General Rules

In general WSOP Texas Hold'em rules are followed except where posted on rivercitypokerleague.com

Play continues until there is only one player left. 

Lower valued chips will be colored-up when they are no longer needed due to increased blinds. Any amounts not equal to the colored-up chip denomination will be rounded up.

Official start time is when the dealer deals the first card (start time will not be before the official post time on the website).  Sign-up list is final and no new players will be allowed. 

However, RCPL does recognize that traffic and other issues may cause a late arrival.  To accommodate this, RCPL will introduce a tardy system for the inaugural quarter and evaluate it's effectiveness.   Three tardies can be used in a given quarter.   After three are used no more late arrivals for that person will be allowed.  A tardy can be used until the second level has started for the game.  After the second level has started (when the dealer deals the first card for the second level) then no new signs will be last and participant list will be closed for the game.

One player per hand. A player may not ask for advice when it is their turn to act. If cards are exposed to one player at any point during a hand, they must be exposed to the whole table. In other words, Show one, show all. Talking about your hand, including what cards you folded or any other displays of obvious emotion about a hand you are no longer involved with is considered bad table etiquette and is not appreciated.

Starting players (players who can start seated at the game) may sit at any position at the table with priority given to sign-up order.

The dealer will deal one card each face up to determine the button position prior to each game. The highest card will be determined the button. In the case of a tie, the tiebreaker is determined by suit with spades being the highest followed by hearts, diamonds and clubs. The dealer position rotates clockwise one player after each hand.

Dealers must shuffle the deck a minimum of three times and then cut the deck before each hand.  Button may be allowed to cut if they ask the dealer so.

Players must post their blinds (a mandatory amount put into the pot before each hand is dealt). The small blind is the player seated to the left of the dealer. The big blind is the player seated to the left of the small blind. In other words clockwise order. 

If a card is accidentally dealt face-up, the dealer continues to deal all of the hole cards as usual. The dealer then replaces the improperly dealt card with the first burn card and the improperly dealt card becomes the first burn card. Any additional cards dealt face up will result in a misdeal. If any of the first 3 cards is accidentally dealt face up, the hand is also considered a misdeal.

Players will act in a clockwise motion and may not act out of turn. This includes the blinds going all-in in the dark over the amount of the big blind. No string bets or pre-flop chopping. If a player is going to bet, place the bet out in front of you and keep it separate from the pot. To avoid confusion, there is no splashing of the pot. If a player verbally announces the amount of the raise and then places a different amount into play, the verbal overrides the physical action.  Any players betting out of turn can only call action for the remainder of the hand (they can fold if they choose too but they can no longer raise).  Note, the player betting out of turn does not lose the out of turn money bet to the pot.  The out of turn money bet goes back into their personal chip stack.  THIS RULE IS BEING REVIEWED AND MAY CHANGE.

Only the dealer may handle the chips and any mucked cards involved in a hand. NO EXCEPTIONS! This rule applies especially where there is a side-pot. Players that wish to make change can either make change with other players at the table or the player can request the dealer to make change with the chips in the pot. Remember, the dealer and dealer ONLY can touch the chips in the pot. Once, the proper change has been distributed by the dealer, the dealer should announce the pot is right and all players should push their most recent bet into the pot.

All cards that either touch the muck pile or are gathered by the dealer are dead and will not be in play until the subsequent hand. Absent players will be dealt a hand and held responsible for blinds. If player is absent when it is their turn to act, the hand will be folded. If a dealer pre-maturely displays the flop, the turn, our the river before the all players involved in the hand have a turn to act, the burn card remains burned and the exposed card(s) are shuffled back into the deck a total of three times and then exposed once the round of betting concludes.

Any initial bet on the flop, turn or river must be at least the amount of the big blind. All raises must be at least double the previous bet, with the exception of an all-in. Pre-flop, the initial bet is the big blind. Therefore, the minimum raise would be double the big blind, with the exception of an all-in.

If a player is all-in on their respective blind but cannot match the full amount of the blind, all remaining players must at least call the big blind to participate in the hand. All participating hands will be turned face-up whenever a player is all-in and betting action is complete.

In regards to the showdown of a hand, the table always plays, meaning if one person announces two pair, when they actually have a flush, the final ruling is a flush. However, once the cards are shuffled for the next hand, the ruling of the previous hand is binding. Both cards in the player's hand must be shown in order to win the hand.

If two or more players tie, the pot will be split between the players who tied. If there is an odd chip, it will be given to the player who was first to act in the hand by position (i.e. closest to the button in clockwise order).

When players lose all of their chips, they are eliminated and must leave their table. If there is more than one player that is eliminated on the same hand, the player with the highest chip total at the beginning of the hand will be awarded the higher rank.

As players are eliminated, all tables will remain as full or as evenly distributed as possible. When moving players, the tournament director will attempt to place each player in approximately the same position relative the blinds as the previous table.

Blinds must be posted each and every hand and at no point can a player skip the blinds due to another player being eliminated. Each hand there must be a big blind. In the case that a player is eliminated in the button position or the small blind they would be considered a dead button or dead small blind. If the player that was eliminated was supposed to be the big blind, the next player clockwise will assume the big blind responsibility. There can never be a dead big blind.

Players new to a table are dealt in the next hand, unless seated in the small blind. If a player is moved into the big blind, they have the option to enter the hand immediately or wait for the button to pass them.

When only two players remain, the dealer will be the small blind and the second player will be the big blind. The dealer will act first prior to the flop and second after the flop.

Players who win a non-called pot are not required to show their cards.

To avoid collusion, English should be the only language spoken at the table during live play.

Any dealer has the right to supersede above mentioned rules as long as all players actively involved in a hand collectively agree to the dealers final decision and/or the dealer believes the intention of a player was clearly miscommunicated through his/her actions based on lack of knowledge of the game/rules. This rule should be used sparingly and thoughtfully.

All rules pertaining to points can be located in the rules section at rivercitypokerleague.com.

When players lose all of their chips, they are eliminated and must leave their table. If there is more than one player that is eliminated on the same hand, the player with the highest chip total at the beginning of the hand will be awarded the higher rank.

As players are eliminated, all tables will remain as full or as evenly distributed as possible. When moving players, the tournament director will attempt to place each player in approximately the same position relative the blinds as the previous table.

Blinds must be posted each and every hand and at no point can a player skip the blinds due to another player being eliminated. Each hand there must be a big blind. In the case that a player is eliminated in the button position or the small blind they would be considered a dead button or dead small blind. If the player that was eliminated was supposed to be the big blind, the next player clockwise will assume the big blind responsibility. There can never be a dead big blind.

Players new to a table are dealt in the next hand, unless seated in the small blind. If a player is moved into the big blind, they have the option to enter the hand immediately or wait for the button to pass them.

When only two players remain, the dealer will be the small blind and the second player will be the big blind. The dealer will act first prior to the flop and second after the flop.

Players who win a non-called pot are not required to show their cards.

To avoid collusion, English should be the only language spoken at the table during live play.

Any dealer has the right to supersede above mentioned rules as long as all players actively involved in a hand collectively agree to the dealers final decision and/or the dealer believes the intention of a player was clearly miscommunicated through his/her actions based on lack of knowledge of the game/rules. This rule should be used sparingly and thoughtfully.

All rules pertaining to points can be located in the rules section at rivercitypokerleague.com.