TaverntainmenT First*4*Tavern EntertainmenT

• TaverntainmenT Poker is a "NO CASH", "PLAY 4 FREE" poker league, where players play for points & the coveted RIGHT 2 BRAG, "R2B".
• There are 4 seasons during the year. Each season consists of 12 qualifying weeks & an Awards week.
• 1 night of the week, 2 games of No Limit Texas Hold'em will be played for points, R2B, & potential prizes. The top 8 finishers of each game are awarded points according to their finish.
• All players with 8 games or more during a season qualifying for the Race 2 TT Cup.
• Points are based on a player's finish and the total number of registered and unregistered players during a tournement.

Chip Denominations

TTP Championship

Play six games during a season and receive TaverntainmenT ranking.

At the end of a season, the top 20% of ranked players at each tavern qualify for the TTP Championship. Ex. City Sports - Sunday has 35 ranked players, so 7 players who qualify. If there were 36 players, we round up to 8 qualifying players. We always round up!

TTP Championship Qualified players receive 10,500 in starting chips plus additional chips depending on their ranked position, as follows:

• 1^st place — additional 5,000
• 2^nd place — additional 3,000
• 3^rd place — additional 2,000
• 4^th place — additional 1,000
• 5^th place & below — additional 500
• Overall season point's leader receives an addition 1,000 & it isn't always the Season Winner.

During the awards week, we have 2 games: Wild Card (straight Texas Hold 'Em) and TED Choice (fun, crazy, different flavors of Texas Hold 'Em).

Winners of these games qualify for our TPP Championship. If a player has already qualified, then they earn an extra 1,000 starting chips.

We have our TTP Championship after every 2 seasons just after New Year's & July 4th.

With 2 seasons to qualify, you only qualify once, but you can receive bonus starting chips. For instance, a player who qualifies during City Sports - Sunday season 12 & has already qualified during City Sports - Sunday season 11 will have a starting stack as follows:

• 10,500 for qualifying
• 5,000 for season 11 City Sports champion
• 5,000 for season 12 City Sports champion
• 1,000 for season 11 City Sports points champion
• (Note: player was not the season points champion for season 11)

Players who only win a Wild Card game start with the qualifying amount of 10,500.

Rules of Poker

Tournement Director - TED

TED’s are to consider the best interest of the game, fairness to players, and the Tavern being played at as the top priority in the decision-making process. Unusual circumstances can on occasion dictate that decisions in the interest of fairness take priority over the technical rules. The TED’s decision is final.

Arrival / Late

Upon arrival, players are expected to check in with TED. Players arriving late will be allowed until the start of the first break, but chips will be taken out of starting stack depending upon arrival time. TED’s will do their best to seat you in a timely fashion.

Knocked Out

Players knocked out of the game are required to sign the board in the order they were knocked out and put the name / initials of the player who knocked them out. This is how the TED keeps track of who gets what for points.

Bonus Chips

TED’s can issue bonus chips at their leisure, ex: sign up bonus, dealer bonus, on time & seated bonus, etc. TED’s are to do bonuses that make their games run easier & smoother.

Dealers

Dealers are volunteers who play and deal during the game. If there is no designated dealer, then the deal is passed around and everyone deals. A designated dealer keep the game moving, is the lone person that the TED talks to if a problem arises, and the only person who handles the chips in the pot. The player on the dealer button is required to shuffle the cards just played. To keep all players honest, the dealer cuts the cards and may give them a riffle if needed.

Loserville Board

When players are out of the tournament, they must sign their name on the Loserville board immediately. First & last name is required. This allows the TED to correctly assign players positions & their points correctly. Anyone not signing immediately will be given a verbal warning. Once given a warning, players who repeatedly wait or those that forget to sign, will be assigned the first person out spot.

Color Up

When it is time to color-up chips they will be chipped up. Chipped up is when a player has a lower value in chip/s and they are given a higher value chip. Players are encouraged to witness the color up.

Odd Chips

The odd chip(s) will go to the high hand. In flop, games 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.

Side Pots

Each side pot will be split separately.

Calling for a Clock

Once a reasonable amount of time has passed and a clock is called for, a player will be given a maximum of 30 seconds to make a decision. If a player has not acted by the time the count down is over, the player’s hand will be dead.

Dead Button

Tournament play will use a dead button.

Penalties and Disqualification

A penalty MAY be invoked if a player exposes any card with action pending, throws a card off the table, violates the one-player-to-a-hand rule, or similar incidents take place. Penalties WILL be invoked in cases of soft play, abuse, or disruptive behavior. Penalties available to the TED include verbal warnings and “missed hand” penalties. A missed hand penalty will be assessed as follows: The offender will miss one hand for every player, including the offender, who is at the table when the penalty is given multiplied by the number of rounds specified in the penalty; for the period of the penalty the offender shall remain away from the table. Tournament staff can assess one-, two-, three-, or four-round penalties or disqualification. A player who is disqualified shall have his or her chips removed from play. Repeat infractions are subject to escalating penalties. Keep in mind that this is a free poker league, played amongst friends in a tavern for points and bragging rights. HAVE FUN!

At Your Seat

A player must be at his or her seat by the time all players have been dealt complete initial hands in order to have a live hand. Dealer may give exceptions, examples are if dealer see / hear the player returning, it’s the dealers friend so be polite to the dealer, or if it’s the TED. Players must be at their seat to call time.

Face Up

All cards will be turned face up once a player is all-in and all betting action is complete.

Raise Requirements

If a player puts in a raise of 50% or more of the previous bet but less than the minimum raise, he or she will be required to make a full raise. The raise will be exactly the minimum raise allowed. In no-limit, an all-in bet of less than a full raise does not reopen the betting to a player who has already acted.

Oversized Chip

A single oversized chip will be considered a call if the player does not announce a raise. If a player puts an oversized chip into the pot and states raise but does not state the amount, the raise will be the maximum allowable up to the size of that chip. After the flop, an initial bet of a single oversized chip without comment will constitute the size of the bet. To make a raise with a single oversized chip a verbal declaration must be made before the chip hits the table surface.

No Disclosure No Advice One Player to a Hand

Players are obligated to protext the other players in the tournement at all times. Therefore, players, whether in the hand or not, may not:

1. Disclose contents of live or folded hands
2. Advise or criticize play before the action is complete
3. Read a hand that hasn't been tabled

The one-player-to-a-hand rule will be enforced.

Random Seats

Tournement seats will be randomly assigned.

Official Language

The English-only rule will be enforced in the United States during the play of hands.

Communication Devices

A player may not use a cellular phone, text-messaging device, or other communication device at the table.

Deck Changes

Deck changes will be on the dealer push or level changes or as prescribed by the house. Players may not ask for deck changes.

New Limits

When time has elapsed in a round and a new level is announced by a member of the tournament staff, the new level applies to the next hand. If either the small or big blinds have any of their blind down before new level is announced, then the blind stays the same. A new hand begins with the first card dealt.

Higher Denomination Chips Visible

Players must keep their higher denomination chips visible at all times and atop of their chip stack.

Declarations

Verbal declarations as to the content of a player's hand are not binding; however, any player deliberately miscalling his or her hand may be penalized.

Rabbit Hunting

No rabbit hunting is allowed unless everyone at the table agrees, in the hand or not.

Chips Visible

All chips must be visible at all times. Players may not hold or transport tournament chips in any manner that takes them out of view. A player who does so will forfeit the chips and will face disqualification. The forefeited chips will be taken out of play.

Breaking Tables

Players going from a broken table to fill in seats assume the rights and responsibilities of the position. They can get the big blind, the small blind, or the button. The only place they cannot get a hand is between the small blind and the button.

Balancing Tables

In flop games when balancing tables, players will be moved from the big blind to the worst position (which is never the small blind). The table from which a player is moved will be as specified by a predetermined procedure. Play will halt on any table that has only three players.

Raises

There is no cap on the number of raises in no-limit games. A raise must be at least the size of the big blind or the previous raise.

Misdeals

In flop games, exposure of one of the first two cards dealt is a misdeal. Players may be dealt two consecutive cards on the button.

Unprotected Hands

If a dealer kills an unprotected hand, the player will have no redress and will not be entitled to a refund of bets. However, if a player has raised and the raise had not yet been called, the raise will be returned to the player.

Killing Winning Hand

Dealers cannony kill a winning hand that was tabled and was obviously the winning hand. Players are encouraged to assist in reading tabled hands if it appears that an error if about to be made.

Verbal Declarations

Verbal declarations in turn are binding. Action out of turn ma be binding and will be binding if the action to that player has not changed. A check, call, or fold is not considered action changing.

Exposing Cards

A player who exposes his cards with action pending may incur a penalty, but will not have a dead hand. The penalty will begin at the end of the hand.

Methods of Raising

In no-limit a raise must be made by (1) placing the full amount in the pot in one motion; or (2) verbally declaring the full amount prior to the initial placement of chips into the pot; or (3) verbally declaring "raise" prior to the placement of the amount to call into the pot and then completing the action with one additional motion.

Ethical Play

Poker is an individual game. Soft play will result in penalties, which may include forfeiture of chips and / or disqualification. Chip dumping will result in disqualification.

Pot Size

Dealers will not count the pot in no-limit games. If needed to, they will spread the pot out for player(s) to add up the pot.

Final Table

Final table is where 8 players are left. TED will stop play & the clock, players will redraw for seats and are required to sit at those seats.

Button in Heads-up

When heads-up the small blind is on the button and acts first. When beginning heads-up play the button may need to be adjusted to ensure that, no player takes the big blind twice in a row.

Etiquette Violations

Repeated etiquette violations will result in penalties. Examples include unnecessarily touching other players cards or chips, delay of the game, and excessive chatter. Players are required to act in turn.

Showdown

At the end of last round of betting, the player who made the last aggressive action in that betting round must show first. If there was no bet the player to the left of the button shows first and so on clockwise. Both cards are shown for a winning hand and if a player shows one then they must show all, if called out.

Action Pending

Players must remain at the table if they still have action pending on a hand.

String Raises

Dealers will be responsible for calling string raises.

Playing the Board

A player must show both cards when playing the board in order to get part of the pot.