Tournament Rules & Etiquette

1.) All Players must be registered members of the American Poker Invitational League.

2.) Minimum age to play is 18. Each location reserves the right to set the minimum age requirement. Some locations the age requirement will be 21.

3.) Players will all start with 5100 in chips. ( 8-50's, 7-100's, 2-500's, 3-1000's). Blinds will rise according to the blind schedule. API reserves the right to change the blind schedule due to session time restraints.

4.) All API satellite tournaments are Freeze Out format No-Limit Texas Hold'em unless designated by API.

5.) If there are more players than seats at the tables there will be a waiting list. Those players will be allowed to join the tournament as seats become available up to the beginning of the fourth blind period. Waiting list or late players will join the tables with a reduced number of chips. If seated after the official starting time, any late arrival or waiting list player will start the game less double the big blind. After the end of the third blind there will be no new players seated for that session.

6.) Once a player has lost all the chips they started with, they cannot reload and reseat, but are eligible to play in the second session or consolation table if offered

7.) In the event that the first session runs long, the second session blinds MAY start at 50-100. This is at the tournament director's discretion.

8.) Blinds will be raised every fifteen minutes (50-100 ---> 100-200); this will be announced by the floor men. If a hand is still being dealt during the blind raise, the next round of play will be with the raised blinds.

9.) During the breaks, the floor person will Color-up, lower denomination chips for each player by exchanging them for the next higher value. Any uneven amount will be rounded up to the players benefit.

10.) To determine the first dealer position of each table. Cards will be spread face down and each player will draw one card. The player with the highest valued card will start the deal. In the event that two or more players draw the same valued card. Those Players will redraw until one card value is higher than the other. An ace of Spade is not the highest ace and ace runoff will occur.

11.) The deal will rotate clockwise.

12.) Players are required to post their blinds. When a player is absent from the table for any reason, their blind will be posted by the current dealer from the absent players stack and their hand will be dealt and folded.

13.) The small blind is posted by the player immediately to the left of the dealer. The big blind is posted by the player two seats to the left of the dealer.

14.) Players moving from a broken table to fill in seats at another table will assume the rights and responsibilities of the seat. A player must play when sat in the big blind. When sat in the small blind or the button, the player cannot receive a hand, and must wait to play until the button has passed his or her position.

15.) When dealing, there will not be any presorting of the cards. All remaining cards are to stay on top of the deck until all betting is done. Then the dealer will burn one card and turn the three flop cards. Once again no cards will be taken from the top on the deck until all betting is done. At this point the dealer will burn one card and expose the turn card. Still no cards are to be taken from the top of the deck until betting is done. The third burn card will placed on the table face down, and the river card will be exposed.

16.) When bring new players to an existing table. The table will not draw for deal unless 3 or more players are being sat at the existing table.

17.) When two players are left at the table the dealer will always be small blind.

18.) The dead button rule applies. This means that whatever position had the small blind the previous hand will receive the button regardless of whether or not the player in that position is still at the table.

19.) When a player is absent, the dealer will always deal the absent player in. When the action gets to this player, that player's hand will be mucked. (The dealer will always deal to the chips not the players)

20.) If a Player does not have enough chips to call a bet or place a blind, that player can go ALL-IN. If this occurs, the other players with chips left will continue the hand and bet into a side pot. Minimum call for remaining players will be in the amount of the last bet or the amount of the big blind. Example- blinds are 3000- 6000. Player 1 only has 2000 left and goes ALL IN. Any Player wishing to call his all in must call 6000 (amount of Big Blind); side pot will occur and will be divided once the hand is complete.

21.) All bets and raises must be equal or greater than the big blind or last bet for that hand.

22.) When a Player goes ALL-IN and the bet is called by only one player, the remaining player will turn cards face up for the Showdown and continue the hand. All cards in showdown must be shown during showdown.

23.) Once a Player has lost all his/her chips they are required to leave the table.

24.) If two or more Players are eliminated on the same hand, the player with most chips at the start of the hand will finish in the higher position.

25.) If a Player is dealt a card face up the dealer will continue to deal each position their hole cards. Once the hand is dealt to all players the card that was dealt face up will be replaced with the top card on the deck and the card that was dealt face up will become the first burn card. All players must see the card that was dealt face up then the card should be placed in the muck pile. If two cards are dealt face up, it will result in a miss deal, and must be re dealt.

26.) The dealer is responsible for placing the burn cards and muck cards in the muck pile. If at anytime a player's hand is either accidentally or purposely thrown in the muck pile the cards are dead and cannot be played in that hand.

27.) No one can turn over any of the burn or muck cards at anytime during the hand.

28.) No rabbit hunting is allowed

29.) Chips are to remain on the table at all times unless the player is being moved to another table.

30.) When there are 9 players left in the tournament, the players will break into 2 tables, 4 players at one table and 5 at the other. They will play hand for hand until one player is knocked out of the tournament. At that time the remaining players will move to one table.

31.) Cards must remain on and above the table at all times.

32.) No sharing of hands. No other players/observers may give advice on how to play a hand. No advice on a hand can be given by anyone.

33.) The only player that may touch the chips in the pot is the acting dealer. If change is needed, state your intentions and get permission from the acting dealer.

34.) All bets and raises must be equal to or greater than the big blind for that hand.

35.) The acting dealer must shuffle the deck at least three times. The dealer cuts at all major tournaments.

36.) When two players are left at the table the dealer will always be small blind.

37.) Any inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated. The tournament director reserves the right to ask any player to leave the table and tournament. The hosting establishment always reserves the right to ask anyone to leave their place of business at any time.

38.) Please adhere to all poker etiquette. Such as splashing the pot, information about your hand and string bets.

39.) Calling for the clock procedures: Once a reasonable amount of time has passed and a clock is called for, a player will be given one minute to make a decision. If action has not been taken by the time the minute is over, there will be a 10-second countdown. If a player has not acted on his hand by the time the countdown is over, the hand will be dead.

40.) Odd chips: The odd chip(s) will go to the high hand. When there are two or more high hands or two or more low hands, the odd chip(s) will go to the left of the button. There will be an exception to this rule: An attempt will be made in identical hand situations to split the pot as evenly as possible.

41.) API reserves the right to cancel, change, or alter the event at any time.

42.) At NO time, at any API event is betting of currency of any kind allowed. This is in direct violation of state and federal laws. There will be no exceptions to this rule. Any violation of this rule will result in immediate expulsion from the tournament and or league.

43.) The tournament director has final decision on all disputes.

44.) As always there are no substitutions allowed for any API event.

Rules are subject to change.
45.) The 3 foot rule applies to all tournament tables. At no time shall there be allowed anyone not playing in the tournaments to be closer than 3 feet to the table.

Remember-it's JUST A GAME and best of all, it's FREE!!!

Poker Etiquette Rules Top-10

The general idea of poker etiquette is: "Do unto opponents as you would have them do unto you". Other principles and rules originate from it. They are very easy to remember if you understand the main one.

1.) Swearing ~Pretend that your Grandmother is at the table or Imagine you're playing with your best friend…or with your boss? And also think about the quality of you game: bad form can really harm it

2.) Dealer or Player Abuse ~It's not nice to be mean to people anywhere. Just don't do it!

3.) Playing Slowly ~ It's not fun for the other players when they have to wait forever for you to make a decision. Some people use this as a tactic to make other players nervous, but they're just drawing out the game. Maybe you think: "Slow but sure"…Of course; nobody can force you to act… BUT! Behaving like this makes the game less exciting and the players less polite. Don't use it if you don't want bad reputation among poker players.

4.) Splashing the Pot ~Throwing your chips into the current pot is rude because it makes it hard for people to see what your bet is.

5.) Acting in turn ~ Refrain from a betting action like folding your hand, until the action comes to you. This gives information to people before their turn to act.

6.) Hitting on the Other Players ~Regardless of whether or not you've never seen a poker player that hot before, you should refrain from hitting on the other players at the table. I suppose this could be used to freak out some of the more advanced players, but a hand on the thigh could result in cranial damage. Maybe wait until you've won the hand, you'll have a better chance at the bar later on. :)

7.) No Comments during a Hand ~ It's not appropriate to make comments about possible hands being played regardless of whether you're in the hand. This can give unfair advice to less seasoned players. This is especially true when talking about your hand or the cards you just threw.

8.) Intentionally Avoiding Blinds ~ Games like Hold 'Em and Omaha, where blinds are required, it is not appropriate to leave the table intentionally whenever it is your turn to pay your blind. Some players use this tactic to avoid an unfavorable betting position.

9.) In No-Limit Hold'em, the number of chips in front of you determines the maximum bet. A player can go "all-in" by pushing all their chips toward the center of the table. At this point, either the player or the dealer should "count them down", or calculate the amount of the players all-in bet. To call, the other players at the table must match the value of the chips.

10.) Don't be a Jerk ~ No one wants to play with jerks. All the above can be summed up into this statement. Sure, often the stakes are pretty high and the temptation to do something uncouth to better your position becomes large, but a win with class is a sweeter victory.

Texas Hold'em Basic Play

1.) Texas Hold'em can be played with as few as two players, or as many as eleven, at a single table.

2.) The game begins with two players, left of the dealer, placing an initial bet. This is called posting the blinds.

3.) The person left of the dealer posts a bet called the small blind, which is usually equal to half the minimum bet.

4.) The person to the left of the small blind posts the big blind, which is equal to the full minimum bet.

5.) The dealer shuffles one full deck of 52 playing cards. (In a Texas Hold'em game, a button or other marker is used to indicate which person is the "dealer" for the round.)

6.) Each player is then dealt two cards face down. These cards are called your hole or pocket cards.

7.) Next is a round of betting starting with the person to the left of the two who posted the blinds. This is usually referred to by the term pre-flop. Much like most games of poker, players can check, raise, or fold.

8.) Players can bet, raise or re-raise any amount equal or greater than the minimum bet, which should also equal the amount of the big blind.

9.) In No-Limit Hold'em, the number of chips in front of you determines the maximum bet. A player can go "all-in" by pushing all their chips toward the center of the table. At this point, either the player or the dealer should "count them down", or calculate the amount of the players all-in bet. To call, the other players at the table must match the value of the chips.

10.) In the event a player cannot match the value of another player's bet, but would still like to call, he or she can go all-in and play for a portion of the pot. Should this happen, the dealer should divide the original, larger bet into two stacks: the first stack should match the amount of the caller's all-in bet. This stack is pushed into the original pot along with the caller's all-in bet. The pot for which the all-in caller is not eligible. This second stack is placed into a side pot for which the all-in caller is not eligible. This enables the rest of the table to continue play, raising and re-raising as they normally would. At the conclusion of the hand, the all-in bettor is eligible to win the original pot, but not the side pot.

11.) After the initial betting round ends, the dealer discards the top card of the deck. This is called a burn card. This is done to prevent cheating.

12.) The dealer then flips the next three cards face up on the table. These cards are called the Flop. These are communal cards that anyone can use in combination with their two pocket cards to form their best poker hand.

13.) Next is another round of betting. Starting with the player to the left of the dealer.

14.) After the betting concludes, the dealer burns another card and flips one more card on the table. This is called the Turn card or Fourth street. Players can use this sixth card now to form their best poker hand.

15.) The player to the left of the dealer begins another round of betting. In many types of games, this is where the bet size doubles.

16.) Finally, the dealer burns another card and places a final card face up on the table. This final card is called the River or Fifth street. Players can now use any of the five cards on the table with the two cards in their pocket (or hole cards) to form their best 5 card poker hand.

17.) There is now a final round of betting starting with the player to the left of the dealer.

18.) After this round of betting, all of the players remaining in the game begin to reveal their hands. This begins with the players to the left of the last player to call. This is called the Showdown.

19.) If two or more players have the same hand, the next highest card in the player's hand is used to break a tie. This is called the Kicker.

20.) If there is no Kicker card and the tied players have used both hole cards, or have the exact same hand, then the pot is split between the players.

21.) The dealer position then moves clockwise to the next player and another round of play begins.

Rank of Hands

Royal Flush - An Ace-High straight of one suit.

Straight Flush - A straight of entirely one suit.

Four-of-a-Kind (Quads) - Four cards of the same rank.

Full House (Full Boat, Boat) - Three-of-a-kind and a pair. The example below would be called "Queens over Aces" or "Queens full of Aces".

Flush - Five cards of the same suit.

Straight (Run) - Five cards of sequential rank. Note that in hold 'em, Aces can be high or low.

An example of a straight where the Ace is low:

Three-of-a-Kind (Trips, Set) - Three cards of the same rank.

Two Pair - Two cards of the same rank and another two cards of the same rank. The example below would be called "Jacks and Twos".

One Pair - Two cards of the same rank.

High Card - When you don't have any of the above, your highest card determines your hand. The example below would be "King High" or "High card King".