are involved.

    If "raise" is announced but not the amount of the raise and an oversized chip with a value larger than required for a call is bet, the raise corresponds to the permitted maximum (in pot limit) up to the maximum denomination of the chip. When raising with an oversized chip, the raise must be announced before the chip hits the surface of the table. After the flop, a bet with an oversized chip without announcement is always calculated as a bet equal to the full amount of its value.

    In pot limit an oversized chip and an announcement of "raise" is always equal to the maximum permitted raise.

    Unless a raise is announced first, the reaction to a bet with multiple same-denomination chips is a call if removing one chip leaves less than the call amount.

    An example with blinds of € 20 / € 40: if player A bets € 120 (an € 80 raise) and player B puts two € 100 chips into the pot without declaring a raise, the bet is a call. If player B bets four € 50 chips, this is a raise to € 200 (another € 80 raise).

    If a player bets four chips of € 100 each without announcement in a prior betting sequence of € 80 / € 160 / € 240 / € 320, this is not a raise to € 400, but just a call for the last bet of € 320.
  6. Half-bet raising – If without announcement a player bets a raise of 50% or more than the previous raise but less than a full raise, this action is considered a raise and he must complete his bet to the minimum raise. If it is less than 50% the action is only considered a call.

    An all-in bet which is less than a full raise does not re-open the betting to the previous bettors. Placing an oversized chip which is a greater denomination than the previous bet is only a raise if it is announced. The announcement "raise" must take place prior to the bet.
  7. All in – If an all-in bet or raise was called as the last possible action, the player also has to begin the showdown. If he makes no claim to the pot and gives up his hand without a showdown, the opponent wins without having to reveal his hand.
  8. Side pots – All side pots are split and assessed separately.
  9. Run it twice – With run it twice the river, turn and river and the whole board can be dealt twice if:
    a) No more action is possible
    b) All players make a clear declaration
    c) There is at least € 500 in the pot
    d) The floor manager has been informed
    f) The floor manager is present for run it twice with more than two players

    If the main pot was not designated for run it twice but only for the side pot, the main pot may not be drawn on for run it twice in the showdown under any circumstances!

    Attention: If cards were dealt to nine players in Pot Limit Omaha and the board is to be dealt twice, after the first regular board the three burn cards are mixed again with the remaining eight cards before the second board can be dealt.
  10. Showdown – Showdown is defined as all hole cards being laid on the table face up and unmistakeably for players and the dealer.

    The player who has taken the last active action (bet, raise, re-raise or all-in) has to begin the showdown. If a player in the showdown places his cards face-down with a clear forward motion, the hand is to be removed by the dealer and is considered folded.

    If, after the dealer has called for the showdown, there is only one player left to claim the pot and the other players pass, this player wins the pot without a showdown. Players who do not lay claim to the pot or players who do not have opponents with a valid hand need not reveal their hand unless requested to do so by the floor manager.

    The winning hand must reveal all hole cards or all seven cards, respectively.

    If the dealer collects an obviously winning hand after the showdown by mistake, the hand nonetheless wins the pot.

    In the interest of fairness, all players are asked to immediately report any misunderstandings or obvious mistakes to the dealer.
  11. Showing hole cards / folded hands – If a player reveals one or several of his hole cards prior to ending the hand or before the showdown, his hand is considered passive, but in the interest of fairness toward the other players may also be declared invalid.

    Deliberate, prohibited revealing of a hole card during the play is subject to penalty.

    A hand in the last position is considered passed (folded) if the player has revealed at least one of his hole cards in order to deliberately get a reaction from fellow players before he has declared an action.

    If a player reveals his hole cards to another player, he has to show all of them if all players demand it (show one - show all).

PENALTIES AND ETIQUETTE

  1. Consideration – Players are required to show consideration toward the game and the other players, even when not involved in the specific game. They must not pass on information about active or folded cards, analyse the game or make the hand of an opponent known before the showdown. Players are required to protect their hand in a way that it may not be seen by anyone.
  2. Violations of etiquette – With repeated violations of etiquette, tournament management reserves the right to exclude a player from the game in the interest of the casino, guests and players. Examples of such violations include touching opponents' cards or chips, delaying the game, deliberately false statements, acting out of turn, revealing hole cards during the course of a game or inappropriate behaviour.
  3. Rude comments – The abuse of other players, tournament staff or personnel at the venue is not tolerated. Rude, obscene  or offensive comments directed at players or staff members are subject to penalty. Repeated indirect comments that are rude, obscene or offensive can result in exclusion from the tournament. 
  4. Penalties – Penalties are generally announced by the poker manager or floor personnel and can entail a verbal warning, time penalty or exclusion from the game.