Poker

How to play

POKER HOUSE RULES

The rules of play are intended to create a fair game and to ensure that a player who makes an error is the one who suffers the consequence. In situations not covered by the rules, or where a mechanical following of the rules would be clearly unfair, the House has the discretion to make decisions for the purpose of ensuring the honesty, integrity and fairness of the game.

1. House decisions are final.
2. Must be 18 years of age or older with proof of age to enter the casino.
3. Individuals who are enrolled in Alberta’s Voluntary Self-Exclusion (VSE) program are not permitted.
4. Discourteous behavior, disrespect towards staff and other players or abusive language will not be tolerated and may result in removal from the casino.
5. The Grey Eagle Poker Pit is prohibited from allowing persons who appear to be intoxicated or who are intoxicated to gamble.
6. Players must protect their cards at all times. If players fail to protect their cards, there will be no redress if it becomes fouled or the dealer accidentally kills it.
7. Straddle and double straddle options are permitted from under the gun and only allowed until the very last card is dealt out provided that those players have not looked at any of their cards.  To raise a straddle bet, the raise must be a minimum of twice the straddle amount.
8. Button straddle is allowed and always has priority over the under-the-gun straddle until the very last card is dealt out. Re-straddling a button straddle is not allowed.
9. Permission is required before taking a seat in a game.  Players are not permitted to transfer tables without House consent.
10. Table transfers and seat changes must be done immediately.
11. Players will assume their position on the table. Players with chips on the table must pay their missed blinds whether they have played a hand or not.
12. Players not still in possession of their cards at showdown, or who have mucked face down without tabling their cards, lose any rights or privileges they may have to ask to see any hand.
13. Any player dealt in the hand can call time on another player provided that a reasonable time has passed (2 minutes). A player on the clock has 50 seconds plus a 10 second countdown to act, otherwise the hand is dead if facing a bet.
14. No discussion of hands while in play.
15. The winning hand must show all cards prior to the pot being pushed.  Cards speak for themselves.  Dealers will assist in reading hands and assigning the correct value to any tabled hands.
16. A verbal statement of fold, check, call, raise or specific size bet is binding on an active player.
17. Acting out of turn will be subject to penalty. A player who checks out of turn may not bet or raise on their next turn to act. A player who has called out of turn may not change his wager to a raise on the next turn to act.
18. Any player who has not yet acted must defend their right to act in a timely manner or they may be subject to penalty.
19. Dealers will enforce the use of the “commitment line”.  Any chips over the line are committed.  A hand released over the line face-up is a live hand if it has not become irretrievably mixed with the discards.  A hand released face-down may be retrieved provided:
    1. the player retrieves it or requests the dealer to turn it face-up
    2. the hand remains 100% identifiable and retrievable
    3. another player has not been induced to discard his hand
20. Discarding non-tabled cards face down does not automatically kill them; players may change their minds and table cards that remain 100% identifiable and retrievable. Cards are killed by the dealer when pushed into the muck or otherwise rendered irretrievable and unidentifiable.
21. Players are not permitted to have side wagers.
22. Cash/chips in transit are considered money behind and are in play.
23. Chips greater than $25 are not to be used in $1-$2 games.
24. Chip trays are not allowed on the table unless cashing out within one round.
25. Meal break is 45 minutes. Only one meal button allowed per table at a time.
26. No one is allowed to play another player’s chips.
27. After a deal ends, dealers are not allowed to show what card would have been dealt.  Rabbit hunting is not allowed.
28. The last aggressive player on the final betting round must table their cards first. If there is no final round bet, the player who would act first in a final betting round must table first.
29. Chips may not leave the poker table, except to purchase food, beverages, cigarettes or prescribed by the house.
30. Players must wait a minimum of two hours after cashing out to play the same stakes unless they buy back in for the same amount that they cashed out.
31. Short-buys will be allowed once per eight-hour session.
32. Players may lose their seat in the game if they receive two missed blind buttons.
33. A reserved seat with no chips will be forfeited after one round of play.
34. Players may not talk on a phone at the table. Ring tones, music, etc. should be inaudible to others. Betting apps and charts should not be used by players with live hands. Other devices, tools, photography, videography, and communication must not create a nuisance and are subject to house and gaming rules. Devices will not be allowed on the table felt at any time.
35. The English-only rule will be enforced during the play of hands. This also applies to those who are spectating and communicating with a player in the game.  Speaking a foreign language while any hand is in progress is not allowed regardless of whether a player has cards or not.  Players must step away from the table otherwise.
36. Etiquette violations are subject to enforcement actions in Rule 37. Examples include but are not limited to: persistent delay of the game, repeatedly acting out of turn, making statements or taking action that could unfairly influence the course of play, betting out of reach of the dealer, abusive conduct and excessive chatter.
37. Warnings, Penalties and Disqualification:
    1. Enforcement options include verbal warnings, one or more “missed hand” or “missed round” penalties, and disqualification. For missed rounds, the offender will miss one hand for every player (including him or her) at the table when the penalty is given multiplied by the number of penalty rounds. Repeat infractions are subject to escalating penalties. Players on penalty may miss blinds and lose their eligibility to share the bad beat.
    2. A penalty may be invoked for etiquette violations (Rule 36), card exposure with action pending, throwing cards, violating one-player-to-a-hand, or similar incidents. Penalties will be given for soft play, abuse, disruptive behavior or cheating.
    3. Players on penalty must be away from the table or in some cases, away from the Poker Pit.
    4. A disqualified player shall be removed from play.
38. House rake is 10%, up to $7 maximum. Short rake on games with six active players or less is 10%, up to $3 maximum.