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The League Rules


a) These rules must be read in conjunction to "The Game" explained in the Learn page.

b) All players must agree to abide to the rules, regulations and etiquettes of The Weekly Poker Club.

c) All players must register their details with The Weekly Poker Club and sign agreement to this effect.

d) All players must be 16 years of age or over. All new members registering their details for the first time must bring valid photo identification.

e) Any player aged under the age of 18 must have a signed parental consent form prior to being allowed to play. This form must be presented by the parent to a representative of The Weekly Poker Club (usually a Venue Manager) prior to being allowed to play.

f) In standard tournament sessions, all players arriving prior to a playing session start time will start with an equal amount of chips (see starting chip quantities below) and play until one remains and wins all the chips from that playing session.

g) No player will be permitted to play if they are considered to be sufficiently intoxicated in a way that prevents the enjoyment of others.

h) Players will be welcoming and courteous to new players and make common sense allowances for any minor errors they may make.

i) Standard Weekly Poker Club tournament sessions follow a 'no limit' betting format.

j) Some Weekly Poker Club finals tournament events will follow 'pot limit' betting rules. This restricts the amount of any raise to the total amount in any pot at that moment.

k) The chips have value in points and none in cash. Green chips are worth ten points, white 20, blue 100, black 500, yellow 1000 and red 5000.

l) The starting chip quantities will be five green (10 points), five white (20 points), seven blue (100 points), two black (500 points), and one yellow (1000 points); giving a starting value of 2850 chips.

m) In The Weekly Poker Club finals events, players may start with varying numbers of chips. The starting number of chips will depend on the numbers of points won during a season and/or the average games points value that the player has achieved during a season. In finals events, pot limit rules may be applied.

n) Blinds are raised at even time periods during the tournament according to the blind structure (see below). The decision on the time taken between the blind changes will be made by the Venue Manager. This will typically be eleven minutes in the first period of play and nine minutes during the second period. The Venue Manager will make the final decision on this based on the starting time of each session and the number of players.

o) The blind increase structure will start at ten small blind and 20 big blind and proceed 20/40, 40/80, 50/100, 100/200, 200/400, 400/800, 500/1,000, 1,000/2,000, 2,000/4,000, 4,000/8,000, 5,000/10,000, 10,000/20,000, 20,000/40,000, 40,000/80,000, 50,000/100,000 and upwards.

p) Each blind value increase takes effect on the next live hand. This is the moment in which the cards are taken by a new dealer (not the shuffling small blind or cutting player to the right of the dealer).

q) As players are knocked out (through losing all of their chips) each table will play down to no less than four players.

r) Remaining players will be moved to different tables at Venue Manager's discretion. The Venue Manager will take into consideration the blind position of the moving players and the chip holding of remaining players when making these decisions in order to make the move as fair as possible to all players.

s) Late arriving players can join a tournament if there is table space available. If they arrive before the fourth blind increase (50/100) they will be shorted 250 value in chips (leaving a total of 2600), or during the fourth or fifth blind (100/200 or 200/400), they will be shorted 800 value in chips (leaving total of 2050). Players may not join a tournament after this period.

t) The lowest value of chips will be removed from play when not required in the blind structure. This will happen on the fifth blind rise (100/200) and ninth blind rise (1,000/2,000). All lower value chips will be exchanged in direct value to higher value equivalent chips. Any odd remaining chips will be rounded up to the next chip value that is in play.

u) The first dealer will be decided between each table's players through drawing the highest card. When two players have the same high card, standard Bridge ranking of suits: spades (highest), hearts, diamonds and clubs (lowest) determines who starts with the dealer button. The dealer button (and duties associated with dealing) rotates in a clockwise rotation. In certain circumstances it is acceptable for another player to perform the act of dealing for another. In interpreting this rule, this should only apply to people that have requested this through say arthritic hands and not inebriation. Common sense should prevail here.

v) The players' table position is also decided on the draw mentioned in rule U. In ascending order from left of the dealer, players arrange themselves in a clockwise fashion, where the second lowest card becomes Small Blind, and the lowest the Big Blind then onwards around the table in ascending card value. Again Bridge suit ranking decides any cards drawn of even value.

w) All players must take their 'Blind' bets. It is possible for a player to take two 'Blinds' in a row, but only if the player is changing and the players have to draw for new positions (see below)

x) If the 'small blind' player is knocked out the the dealer button moves to the empty position and the remaining player immediately to the right deals. The other players post blinds as normal.

y) If the 'big blind' player is knocked out, the small blind position is not played for the next hand and only the big blind is played. Blind structures return to normal on the following hand.

z) Players joining a new table are dealt in immediately unless they sit in the Big Blind, Small Blind or dealer positions. In these cases, they must wait until the dealer button passes.

aa) If a table is merged and half or more players are new to the table, players draw high card for the dealer button immediately prior to the next session of play. The same procedure occurs as when a play starts at the beginning of a tournament. Similarly, at the start of the final table, the same process must happen.

bb) When the two final tournament players remain, the player due to take the Big Blind will do so and the Small Blind will become the dealer. The dealer will act first before to the flop and second after the flop.

cc) Any absent player is always dealt a hand and will have their blinds put in by other players. When a player is absent and it is their turn to act, their hand is folded. This includes when a live blind is not present to act, because an absent player cannot chose the option to raise.

dd) When a card is dealt face up or is seen for any other reason, the dealer takes the third card from the base of the pack (excluding the joker shield card) and deals this to the player and then continues to deal the remaining cards to the rest of the players.

ee) Burn cards and discarded hole cards must be kept separate until each hand is completed

ff) If a split pot cannot be equally divided the first person to the left of the dealer involved in the split will receive the additional chip.

gg) An eliminated player must leave the table.

hh) The dealer is the only player allowed to touch the muck pile; other players may not touch this at any time. It is the responsibility of the current dealer to collect all cards and hand them onto the next small blind to shuffle.

ii) Folded players must not express any emotion or indication as to their decision to fold whilst a hand is in play, as this can give vital information to remaining players.

jj) When a player's cards hit a discarded card those cards are considered dead and the player loses all action on that hand. If discarded or mucked cards hit any ?in play? cards then those ?in play? cards are also discarded unless the player is using a card protector (usually a disk device) that sits on top of the cards

kk) When a player lacks enough chips for to meet a blind or raised bet, the player can get action on the amount of chips they have played. In this instance a side pot may be created for players with remaining chips. When a player is all in and action is complete, all hands in play must be shown.

ll) For a player to win a hand and the associated pot at the Showdown, the winner must show both pocket cards to all the players in the hand.

mm) All cards must remain visible and above the table top at all times. A player must not 'shield' their cards with their hands if they are in play and the dealer must keep the pack above table level when shuffling and throughout the dealing process.

nn) A tournament is incomplete until one player wins all the chips.

oo) If more than one player is knocked out in the same hand, the player who commenced the hand with the most chips will be given the tournament placing.

pp) Chips in play or in a player's stock will remain on the table at all times, unless the player is assigned to another table.

qq) Only one player may play a hand and must not ask or give advice as to how to act during a hand. Importantly, in the case of new players, a non participating individual may indicate the options available to a novice, but not advise. Common sense must be applied in the balance of being welcoming to new individuals and fair to all other players.

rr) If a player decides to show their cards, they must show them to everyone on the table. This rule is known as ?Show one, Show all?.

ss) Chips must be placed carefully in front of the bettor and only be pushed to the central pot when the dealer says 'pot is good'. Under no circumstances should they be thrown onto the table. If a chip being bet hits any chips in the central pot before this, that chip automatically becomes part of the pot and the bettor will need to replace its value to continue in the hand. The common terminology for this is called 'No splashing the pot' and prevents players cheating on what they have bet.

tt) Players must clearly state their betting intentions ('Call', 'Check', 'Raise' or 'Fold') before any other action with chips or cards. If a player does not state this before betting, it is assumed that the player has called and will have to return any chips amounting to a raise to their chip stack. All chips intended to be used in the bet must be placed their in a single motion and not return to their chip bank for additional chips. The common terminology for this rule is 'No string betting'.

uu) The only player allowed to touch the chips in the pot is the dealer. This includes change giving and side pot sorting. Common sense prevails on side pot sorting if a dealer lacks confidence to organise this and the dealer then must delegate the matter to a single other nominated player on the table.

vv) The minimum bet or raise in any hand or round is the value of the Big Blind (with the exception of the Small Blind who can call to make up the value of the Big Blind). If a raise is made larger than the value of the Big Blind, the minimum amount of any subsequent raises will be that larger amount. The common terminology for the rule is 'No short bets'.
If a player is "all In" with an amount larger than the minimum bet but not more than the minimum raise, remaining players must, if possible, make the minimum raise e.g. blinds are 500 and 1000 and a player pushes "all in" with 1200 all other players, (unless only one player remains) must make the raise of 2000 in order to call the bet. If only one player calls he will then take back the additional 800 to leave the 1200 of the "all in" bet. If only one player remains then he need only call the 1200.  This scenario is applicable only if the "all in" player was not first to act in the betting round, i.e. another player has already placed a bet.


ww) The Small Blind must shuffle cards a minimum of three times and the player to the right of the Dealer must cut cards every hand. In certain circumstances it is acceptable for another player to perform the physical act of dealing for another if physical abilities effect things. In interpreting this rule, this should only apply to people that have requested this through arthritic hands and not inebriation. Common sense should prevail here.

xx) Play never stops during a session, except during designated break time.

yy) If there is a table with empty seats the Venue Manager must be notified and play continued.

zz) Once cards are folded there will be no (rabbit hunting) i.e. looking in the muck pile for your cards.

aaa) If a player calls out of turn, he will only be able to call the latest action, if after his call there is a subsequent raise then a raise or ?all in? call can be made by him.

bbb) When a hand is over (whether the flop has been dealt or not), no further communal cards are to be turned on the board.

ccc) Under no circumstances are players to show their cards or make their cards visible to any person in or out of the game.

ddd) Players are expected to follow poker etiquette. This includes;

  • No throwing cards off a table
  • No abusive or disruptive behaviour
  • No using mobile phones in an inappropriate or distracting manner
  • No swearing
  • No talking or criticism (players should not talk across a player who is involved in a hand)
  • Treat dealers courteously
  • No stalling (taking an unnecessarily long period of time to make a decision)
  • Manage their table space appropriately and considerately to others
  • No peeking at other players' cards deliberately
  • You must not deliberately act out of turn
  • Slow rolling (where a player takes an inordinately long period of time to show a losing hand while giving the impression it is a winning hand).
  • A player may be punished with a time out period, disqualification from the tournament and ultimately disqualification from the league if etiquette is repeatedly broken.
  • Venues, Venue Managers, and/or Weekly Poker Club staff and directors retain the right to cancel any event or alter it in a manner fair to the players.
  • The Weekly Poker Club is primarily an amateur poker club where the only betting currency is the chips in play. Periodically the Weekly Poker Club will play games, separate to normal league games where there will be cash entry fees and winnings. These will only ever be played at suitably licensed premises and may only be entered by registered players over the age of 18.
  • League Points will be awarded in the following manner:
  • First place, 36 multiplied by the number of players in a tournament (so a winner of a 24 player tournament would win 864 points (36x24)). This similarly applies to other positions with second place getting a 24 multiplication of the player numbers in points, third 20x, fourth 16x, fifth 12x, sixth 10x, seventh 8x, Ninth to fifteenth place 2x and sixteenth to twentieth 1x.
  • The Venue Manager's decision is final on all disputes.