Other Card Games And Betting Structures

NO-LIMIT POKER

No-Limit is considered by many to be the purest form of poker. Many major tournaments, including the World Series of Poker championship event are played no-

AMOUNT BET

A player may bet all money he has in play at any time pursuant to the rules governing table stakes. There is, literally, no limit on the amount a player may bet up to everything he has in front of him.

NO CA.

There is no limit on the number of raises on any betting round.

MINIMUM BET & RAISE

Except for a player going all-in, all bets must be for no less than the minimum bring-in designated for the structure. Further, all raises must be equal to or greater than the size of the of the previous bet or raise on that round, except when making an all-in wager.

NO CHECKRAISING AN ALL IN WAGER

An all-in bet for less than the minimum bring-in may not be raised by any player who has already checked. Further, a player who has already checked and called may not subsequently raise an all-in bet that is less than the amount of the last bet or raise. (IE If a player bets $100 and is raised $100 by a second player and a third player goes all in for a raise of less than $100 and the first player calls, the second player may not raise again because he was not raised by a "complete" raise. However the first player is permitted to raise, because his bet was raised a complete raise by the second player. If the first player does elect to raise, then the second player may re-raise because he has now been raised a complete raise.)

RELEASE CHIPS

A movement with chips is not binding as a wager until the chips are released into the pot.

VERBAL DECLARATIONS OF BETS BINDING

If a player announces a bet or raise of a certain size but puts a different amount in the pot, the bet will be corrected to match the amount of the verbal declaration.

OVERSIZED CHIPS

A large chip or bill placed into the pot without comment shall be presumed to be a wager for the full amount of the chip or bill, unless the action is responsive to action the player is facing. If the player is facing action, then the oversized chip or bill without comment shall be deemed a call.

ANNOUNCING RAISE

A player who announces raise may use more than one motion to place chips into the pot until his action is complete, notwithstanding any rule against string raises.

RIGHT TO KNOW MONEY

A player has the right to know how much money an opponent has in play. All players are entitled to an unimpeded view of the chips and cash of all opponents, and a count of opponent's cash and chips. That said, a player shall not unreasonably slow down the game by repeatedly asking for a countdown of his opponents. As in all other games, only hundred dollar bills play in no-limit, and other cash shall not be permitted on the table.

HOUSE MAY INVOKE CLOCK

The dealer shall give a player one minute and ten seconds to act pursuant to the rules relating to clock requests when a player fails to act timely (See Article 10 for more details relative to clock requests.)

INSURANCE AND PROPOSITION BETS

Insurance and proposition bets are private agreements between or among players not involving the house. While the house encourages players to honor their propositions the house is not in any way responsible for them. The pot shall always be awarded to the proper player, either the player with the best shown down hand, or the player who has made an unmatched wager. Further, the house shall invoke the clock during insurance and proposition negotiations that unreasonably delay the game.

LOWBALL

Special rules apply to Lowball played no-limit. (See Article 5 of Caro & Cooke's Rules for more details.)

POT-LIMIT POKER

Pot-limit is the prevalent form of poker in Europe and is commonly spread during tournament side action.

BETTING UP TO THE AMOUNT IN THE POT

Pot-limit is most common in button games, although stud games are sometimes played pot limit. In pot-limit poker a player may bet any amount between the minimum bring-in established by the house rules for that particular structure and the amount of the pot. A player has the right to bet the established minimum at any time, even if it is an amount larger than is presently in the pot.

NO-LIMIT RULES APPLY

Except for those matters set forth herein relative to the amount which may be wagered, all rules of no-limit poker apply to pot-limit poker.

OPENING BET

In pot-limit the bring-in bet is sometimes larger than the combined total of the blinds and antes. Typically the minimum opening bet is the size of the big blind and the maximum opening bet is any amount between the big blind and four times the size of the big blind. Nonetheless, requirements for opening bets are not an appropriate subject for rules and shall be set by each establishment in its best judgement.

DETERMINING THE SIZE OF THE POT

The size of the pot for purposes of determining the maximum bet shall be rounded upward to an even multiple of the minimum betting unit, with odd chips smaller than the minimum betting unit deemed to be combined to equal one minimum betting unit. Raked chips and chips taken out for time collection are counted as part of the pot. The maximum amount a player can raise is the amount of the pot after he has called the bet he is raising. Thus, when a player is calling a bet, the amount he places into the pot in making the call counts toward the size of the pot in establishing the maximum raise he can make. (IE If there is $100 in the pot, and a player makes a pot-sized wager of $100, a player responding to that wager can call the bet, which makes the pot $300, and raise the size of the pot another $300, which would make the

OVERBETS

If a player makes a wager that exceeds the size of the pot, any excess shall be returned to him if it is discovered prior to substantial action behind him. If two or fewer players have acted behind him, all action shall be corrected to reflect the proper amount. If more than two players have acted behind him, the overbet shall stand.

OVERSIZED CHIPS

A chip or bill larger than the pot placed into the pot without comment shall be presumed to be a wager for the size of the pot unless the action is responsive to action the player is facing. If the player is facing action, then the oversized chip or bill without comment shall be deemed a call.

POT-LIMIT VARIATIONS

Pot Limit can be played with several different variations, including:

• 1 Pot-limit up to a certain amount, where players can bet and raise the size of the pot up to a maximum bet. (IE. Maximum bet is the size of the pot but not more than $100.)

• 2 No-limit after the flop, but pot-limit before the flop, in which case the rules of pot-limit shall govern action before the flop and the rules of no-limit shall apply after the flop.

• 3 Half Pot-Limit, wherein players may bet up to half the pot at any time.

8.02.08 LOWBALL

Certain special rules apply to Lowball played pot-limit. See Article 5 of Caro & Cooke's Rules for more details.

SPREAD LIMIT (A.K.A. UNSTRUCTURED) POKER

Spread limit poker is also called unstructured poker because there is no structured amount to bet on a given street. Rather there is a minimum bet and maximum bet. A player may wager any amount in between the higher and lower limits at anytime pursuant to the current betting round. Spread limit is most commonly used in low limit games. Common applications are $1-$5 Stud where a player may bet from $1 to $5 at any time; $1-$4-$8-$8 Hold'em or Omaha (a player may bet from $1-4 before the flop and on the flop, and from $1-$8 on the turn and river) and $2-$6 Hold'em. Example: in $2-$10 Hold'em a player may bet anywhere between $2 and $10 dollars. If a player bets $4 a subsequent player may call $4 or make it anywhere between $8 and $14. All raises must be at least the size of the last bet or raise made on that street. When spread limit games are played with a kill, both the minimum and maximum amounts of the bets are increased. (IE $2-$6 becomes $4-$12.)

KILL POT GAMES

All games played with blinds and only games played with blinds can be played for a kill. Kills are most common in Lowball and Omaha High-Low Split, but are not uncommon in Texas Hold'em, Draw and Omaha High. Games played with a kill are indicated on the table sign identifying the game, and there is a Kill Button either in the dealer's tray or in play in the game.

KILL DEFINED

On the happening of a predetermined even--generally either winning two consecutive pots or winning both the high and low portions in a high-low game or winning a pot with more than a certain amount of money in it--a player shall be obligated on the subsequent hand to post an additional blind double the size of the regular big blind for that game, and the betting limits throughout the hand are doubled when the pot is killed. (IE, in a $10-$20 game with $5 and $10 Blinds, the player required to kill shall post a third blind of $20, and that hand shall be played $20-$40.) These events are said to trigger a kill. When a kill is triggered, the player who must kill the pot by posting an additional blind double the amount of the normal big blind is known as "the killer."

WINNING TWO CONSECUTIVE POTS (a.k.a. Natural Kill.)

This kill variation can be used in any game played with blinds and is most common in Lowball, Texas Hold'em and Omaha High. A player who wins two pots consecutively is required to kill the subsequent pot. If a player who has posted a natural kill wins the killed pot, then that player must kill it again (for the same amount as the previous hand). The player who has won the last pot is said to have a "leg up" and the kill button is placed in front of him, with theword KILL face down. If he wins the subsequent pot, he must then post the double blind and for that pot the stakes shall be doubled. If a player with one leg up on a natural kill splits the next pot, that player still has a leg up for the next hand. If the player who split the pot was the killer in the previous hand, then that player must also kill the subsequent pot. (Alternate Rule. If a player with one leg up on a natural kill splits a pot, then the kill button shall become neutral; if a player who killed a previous pot splits the subsequent pot, then the kill button shall become neutral.) A player who splits a pot does not get the kill button or have a leg up, unless he was the killer the previous pot. In such cases the kill button becomes neutral. A player who has a leg up toward a natural kill and leaves the game still has a leg up upon returning to the game. If when he returns to the game either a kill pot is in play or another player has a leg up toward a kill, then the returning player shall get the kill button and be deemed to have a leg up the next available pot. There is no pot-size requirement for the first pot or leg of a kill. For the second leg to qualify for a kill there must be a flop and the player must win at least one full bet for whatever limit is being played, which cannot be any part of the blind structure. (Alternate Rule. A player must win a pot of a certain size to be set by the house for the pot to qualify as the second leg of a kill.) When a player has one leg up toward a natural kill and there is no flop then he keeps the kill button. This is known as a walk. A player who gets a walk keeps the kill button. (Alternate Rule. In the event of a walk, the kill button becomes neutral.)

SCOOPING HIGH AND LOW

In High-Low games played with a kill, a player who wins both the high and low portions of the pot, whether at showdown or by making an unmatched wager, shall kill the subsequent pot. When a player wins both the high and the low pot ("scooper") in a split pot game with a kill provision, the next hand will be killed only if the total pot is at least five times the size of the upper limit of the game (IE $100 in a $10-$20 game.) A player's uncalled bet is not included in determining the pot size.

WINNING A BIG POT

Winning a pot with more than a certain amount of money in it can be the event to trigger a kill. For example, in a $2-10 spread limit game or a $1-4-8-8 game, a player who wins a pot with more than $50 might be required to post a double live blind and the subsequent hand will be played for double stakes. Typically the size of the pot required to trigger a kill is five times the upper limit in a fixed limit game (IE winning $150 in a$15-$30 game.) Other formulae that can be used are five times the lower limit (which is also the amount of the big blind) or an arbitrary amount. What amount triggers a kill when using the size of the pot to trigger the kill is a matter for management to decide in its best business judgment.

KILL GAMES

Kill games are marked by the presence of a Kill Button on the table. The Kill Button has three statuses: neutral; a leg up; and killed. In those games that require a player who wins two consecutive pots to kill the next pot, the facedown kill button indicates which player has won the previous pot. The winner keeps the button until the hand is completed. If the player who has the kill button wins a second consecutive pot and it qualifies monetarily, the player must kill the next pot. The kill button is neutral (belonging to no player) if: a) It is the first hand of a new game; b) The winner of the previous pot has quit the game; c) The previous pot was split and neither player had the kill button (Alternate Rule. The kill button becomes neutral regardless of whether either player in the split pot had the kill button.); d) the previous pot did not meet the monetary requirements for a kill. In a killed pot the dealer shall place the kill button in the pot, with the word KILL face-up.

OPENING ROUND ACTION IN KILLED POTS

When a pot is killed, action on the first betting round shall begin to the left of the big blind, however players shall be required to call the amount of the killed third blind. (IE, in a $10-$20 game where the pot has been killed, action begins immediately to the left of the big blind, however the first player after the blind to act must call $20, raise to $40 or fold.) The exception to this is when the killer is under the gun, so that three blinds are posted in a row. In this circumstance, action shall begin to the left of the killer, who shall act after the big blind. (Alternate Rule. Action begins to the left of the killer, so that the killer act last on the first betting round, with the same option that the big blind normally has. The reason this rule is disfavored is that it often cheats the button of the positional advantage for which he has paid in the form of his blinds.) If the killer raises when the action comes to him, further action proceeds clockwise from the killer.

UNPOSTED BUT REQUIRED KILLS

A player who refuses to post his kill shall be ejected from the game, and not permitted to return for at least two hours. Should a mistake be made and a player fail to kill a hand he should have, the player may but shall not be required to kill the pot on the next dealt hand. (Alternate Rule. If by reason of an unintentional error a player fails to kill when he should have, then he shall be required to kill the next unkilled pot.) A player who is required to post a kill must do so that same hand even if he wishes to be dealt out or quit the game. A player who fails to post a required kill blind will not be allowed to participate in the game until the kill money is posted.

HALF KILL

Some smaller stakes games are played with a half kill, where the amount of the additional blind is 150% of the big blind, and the stakes are increased accordingly. IE a $10-$20 game played with a half kill would require a kill of $15 to be posted and the hand would be played $15-$30.)

VOLUNTARY KILLS

If no player at the table objects a player may voluntarily kill the pot at any time. The kill must be announced and the kill blind posted before the deal of the first card, except in Lowball as more fully elsewhere described. In order to kill voluntarily, a player must have at least four times the amount of the kill blind in his stack. For example; if the big blind is two chips, and the kill blind is four chips, the voluntary killer must have at least 16 chips prior to posting the kill. (Alternate Rule: Voluntary Kills shall be prohibited.) Voluntary kills are distinguished from Straddles and Sleepers (see Article 12 of Caro & Cooke's relating to blinds) because a kill doubles the stakes but straddles and sleepers do not.

MISCELLANEOUS KILL POT RULES

• 1 Blind chopping is prohibited in killed pots

• 2 Kill Blinds are considered part of the pot for purposes of determining the size of the pot in pot limit, for the rake, and any other purposes relative to which the size of the pot is relevant.

• 3 A problem sometimes arises in kill games where despite the presence of the Kill Button in the pot a player puts chips in the pot thinking he is raising at the original stakes when in act he is calling at the kill pot stakes. It is important for the dealer to announce kill pots so all at the table are aware that the kill rules are in effect. If a player is unaware that the pot has been raised or killed, and puts in a lesser amount he may withdraw that money and reconsider that action, however if it is a required kill pot with the kill button face up and properly placed in the pot he must complete the bet.

• 4 Only one kill is allowed per hand.

• 5 Broken game status is allowed only for players of the same limit and game type. For this purpose a game with a mandatory kill is considered a different type of game than an otherwise similar game without a mandatory kill.

•   6 Where a kill is triggered either by winning two pots in a row or by scooping the high and low pots in a split pot game, then winning the main pot shall determine whether a kill is triggered. (Alternate Rule. The kill shall be triggered by the larger of the main pot and the side pot.)

•   7 When the killer is either in the big or small blind for the hand he kills, only two blinds are posted, but the killer posts the full kill amount. He does not post his required blind plus the kill amount. Effectively the killer gets a discount in these circumstances. This is sometimes known as a "soft kill." Voluntary soft kills shall not be permitted.

SPECIAL LOWBALL KILL RULES

•   8 All other Kill Pot Rules apply to Lowball, except as they expressly conflict with the provisions of this section.

1.   9 In Lowball, players may look at their first two cards and then voluntarily decide to kill the pot. The pot may no longer be killed if any player in the game has received a third card. As with other voluntary kills, a player must have at least four times the amount of the kill blind in his stack.

•   10 A new player wanting to be dealt in an already killed pot in Lowball may receive a hand by agreeing to kill the next available pot, provided no one objects.

HOSE, HOE, HORSE AND OTHER GAMES OF ROUNDS

Games of rounds are those in which multiple games are played. They are known by their acronyms, including HOSE (Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Stud, and Eight-or-Better Stud), ROE (Razz, Omaha Hi-Lo and Eight-or-Better Stud), HORSE (Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, Stud and Eight-or-Better stud), etc. A round shall begin with the player immediately to the dealer's left and end with the player immediately to the dealer's right. A rotating dealer button shall be used to show the progress of the round. One hand of each game shall be dealt for each active player at the table. When the button has come all the way around, the game shall change to the next game in the acronym. (Alternate Rule. The game shall be changed every half hour.) A table sign shall indicate which game is in progress. The stakes shall be the same for all games played. Players may not share a seat in games of rounds.