The Rules of Poker Essentials for Every Game

by Krieger, Lou; Bykofsky, Sheree

• ISBN13: 9780818406607
• ISBN10: 0818406607
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-12-01
• Publisher: Lyle Stuart

Summary

The ultimate poker argument settler from two of the game's most renowned experts--a must-have for any poker fan.

Author Biography

Sheree Bykofsky, the founder and owner of the Sheree Bykofsky Literary Agency, has written and represented hundreds of successful titles over her long publishing career. She regularly teaches university courses on publishing and speaks at writers’ conferences across the country.

Table of Contents

Introduction	xvii
Why This Book Is Needed	xvii
Our Book's Objective	xix
What We Assume About You	xx
How to Use This Book	xxi
How This Book Is Organized	xxii
Will This Book Prevent All Future Arguments at the Poker Table?	xxvi
Acknowledgments	xxvii
Part One: Reponsibilities and Etiquette
The House---General Rights and Procedures
The Prime Directive	3	(1)
One Player per Hand	4	(5)
Cards Speak	9	(3)
Location: Cultural and Regional Differences	12	(1)
Languages Permitted at Poker Table	13	(1)
The Management Framework: Decisions, Policies, and Etiquette	14	(1)
Fair Rules: Publication and Player Entitlement	14	(2)
Employee and Management Accountability	16	(1)
Decisions Made by Floor Supervisors, Not Dealers	17	(1)
Decisions Made in Best Interests of Game	18	(2)
Policing Player Conduct	20	(1)
Incorrect Decisions Made in Good Faith	21	(1)
Right to Start and Break Games	21	(1)
Right to Change Game Elements	21	(1)
Right to Introduce New Decks	22	(1)
Right to Prohibit Certain Players from Same Game	23	(1)
Right to Establish Appearance and Grooming Standards	23	(1)
Players-Only at Table Proper	24	(1)
Guests, Player-Sweating, and Spectators	24	(1)
Identifying Shills or Proposition Players	25	(1)
The House---Game-Play Management
Beginning New Games	26	(1)
Establishing and Maintaining Seating Order for New Games	27	(1)
Determining Button Placement in New Games	27	(2)
Players' Selection of Seats in New Games	29	(1)
Putting Decks in Play in New Games	29	(1)
Time Required Between Deck Changes	30	(1)
Minimum and Maximum Buy-In Requirements for New Games	30	(1)
Procedures for Player Wishing to Change Seats in Same Game	31	(1)
Seat Changes in Games with Blinds: Sitting Out Hands	32	(2)
Seat Changes in Games with Blinds: Other Requirements	34	(1)
Permission Required to Join Existing Games	34	(1)
Procedures Governing New Player's Seat Selection	35	(1)
Waiting Lists	35	(1)
Reserving Seats While on Waiting Lists	36	(1)
Players Requesting Table Changes	37	(2)
Breaking Games	39	(1)
Seating Players from Broken Games	39	(2)
Establishing and Administering Must-Move Games	41	(3)
Time Collections	44	(1)
Raked Pots	45	(1)
Time Pots	46	(2)
Collecting on Button	48	(1)
Cash on Table	48	(1)
Playing Cash Instead of Chips	49	(1)
Chips Placed on Table	50	(1)
Chips in Full View	50	(1)
Removing Money from Table	51	(1)
Returning to Same Game After Cashing Out	51	(1)
Table Stakes	52	(1)
Number of Bets and Raises Permitted in Limit Games	53	(1)
Number of Bets and Raises Permitted When Betting Round Is Heads-Up	53	(1)
Oversized Chip Rule	54	(1)
Absent Players	55	(1)
Third Man Walking	55	(1)
Playing Over Absent Players	56	(1)
Responsibility for Chips Left on Tables	57	(3)
Picking Up Absent Player's Chips	60	(1)
Pushing Antes	60	(1)
Chopping Blinds	61	(1)
Dividing Odd Chips	61	(1)
Rabbit Hunting	62	(1)
Minimum and Maximum Buy-Ins	62	(1)
Short Buy-Ins	62	(1)
Playing Behind	63	(3)
Minimum Chip Requirements When Changing Tables	66	(1)
Required Chip Denominations	66	(1)
Playing Light in Home Games	67	(1)
Transferring Chips from One Player to Another	68	(1)
Going All-In and Completing Bets	68	(2)
Insurance	70	(1)
(No) Side Bets	71	(2)
Player Conduct, Etiquette, and Integrity
Unacceptable Conduct	73	(1)
Acting in Turn	74	(1)
Acting in a Timely Manner	74	(1)
Keeping Cards in Plain Sight	75	(1)
Discussing Hands in Play	76	(1)
Giving Lessons/Advice at the Table	76	(1)
Looking at Other Players' Hands	77	(1)
Collusion	77	(2)
Deliberate Exposure of Cards	79	(1)
Chip Moves and Misleading Gestures	79	(1)
Hand Motions Denote Action	79	(1)
Integrity and Honesty	80	(1)
Table Demeanor	80	(2)
Chips Denote Action	82	(1)
Oversized Chips	82	(1)
Betting Circles	83	(1)
Splashing the Pot	83	(1)
Verbal and Physical Declarations of Action	84	(1)
Placing Chips in Pot/String Raises	85	(1)
Check-and-Raise	85	(1)
Clocking Opponents	85	(1)
Calling Attention to Procedural Errors	86	(2)
Calling Short and Withdrawing Bets	87	(1)
Discarding Hands	88	(1)
Checking Down Hands	88	(1)
Assisting Other Players	89	(1)
Folding Toward the Muck	89	(1)
Cards Pitched Off Table	89	(1)
Toking	89	(1)
Mobile Phones	90	(1)
Items on Table	90	(1)
Smoking	90	(1)
Winning and Losing Well	91	(4)
Part Two: Structures of Play
The Deck and Cards
Deck Composition	95	(1)
Hands Begin with Shuffle	96	(1)
Bring-In Bets	96	(1)
Blind Bets	96	(1)
Number of Betting Rounds	97	(1)
Number of Players Per Game	97	(1)
Winning a Pot	98	(1)
Hand Rankings	99	(5)
Straight Flush	99	(1)
Four-of-a-Kind	100	(1)
Full House	100	(1)
Flush	100	(1)
Straight	101	(1)
Three-of-a-Kind	101	(1)
Two Pair	101	(1)
One Pair	101	(1)
No Pair	102	(1)
Low Hands	102	(2)
Shuffling	104	(1)
Mechanical Shuffling Machines	104	(2)
Dealer Responsibilities	106	(1)
Burn-Card Placement	107	(1)
Cards Dealt off Table	107	(1)
Boxed Cards	107	(1)
Fouled Deck	108	(1)
Marked or Marred Cards	109	(1)
Misdeals	109	(4)
Betting Structures
Fixed-Limit Poker	113	(1)
Betting Structures for Community-Card Games	113	(1)
Betting Structures for Stud Games	113	(1)
Betting Structures for Draw Games	114	(1)
No-Limit Poker	114	(6)
Raising Requirements	115	(1)
Check-Raising All-In Bets	116	(1)
Bet Declarations	117	(1)
Oversized Chips, No-Limit	117	(2)
Asking for Opponents' Chip Counts	119	(1)
Pot-Limit Poker	120	(4)
Betting in Pot-Limit	120	(1)
Opening Bets in Pot-Limit	120	(2)
Sizing the Pot	122	(1)
Overbetting the Pot	123	(1)
Oversized Chips, Pot-Limit	124	(1)
Other Pot-Limit Structures	124	(1)
Spread-Limit Poker	125	(1)
Playing Overs	126	(1)
Kill Pots	127	(1)
Kill-Pot Triggers	128	(1)
Killing Pot from Blinds	128	(1)
Leg Up	129	(2)
High-Low Split Games Played with Kill	131	(1)
Sequence of Action when Pot Killed	132	(1)
Refusal to Post Kill	132	(1)
Dealer Requirements in Announcing Kill Pots	132	(1)
Look-at-Two-and-Kill (in Lowball Games)	133	(1)
Half-Kills	133	(1)
Voluntary Kills and Live Straddles	134	(1)
Hand Showdown Order	134	(5)
All Cards Must Be Shown Down	139	(1)
Asking to See a Winning Hand	139	(1)
Pot-Splitting on Tie Hands (Awarding Odd Chips)	139	(1)
Players' Obligations in Determining Best Hand at Showdown	140	(1)
Miscalled Hands	140	(1)
Order of Awarding Pots	141	(1)
Players' Rights to See Called Hands	142	(1)
Show One, Show All	143	(3)
Non-Correctable Errors	146	(1)
Jackpots	146	(4)
High-Hand and Royal Flush Jackpots	146	(1)
Bad-Beat Jackpots	147	(1)
Jackpot Qualifiers and Conditions	148	(2)
Buttons	150	(4)
Missed Blind Button	150	(1)
Small Blind Button	151	(1)
Overs Button	152	(1)
Playing Behind Button	152	(1)
Openers Button	153	(1)
Kill Button	153	(1)
Seat-Change Button	153	(1)
Table Card	154	(3)
Part Three: Rules of the Games
Texas Hold'em, Omaha, and Other Community-Card (Board) Games
Texas Hold'em	157	(5)
Dealing and Betting Procedures	158	(2)
Order of Play	160	(1)
Blind Bets	160	(1)
Building Hands	161	(1)
Omaha Hold'em	162	(5)
Number of Cards	163	(1)
Building Hands	164	(1)
Low Hands Must ``Qualify''	164	(1)
Differing Two-Card Combinations for ``High'' and ``Low'' Qualifying Hands in Omaha/8	165	(1)
Showing Down Winning Hands	165	(1)
Playing Omaha with Kill	166	(1)
Five-Card Omaha/8	167	(1)
Three-Card Games	167	(3)
Pineapple	168	(1)
Crazy Pineapple	168	(1)
Tahoe	169	(1)
Stud Games
Five-Card Stud	170	(1)
Six-Card Stud	171	(1)
Seven-Card Stud	171	(9)
Antes, Deal, and Betting Structures	172	(1)
Bring-Ins	173	(1)
Betting	173	(3)
Recommended Betting Units	176	(1)
Raises	177	(1)
Double Bets	177	(1)
Showdowns	177	(1)
Spread-Limit Games	178	(1)
Order of Open Cards	178	(1)
Mixing Open and Closed Cards	178	(1)
Accidentally Exposing Cards	178	(1)
Insufficient Cards	179	(1)
Seven-Card Stud, Eight-or-Better High-Low Split (Seven-Stud/8)	180	(6)
Qualifying Low Hands	181	(1)
Antes, Deal, and Betting Structures	182	(2)
Fourth Street---No Double Bets	184	(1)
Betting Order	184	(1)
Raises	184	(1)
Double Bets	185	(1)
Showdowns	186	(1)
Razz	186	(2)
Low-Hand Determination	186	(1)
Bring-Ins	187	(1)
Betting	187	(1)
Five-Card Stud	188	(1)
Antes, Deal, and Betting Structures	188	(1)
Mississippi Seven-Card Stud	189	(1)
Decks and Dealing	190	(1)
Mixed games	190	(4)
Back Man Out	191	(3)
Draw and Other Games
Draw and Lowball with Joker	194	(1)
Jacks-or-Better	194	(8)
Blinds, Antes, and Buttons	195	(1)
Decks and Deals	195	(1)
Order of Play	196	(2)
Asking About Number of Cards Drawn	198	(1)
Player's Right to Change Number of Cards Drawn	198	(1)
Exposed Cards	199	(1)
Rapping Pat	199	(1)
Going All-In for Antes	199	(1)
Jacks-or-Better, ``Show Openers'' Requirement	200	(1)
Opening with Non-Qualifying Hands	200	(2)
Splitting Openers	202	(1)
Jacks Back	202	(2)
Lowball	204	(1)
California Lowball	205	(6)
Blinds, Antes, and Buttons	206	(1)
Decks and Deals	206	(1)
Declaring Hands	207	(1)
Betting Sevens	208	(2)
Entering the Game	210	(1)
Missing the Blinds	210	(1)
Exposed Cards	210	(1)
Kansas City Lowball	211	(2)
Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw	213	(2)
Blinds and Buttons	213	(1)
Discards and Draws	213	(1)
Wagering Rounds	214	(1)
Insufficient Cards	214	(1)
Betting Limits	215	(1)
Ace-to-Five Triple Draw	215	(5)
Part Four: Tournaments
Tournament Rules
Tournament Rules and Procedures	220	(1)
A Basis for Fair Decision Making	220	(1)
Cash Game Rules	220	(1)
Starting Chips and Seated Players	221	(1)
No Chip Transfers Permitted	221	(1)
Chips in Full View	221	(1)
No-Show Players	222	(1)
Late Entrants	222	(1)
Removing Lower Denomination Chips	222	(3)
Splitting the Pot Among Tied Hands	225	(3)
Side Pots	228	(1)
Time Limits for Acting on a Hand	229	(1)
Dead Button Rule	229	(1)
Exposing Cards with Action Pending	229	(1)
Players Must Be at the Table to Call Time	230	(1)
Face Up When All-In and All Action is Complete	231	(1)
Fifty Percent Rule for Raising	232	(1)
Oversized Chips	232	(2)
One Player per Hand	234	(1)
Random Seat Assignments	234	(1)
English-Only Rule	235	(2)
Mobile Phone Use at the Table	237	(1)
Foreign Chips	237	(1)
Deck Changes	237	(1)
When New Betting Limits Apply	237	(1)
Player May Not Miss a Hand	238	(1)
Keeping Chips Visible	239	(1)
All Chips Must be Visible	239	(1)
Verbal Declaration Regarding Hand Content	240	(1)
Rabbit Hunting	240	(1)
Blind Dodging	240	(1)
Moving Players	241	(1)
Number of Raises in Limit Events	241	(1)
Exposed Down Cards in Stud Games	242	(1)
Killing Unprotected Hands	242	(1)
Cards Speak	242	(1)
Verbal Declarations Made in Turn	242	(3)
Moving from a Broken Table	245	(1)
Penalties for Infractions	245	(1)
No Player Shall Discuss a Hand in Play	246	(1)
Exposing a Card While a Hand Is in Play	246	(1)
One Motion	247	(1)
Verbally Disclosing the Contents of a Hand	247	(2)
Less Than a Full Raise	249	(1)
Chopping Blinds	249	(1)
Re-Buy Tournaments	249	(3)
Heads-Up Button Placement at the Final Table	252	(1)
Deal-Making at the Final Table	252	(2)
Canceled Events	254	(3)
Part Five: Rules We'd Like to Change
Betting Circles	257	(1)
Letter-of-the-Law Versus Spirit-of-the-Game	258	(1)
Short Buy-Ins	258	(1)
Triggering Kill Pots	259	(1)
Asking to See Called Hands	259	(1)
Must-Move Games	260	(1)
Dead-Button Rule Standardization	261	(1)
Responsibility for Chips Left on Tables	261	(1)
The Auto F-Word Rule	262	(2)
Index	264