Rule #1: We play poker only. That means five card hands. No in between, no guts, no blackjack, no Caribbean stud, no pai gow, and no fuck your buddy.
Rule #2: BYOB. Also, while our host sometimes generously provides some food, snack contributions are appreciated (See below).

Games and Stakes:
Generally, we play rounds of dealer's choice. The first dealer picks the first round which ends before his second deal. The second dealer picks the second round which ends before the first dealer's third deal, etc.

For no-limit and pot limit games, blinds are $0.05 and $0.10. Limit games are either $0.25-$0.50 with $0.10 and $0.25 blinds, or $0.50-$1.00. Maximum ante or is generally $0.05. These amounts will not be changed unless all players at the table unanimously agree.

The limit is decided at the beginning of the round. No-limit generally works best only for hold 'em and five card draw, pot limit works with the above games as well as Omaha, Omaha/8, and five card stud. Limit and spread limit work well for any game. For more information on betting structures and blinds, visit the Casino Play page.

Chip values: (unless otherwise specified prior to evening's play)
White  $0.05
Red $0.25
Blue  $0.50
Green $1.00
Black $5.00

Maximum buy-in is $40.00. Minimum buy-in is $5.00. $20.00 is recommended. Additional buy-ins are not only allowed, they are greatly encouraged, but only in between hands. If a player does not have enough chips to finish a hand, a side pot will be created.

Seating:
· Since the big table has only ten seats and we've been averaging well over 12 players per game lately, seats at the big table will be preferentially given to those who RSVP. Simply put, at least the first five who RSVP (either on the message board or by telling me in person are guaranteed a seat at the big table, provided they show up less than 45 minutes after the scheduled game time. 

The number of seats at the big table will depend on the number of players. After the first five, additional seats at the big table (up to five more) will be based on: first, those who RSVP'd at least 12 hours in advance, arriving less than 45 minutes late and second, the earliest arrivals who did not RSVP. 

Snack points:
· Those players who are gracious enough to bring snacks to share deserve some recognition. The five who contribute the most will have the opportunity to play in a freeroll at the beginning of the new year, with the amount won in the freeroll added to the totals on the big board. 

Snack points are awarded as follows with a maximum of 5 points per game:
- Bag of ice: 1 Point
- Store-bought goodies (bag of chips, cheese, crackers, canned nuts): 2 Points each item
- Home cookin' (beans, brownies, hummus, wings, Bambi, etc: 5 points 

Dealing and Game Play:
· The deal passes to the left. The player on the dealer's right cuts the deck. The deck should be cut toward the dealer.

· Players who are seated during a blind round may either post a big blind to receive cards immediately or wait for the big blind to reach them. If a player comes in on the small blind, that player must sit out until the button passes, and then post in the cutoff. An exception will be made during the first round of play for seats which the big blind has not yet passed.  

· The deal starts with the person to the dealer's left and continues clockwise around the table.

· The dealer must burn and turn at the same time, and only at the same time. If the dealer burns and turns too early, the premature cards are reinserted into the deck, reshuffled, and cut by the player on the right. The burnt card remains on the table.

· The last card in the deck shall not be dealt under any circumstances. That means a maximum of ten players in Omaha. If there is a possibility of such a situation in draw poker, players should first verbally announce the number of cards they intend to draw, beginning with the active player to the left of the dealer. If the dealer verifies that there are insufficient cards in the deck, the discards will be shuffled in before any draws are dealt.

· Changing the order of your upcards in stud games is not allowed.

· It is a player's job to protect his/her hand. A hand that touches the muck, whether by accident or intentionally, is dead, and dead hands tell no tales. Casino players usually place a chip or token on their cards to prevent them from being mucked by the dealer. We should probably do the same.


Exposed Cards and Misdeals:
· In hold 'em and Omaha, if the first down card dealt is exposed, a misdeal results. The dealer will reshuffle, recut, and redeal. If any other player's down card is exposed due to a dealer error, the deal continues. The exposed card may not be kept. After completing the deal, the dealer replaces the exposed card with the top card on the deck, and the exposed card is then used for the burn card. If more than one down card is exposed, a misdeal results. 

· In draw, cards that are exposed face up by the dealer before the draw must be kept. Cards that are exposed by the dealer on the draw cannot be kept. Cards exposed on the draw will be replaced from the deck after all players remaining to act have made their draws.

· In stud games, if a player's hole card is accidentally dealt face-up, that player will receive his last card of the initial deal face-down. If the river (last) card in seven-stud is dealt face-up, it must be kept. If the game is heads-up, both players will have their river cards face-up. If there are more than two players still in, the other players will receive their final card face-down and the player with the exposed river card has the option of declaring all-in. 

Betting:
· For games with blinds, the two players to the left of the dealer post a small blind (usually $0.05) and a big blind (usually $0.10). Blinds are live. If betting has not been capped, the big blind acts last in the first round. Stud games begin with a forced bet (bring-in) by the player with the worst hand showing.

· After the initial betting round, In games where none of the players' cards are exposed, action starts to the left of the dealer. In stud games, the betting rounds begin with the best hand showing.

· In spread limit, pot-limit and no-limit, the minimum opening bet is the size of the big blind. The minimum raise is the size of the previous bet or raise in that round. If the opening bet is $1.00, you cannot raise to $1.50. You must raise to at least $2.00.

· An exception to the above rule is if a player moves all-in with insufficient chips for a full raise. Only amounts greater than half of the minimum raise will be considered a raise in such a circumstance. For example: If player A bets $5, player B raises to $10, and player C moves all-in for $13, player A can reraise but, if player A just calls the $13, player B cannot raise again.

· In pot-limit, the maximum amount a player can raise is the amount of the pot after he has called the bet he is raising.

· No splashing the pot. This means you. Place your chips in front of you so that there is no confusion as to who made/called the bet and what the amount is. All bets will be moved into the pot when action is complete for the round.

· If you make a forward motion with chips and this causes another player to act, you will be forced to complete your action.

· A player who bets or calls by releasing chips into the pot is bound by that action. However, if you are unaware that the pot has been raised, you may withdraw that money and reconsider your action, provided that no one else has acted after you.

· Without a verbal declaration, a single high-denomination chip placed into the pot when facing action is considered a call.

· Without a verbal declaration, a single high-denomination chip placed into the pot to open the betting is considered a bet of the full value of the chip or the maximum bet, whichever is smaller.

· Putting a full bet plus a half-bet or more into the pot using two chips when the larger chip is sufficient for a call is considered to be the same as announcing a raise, and the raise must be completed.

· While not required the rules above should tell you that, it's a good idea to verbally announce your action by saying "bet", "call" or "raise" so there is no doubt about what you intended. It may also give you a little more wiggle room concerning forward motion.

· Of course, a verbal declaration is binding. If, in turn, you verbally announce a fold, check, bet, call, raise, or raise all-in, you will be forced to take that action.

· No string bets. A player cannot "call" and then "raise". If a player places only enough chips into the pot to call a bet (or a single high-denomination chip as mentioned above) without first declaring a raise , that player may not go back into his/her stack to raise. 

· In no-limit and pot-limit, a player who announces a raise may use more than one motion to place chips into the pot. 

· Check-raises (sandbagging) permitted.

· There is a maximum of 3 raises per betting round in limit games except when the action is heads-up.

Showdown:
· Five card hands are evaluated in the following order (from highest to lowest):
1. Five-of-a-kind (only possible if there are wild cards or a bug)
2. Straight Flush (Five consecutive cards, all of the same suit)
3. Four-of-a-kind
4. Full House (Three of a kind and a pair. Ex: KKK44)
5. Flush (Five cards, all of the same suit)
6. Straight (Five consecutive cards, aces can be high or low, no wrap-arounds)
7. Three-of-a-kind
8. Two Pair
9. Pair
10. High Card