1.            NOTICE

 

• (a)               A Licensee who operates in breach of any Term or Condition herein may be subject to an immediate suspension or cancellation of the licence to which the breach relates, or any other Licence issued or pending from the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (hereafter Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority will be referred to as SLGA).

 

(b)       Pursuant to Section 139 of The Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act, 1997, a person may be prosecuted, by way of summary conviction, for contravention of any provision of The Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act, 1997, the Regulations, or an order made by SLGA or the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Licensing Commission.

 

(c)        SLGA may attach any special terms or conditions to the Licence as deemed necessary, which shall become part of the general Terms and Conditions of
that Licence.

 

• (d)              Section 45 of The Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act, 1997 provides that every Licensee shall allow an Inspector, or other person duly authorized by SLGA, access to his or her premises, books, records or other documents at all reasonable times for the purpose of making an inspection.  Where any books, records or other documents have been examined, SLGA or an authorized person may make copies of the books, records or other documents.

 

2.            PREAMBLE

 

(a)        SLGA is the provincial authority for licensing lottery schemes pursuant to paragraphs 207(1)(b), (c) and (d) of the Criminal Code of Canada. 

 

(b)        Conducting a lottery scheme without a valid Licence is an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada.

 

(c)        The Terms and Conditions herein are established by SLGA pursuant to subsection 207(2) of the Criminal Code of Canada and The Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act, 1997.

 

(d)        The terminology used in these Terms and Conditions has the same meaning as ascribed to them in The Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act, 1997.

3.            DEFINITIONS

 

In these Terms and Conditions:

 

"ADMISSION/ENTRY FEE" means the minimum mandatory amount that must be paid to participate in a Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament.

 

"CASINO" means a casino operated by the Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation, the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority or the Saskatoon Prairieland Park Corporation.

 

"CHAIRPERSON" means the volunteer representative of the Licensee referred to in subsection 5(b).

 

"FINISHING TIME" means the time set for the conclusion of play in a Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament.

 

"GROSS REVENUE" means all Admission/Entry Fees paid by persons to participate in a Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament.

 

"LICENSEE" refers to the holder of a valid and subsisting Licence issued by SLGA for a Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament.

 

"NET PROCEEDS" means the funds left for the approved charitable purpose after the payment of all prizes and expenses approved by SLGA.

 

"TABLE MANAGER" means the volunteer representative of the Licensee referred to in paragraph 5(c).

 

"TOTAL RETAIL PRIZE VALUE" means the total retail value of all prizes offered (including all applicable taxes), whether the prizes are purchased or donated.

 

"TOURNAMENT" means a Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament.

 

4.            GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

Licence Details

• (a)             The event shall be conducted in accordance with the approved Licence, these Terms and Conditions and any other terms and conditions imposed by SLGA.

 

• (b)            Any change to the Licence, such as the addition or deletion of events or changes in times, dates or location of events, must be approved in advance by SLGA.  All requests for such changes must be submitted in writing by the Licensee to SLGA.  If approved, SLGA will issue an addendum to the Licence.

 

• (c)             The Licence, the Tournament Requirements and the Rules of the Game (see Appendix) shall be posted by the Licensee in a prominent position in the public area of the premises.

 

Use of Gross Revenue and Net Proceeds

• (d)            The Admission/Entry Fees paid by persons to participate in the Tournament (the Gross Revenue) are gaming proceeds that shall only be spent by the Licensee in accordance with the eligible use of proceeds requirements for charitable gaming established by SLGA.

 

• (e)             The Net Proceeds (Gross Revenue less prizes and expenses as approved by SLGA) shall only be used for charitable or religious purposes as approved by SLGA.

 

Age Limit

• (f)              The Licensee shall ensure that no person under the age of 19 years shall participate or be present at a Tournament. 

 

Prizes

• (g)             Total prizes, including cash and the Total Retail Prize Value of merchandise prizes (whether purchased or donated, and including applicable taxes), shall not exceed $5,000 per Tournament.  Individual prizes per player may not exceed $2,000, in cash or retail prize value.  An entry into an on-line poker Tournament or other on-line gaming event may not be offered as a prize.

 

Ticket Requirements

• (h)             All tickets must set out the following:

(i) name of Licensee and Licence number;

(ii) cost for admission/entry ticket to the Tournament;

(iii) prizes available;

(iv) time and location of event; and

(v) total number of admission/entry tickets available for sale.

 

• (i)               Admission/Entry Fee tickets must be numbered in sequence and shall consist of two parts, one of which is to be retained by the Licensee and which shall include the name and contact information of the player.

 

• (j)              The number of tickets for the event printed or sold shall not exceed what is approved on the Licence.

 

• (k)            Ticket sales shall cease upon the commencement of the Tournament.

 

• (l)               The Admission/Entry Fee tickets shall be sold only for cash.  Payment of an Admission/Entry Fee by credit card shall not be accepted.  Complementary admission is prohibited.

 

No Paid Workers

• (m)           Ticket sellers shall not be paid and shall not receive free tickets.

 

• (n)    The use of paid workers in connection with the Tournament (for example, as dealers, Table Managers, or Chairpersons) is prohibited.  Payment refers to any form of consideration provided for services rendered including wages and honorariums. 

 

Hours of Operation and Location

• (o)     Tournaments shall:
• (i) be conducted only within the hours listed on the Licence;
• (ii) be of ten (10) hours in duration or less; and
• (iii)    not begin prior to 9:30 a.m., Monday through Saturday, and not prior to

12 noon on Sunday.  Tournaments must conclude by 2 a.m.

 

(p) The following restrictions apply to the Licensee’s rental of facilities and gaming equipment for the conduct of the Tournament:

 

• (i)           A Licensee shall not pay a fee for the supply of gaming equipment (such as chips and cards) unless the gaming equipment is supplied by a supplier registered with SLGA; 

 

• (ii)         A Licensee shall not pay a fee for the use of liquor-permitted areas as a site for a Tournament, except for areas covered by a banquet room endorsement;

 

(iii)   A Licensee may pay a reasonable flat rate fee (that is, a fee that is not based on a percentage of Gross Proceeds or Net Revenue) for the use of unlicensed areas or for liquor-permitted banquet rooms.

 

(q)            Licensees may apply for a special occasion liquor permit for facilities that are not otherwise covered by a liquor permit.  Such applications will be considered by SLGA in accordance with the applicable legislation and regulations.

 

Advertising

• (r)                All tickets must set out the following:

(i) name of Licensee and Licence number;

(ii) cost for admission/entry ticket to the Tournament;

(iii) prizes available;

(iv) time and location of event; and

(v) total number of admission/entry tickets available for sale.

 

• (s)             The Tournament shall only be advertised within Saskatchewan.

 

• (t)              The Licensee shall ensure that any advertising or publicity for a Tournament:

 

(i) does not depict any person as a minor; and

(ii) is not addressed to minors unless the advertising or publicity is intended to:

• a.  promote abstinence or moderation in playing games of chance; or
• b. advise of the detrimental effects or consequences of excessive gaming.

 

• (u)             The Licensee shall not promote Tournaments through any means of advertising or publicity that:

(i) gives a person an unrealistic perception of a player’s chance of winning; or

(ii) does not conform to prevailing community standards.

 

Card and chip requirements

• (v)  The Licensee shall ensure that only chips unique to the event are used at
  the event. 

 

• (w)  The Licensee shall ensure that only chips issued at its event are used. 

 

• (x)             The Tournament shall be played with a standard 52-card deck without jokers.  The decks shall be of a high quality appropriate for Tournament play, and all decks shall be identical. 

 

5.            CONDUCT AND MANAGEMENT

 

(a)        The Licensee shall supervise and be responsible for the conduct and management of every aspect of the event including:

 

(i)            administering tickets, including the collection of all Admission/Entry Fee revenue;

(ii)            ensuring the Tournament runs according to these Terms and Conditions, including the Appendix which specifies the Tournament Requirements and Rules of the Game;

(iii)            paying all prizes;

(iv)            paying all expenses;

(v)            providing a volunteer Chairperson with sufficient knowledge and skill to conduct the event; and

(vi)            providing volunteer Table Managers (in addition to the Chairperson) as follows:

Number of Tables	Chairperson/Table Managers
Up to and including 5 tables	Chairperson and 1 Table Manager
6 – 10 tables	Chairperson and 2 Table Managers
11 – 15 tables	Chairperson and 3 Table Managers
16 – 20 tables	Chairperson and 4 Table Managers
21 – 25 tables	Chairperson and 5 Table Managers

                        (vii)            providing one volunteer dealer for each table.

(b)        The Chairperson shall:

(i)            be a volunteer member of the Licensee;

(ii)            possess sufficient knowledge and skill to fulfill the position;

(iii)            be present throughout the Tournament;

• (iv)              provide fair and consistent determinations when disputes or questions arise;
• (v)                Refer to Robert’s Rules of Poker to resolve issues in the event that a situation arises that is not addressed in these terms and conditions (including the appendices).  In cases where there is a conflict, these terms and conditions (including appendices) prevail.
• (vi)    record in writing all disputes and irregularities related to game play that required the Chairperson’s intervention;
• (vii)             supervise the process of chip transfers between tables and chip removals in the colour-up process;

(viii)            not participate in the Tournament;

(ix)            report to SLGA, in a timely manner and in writing, any cheating,
collusion or other gaming irregularity that might compromise the integrity of the Tournament; and

(x)            not have a criminal record relating to any gaming, liquor, fraudulent, violent or any similar type of offence.

 

(c)        The Table Managers shall:

• (i)      be a volunteer member of the Licensee;
• (ii)          monitor the actions at the tables;
• (iii)        resolve minor issues not requiring the Chairperson; and
• (iv)      not participate in the Tournament.

 

• (d)               The Dealer shall:
• (i)                  be a volunteer member of the Licensee;
• (ii)                run the table according to the Rules of the Game and the instructions of the Table Manager and Chairperson;
• (iii)               not participate in the Tournament.

 

6.            REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 

 

                        The Licensee shall, within 20 days following the Tournament, complete and submit a financial report on the form required by SLGA.  The financial report shall include the following:

(i)            number of participants in the Tournament;

(ii)            total Gross Revenue (Admission/Entry Fees);

(iii)            total prizes paid to winners,

(iv)            expenses paid to conduct the event; and

(v)            the names of the winners to which prizes were paid.

 

7.            BANKING AND USE OF PROCEEDS

 

      The Licensee shall:

 

• (a)               Open and maintain a separate and distinct lottery bank account (must be a chequing account) for the lottery proceeds.
• (b)              Prepare and maintain a register/journal to accurately reflect and describe all transactions occurring in the lottery bank account including the following details of all disbursements of proceeds made from the account:
• (i)            cheque number;
• (ii)            date of cheque;
• (iii)            payee;
• (iv)            dollar amount; and
• (v)            purpose.

 

• (c)               Deposit all Gross Revenue from the event into the lottery bank account.  Gross Revenue (all Admission/Entry Fees) shall be deposited to the lottery bank account no later than the second banking day following the event.

 

• (d)              Pay directly from the lottery bank account all event expenses as approved
  by SLGA.

 

• (e)               Ensure Lottery proceeds are not transferred to a general or any other bank account.

 

• (f)                Retain all interest paid into a lottery bank account as part of the lottery proceeds which become subject to the same spending guidelines as the Net Proceeds.

 

• (g)               Hold all funds on deposit in the lottery bank account until such funds are required for the charitable purpose approved by SLGA.

 

• (h)               Ensure that all Net Proceeds from the event are used exclusively for charitable or religious purposes as approved by SLGA at the time of licensing and are paid for directly from the lottery bank account.

 

• (i)                 Retain all records including, but not limited to, receipts, invoices, control sheets, deposit books/slips, bank statements, cancelled cheques, admission or entry-ticket stubs and unsold admission or entry tickets pertaining to the event for a period of three years from the date of the event.

 

 

 

 

10.            CONFLICT OF INTEREST

 

The Licensee shall ensure there is no conflict of interest, real or perceived, with regards to the operation of gaming activity.  A conflict of interest is any situation in which a Licensee or any officer, director, member or gaming employee of the Licensee or any person who supplies gaming services to the Licensee, either for himself/herself or some other person(s), promotes or attempts to promote a private or personal interest which results or appears to result in the following:

• (i)     a conflict or interference with the exercise of his/her duties; or
• (ii)    a gain or an advantage by virtue of his/her position.

•  

APPENDIX

 

TOURNAMENT REQUIREMENTS AND RULES OF THE GAME

 

A.1             DEFINITIONS

 

In these Terms and Conditions:

 

"ALL-IN" means a player bets all his/her chips.

 

"ANTE" is a forced bet by all players prior to the deal.

 

"BETTING ROUND" means the period of play when each player has an opportunity to Check, bet, Raise, Call or Fold.

 

"BIG BLIND" is a forced bet placed by the player two positions away from the Dealer Button in a clockwise position.  The amount placed for the Big Blind is determined by the table limit.

 

"BURN" means to discard the top card from the deck face down; there are three Burn cards per hand before the Flop, the Turn and the River.

 

"CALL" means a player places enough chips into the pot to make his/her contribution equal to the contribution of any other player, but no greater.

 

"CHECK" means a player remains in the Round of Play, but does not wish to place a bet, provided no previous player has made a bet during that Betting Round.

 

"CHOP" means to split the pot or split the Tournament.

 

"COMMUNITY CARDS" means cards that are face up and used by everyone.

 

"CUT" means once the cards are shuffled, the dealer will divide the cards in half or Cut
the deck.

 

"CUT CARD" means a plastic or cardboard object the size of a playing card, used to divide the deck in two as well as cover the bottom card so players cannot see it.

 

"DEAD HAND" means a Hand that is no longer eligible to win the pot.

 

"DEALER BUTTON" means an object used to designate the player in the dealer position if that player were actually dealing the cards.  It moves one person per Hand in a
clockwise manner.

 

"DESIGNATED LANGUAGE" means the language that all players and Tournament workers must use at the tables.  No other language is allowed during play.

 

"FINISHING TIME" means the time set for the conclusion of play.

 

"FOLD" means to throw your cards away when it’s your turn to act.

 

"FLOP" means after the first betting round, three Community Cards are exposed to the players; these three cards are referred to as the Flop.

 

"HAND" means any combination of two Hole Cards and/or five Community Cards that are used to create a standard five-card poker Hand.

 

"HEADS-UP" means a pot that is being contested by only two players.

 

"HOLE CARDS" means the two cards dealt face down to each player that can only be used by that player in constructing a standard five-card poker Hand.

 

"KICKER" means the high card used to determine the winning Hand.  Players may have the same Hand; however, the winner is determined by the highest Kicker.

 

"LIMIT" means a game that has a fixed minimum and maximum amount for betting.

 

"LIVE HAND" means a Hand that is in play and eligible to win the pot.

 

"MUCK" means the cards Folded by players and put into a pile.  If any other cards get into the Muck by error, they are dead.

 

"RAISE" means a player places enough chips in the pot to Call, plus a minimum of double the bet.  The Raise must be minimum double the previous bet, unless a player is All-In.  For a Limit Tournament, a Raise is double only, no less, no more, than the previous bet.  For a no-Limit Tournament, a Raise is minimum double the previous bet, up to the number of chips a player has.

 

"RIVER" is the last card exposed to the players, the fifth and final Community Card.  The River card may also be referred to as “fifth street.”

 

"ROUND OF PLAY" means the period of play in which everyone has the opportunity to play their Hand for each of the four betting rounds, beginning with the initial deal and ending with awarding the pot.

 

"SIDE POT" means a new pot(s) established by the dealer after a player has gone All-In and additional bets have been placed.

 

"SMALL BLIND" means a mandatory bet (typically half the amount of the Big Blind) placed by the player immediately to the left of the Dealer Button before any cards are dealt.

 

"STRING BET" means a bet in which a player does not get enough chips for the required Raise into the pot in one motion.  Unless he/she verbally declares Raise, he/she will be forced to just Call the bet.

 

"SUBSTANTIAL ACTION" means more than one player has acted in the Hand.  A misdeal may not be called once Substantial Action has occurred.

 

"TABLE MANAGER" means the volunteer representative of the Licensee referred to in paragraph 5(a)(iii).

 

"TURN" is the card exposed to the players after the Flop, the fourth Community Card.  The Turn card may also be referred to as “fourth street.”

 

"WASH" is a technique for shuffling cards in which the cards are placed face down on the table and thoroughly mixed.

 

 

 

A.2            TOURNAMENT REQUIREMENTS

 

General

(a)        The event shall be conducted as a Tournament where all players pay the established Admission/Entry Fee (also known as the “buy-in”) for the same amount
of chips.

 

(b)        The Tournament shall not be conducted in any manner that assigns a cash redemption value to the chips.

 

(c)        The Tournament shall be played with a standard 52-card deck without jokers.  The decks shall be of a high quality appropriate for Tournament play, and all decks shall be identical.

 

(d)        The structure of the Tournament Limits, levels, Ante, Blinds, etc., shall be determined prior to the Tournament; the structure of the Tournament shall be posted and shall not be altered during play, unless otherwise determined by the Chairperson.

 

(e)        At the time of licensing, determine the payout structure, the percentage of total prize money to be paid out, and to how many finishers it will be awarded to.

 

(f)         Any deck suspected of, or containing, marked, damaged or suspect cards must
be replaced and any suspected marked decks must be provided with the event
incident report.

 

(g)        Deck changes will be determined by the Chairperson.

 

(h)        Hi/lo games are prohibited.

 

(i)         “Re-buys,” which are the purchase of additional chips by a player who has run out of chips, are prohibited.

 

(j)         Wild cards are prohibited.

 

(k)        “Straddle bets,” which are blind bets that are usually double the size of the Big Blind that a player may Raise when actions get to him, are prohibited.

 

(l)         The Tournament must comply with all applicable municipal, provincial and federal laws.

 

Prize Limits

(m)       Total prizes, including cash and the Total Retail Prize Value of merchandise prizes (whether purchased or donated), shall not exceed $5,000 per Tournament.  Individual prizes per player may not exceed $2,000, in cash or retail prize value, based on the method used for determining the order of finish.  An entry into an on-line poker Tournament or other on-line gaming event may not be offered as a prize.

Table Set-up

(n)        The games shall be played at tables large enough to accommodate 10 players in such a manner as to ensure that the players may examine their cards without disclosing their value to other players.  Players must have sufficient room to examine their cards without disclosing their value to other players or spectators.

 

(o)        Tables shall be located in a clearly defined area that is not accessible to anyone, other than players or Tournament workers.

 

(p)        If there are multiple tables participating in the Tournament, the number of players at each table will be kept equal or as equal as possible.  If a player is required to move to balance the tables, it will be done in a manner that is fair to all players according to position of the Blinds.

 

(q)        The Tournament shall be conducted in an area that has adequate lighting and physical space for the Chairperson and for SLGA Inspectors to properly monitor the play.  The area must also provide sufficient room that spectators do not interfere with play.

 

• (r)                 The seating at tables shall be determined on a random basis. 

 

• (s)                 If a player is to be moved to a different table, the player’s chips shall be transferred by a Table Manager under the supervision of the Chairperson.

 

Dealing

• (t)                  Players must be seated at the commencement of a Tournament or they cannot participate in the Tournament.

 

(u)        Cards may be dealt by only by the dealer.

 

(v)        The Dealer Button shall start at position 10 and progress around the table in a clockwise motion.

 

Betting

(w)       A player shall not bet on more than one Hand in any Round of Play.

 

(x)        Raises are limited to three per betting round.

 

(y)        All Tournament play will be conducted with chips only.

 

(z)         All players shall place bets and Antes into the pot as prescribed by the Tournament betting structure.

 

(aa)       Each player shall be allowed one (only one) marker or chip not similar to those in play to be used to protect his cards.

 

(bb)      Players shall keep all of their cards and chips on the table and visible at all times.

Behaviour at the table

(cc)            A player is eliminated from the Tournament when either of the following occur: 

            (i)            the player has lost all their chips; or

(ii)            the player is unable to post a minimum of the Small Blind.  If the player is in the Big Blind position, the player must post a minimum of the Small Blind and must go all in.

 

(dd)            The only language allowed at the tables shall be the Designated Language.

 

(ee)            The use of any cell phone or electronic device during Tournament play is prohibited.

 

(ff)            Persons who appear to be intoxicated shall not be allowed to participate in the Tournament.

 

(gg)            The Chairperson may remove disruptive players from the Tournament.  The Chairperson may determine a system of warnings and penalties to deal with disruptive players.

 

(hh)            The Chairperson may call the clock on a player who has not made a decision on the next action.  The player shall have one minute, including a ten-second countdown, to act.  If the time expires without action, the player’s hand is dead.

 

Order of finish

(ii)            Play continues until either:

(i)             all but one player is eliminated or

(ii)             the Finishing Time is reached, whichever comes first. 

The order of finish for the Tournament shall be determined as follows:

• (i)                  If play continues until all but one player is eliminated, the order of finish shall be the order of elimination from last to first.  The last remaining player shall be declared the winner.
• (ii)               If more than one player remains at the Finishing Time, the order of finish shall be determined by ranking the value of chips held by each player at the end of play from highest to lowest.  The player or players having the highest value of chips shall be declared the winner.  Prize money will be distributed according to chip count, and payouts will be made according to a pre-determined payout structure.

 

 

A.3            RULES OF THE GAME

 

(a)        All suits have the same rank.  The rank of cards, from highest to lowest, shall be ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2; an ace may be counted low.

 

(b)        The dealer shall shuffle the cards using a Wash prior to each Round of Play.

 

(c)        Prior to the deal, the deck will be Cut by the Dealer using a Cut Card.  The deck shall not be passed for a further Cut.

 

(d)        The player immediately to the left of the Dealer Button shall post the required Small Blind before the beginning of each Round of Play.

 

(e)        The player immediately to the left of the Small Blind position shall post the required Big Blind before the beginning of each Round of Play.

NOTE:  When all but two players have been eliminated from the table, the player with the Dealer Button shall post the Small Blind and the other player shall post the Big Blind.

 

(f)         All cards shall be dealt in a clockwise direction beginning with the player immediately to the left of the Dealer Button.

 

(g)        The dealer shall commence the Round of Play by dealing one card to each player face down, then a second card to each player face down.  The first betting round will commence once players have received both Hole Cards.

 

(h)        Each player may examine his/her Hole Cards at any time.  It is a player’s responsibility to protect his/her Hand from other players and the dealer.  The Hole Cards may be protected by keeping the cards in your hand, or by placing a small object on top of the cards.

 

(i)         Each player must keep his/her Hole Cards in full view of the dealer at all times and must ensure that they are examined in a manner that does not disclose to other players their value.  Any cards that fall off the table are dead.  Players may not exchange information concerning their cards.

 

(j)         Players that Fold from the Round of Play shall not reveal their Hole Cards.

 

(k)        The first Betting Round shall proceed as follows:

 

(i)            The player immediately to the left of the Big Blind position is the first to act and must Call, Raise, or Fold.

NOTE:When all but two players have been eliminated from the table,
the player with the Dealer Button is the first to act and must verbalize Call, Raise, or Fold.

(ii)            Betting continues in a clockwise direction until each player has an opportunity to Call, Raise, or Fold.  The player in the Big Blind position may Check if no other player has Raised, or has the option
to Raise.

NOTE: if only two players remain and they are playing Heads-Up, Raises are unlimited.

(iii)            If a player opts to Raise, he/she must verbalize Raise and place the proper amount of chips on the table.  A Raise is minimum double the previous bet.  A player may not place chips as if calling then go back to his/her chips to indicate a Raise; it must all be done in one motion, and it is considered a String Bet and is not allowed.

 

(l)         The dealer shall commence the second betting round by Burning a card and then turning three Community Cards face up in the middle of the table; these three cards are commonly referred to as the Flop.

 

(m)       The dealer shall commence the third betting round by Burning a card then placing the fourth Community Card on the table; this fourth card is commonly referred to as the Turn.

 

(n)        The dealer shall commence the fourth betting round by Burning a card then placing the fifth Community Card on the table; this fifth card is commonly referred to as the River.

 

(o)        Betting for the second, third and fourth betting rounds shall begin with the player immediately to the left of the Dealer Button and shall otherwise proceed in the same manner as betting round one.

 

(p)        Upon completion of four betting rounds:

(i)            If only one player remains in the Round of Play (i.e., all but one player has folded), the player is not obligated to show his/her Hand.

(ii)            If two or more players remain in the Round of Play:

a. It shall be the obligation of the player who made the last bet to show their Hand when called by another player or players.

b.            If no player has placed a bet, it shall be the obligation of all players to show their Hands.

 

(q)        Any combination of a player’s Hole Cards and/or Community Cards may be used to construct a standard five-card poker hand.

 

Winning combinations

(r)         The dealer shall:

(i)            Declare the last remaining player the winner or determine the winning Hand among the remaining players in accordance with the following ranking of poker combinations:

a.            "ROYAL FLUSH" is a Hand containing an ace, king, queen, jack, and 10 of the same suit.

b.            "STRAIGHT FLUSH" is a Hand containing five cards of the same suit in consecutive ranking.  An ace may count high or low.

c.            "FOUR OF A KIND" is a Hand containing four cards of the same rank.

d.            "FULL HOUSE" is a Hand containing Three of a Kind and One Pair.

e.            "FLUSH" is a Hand containing five cards of the same suit, but not in consecutive ranking.

f.            "STRAIGHT" is a Hand containing five cards of consecutive rank, regardless of suit.  An ace may count high or low.

g.            "THREE OF A KIND" is a Hand containing three cards of the same rank.

h.            "TWO PAIR" is a Hand containing two pairs.

i.            "ONE PAIR" is a Hand containing two cards of the same rank.

j.            "HIGH CARD" is a Hand that does not contain one pair or better.

(ii)            Resolve ties in the following manner:

a.            In the event of equal ranking poker combinations of Four of a Kind, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, or One Pair, the high card not used in the poker combination, commonly known, as the Kicker shall break the tie.

i.            If a tie cannot be broken, the pot shall be split or
Chopped equally. 

ii.            In the event there is an extra chip that cannot be split, the player closest to the Dealer Button receives the extra chip.

(iii)            At the end of the final Betting Round (referred to as the “Showdown”
when all players show/turn their cards face up to see who the winner is),
the dealer will Muck all losing Hands, and then award the pot to the winning Hand.

 

(s)         The dealer shall ensure Blinds are posted.

 

All-In/Side Pots

(t)         If only two players remain in a Round of Play and one player does not have enough chips to Call the bet made by the other player, the player with the fewest chips may move All-In; the player with the most chips will receive chips back exceeding the chips of the All-In player.  The Round of Play will then continue with no further betting.

 

(u)        In Tournament play if a player is All-In and there are only two players remaining, there is no more betting and the cards are exposed to everyone before the dealer continues to deal.

 

(v)        If two or more players wish to bet more than the bet of another player moving All-In, the dealer shall establish a Side Pot(s).  Players may Raise All-In:

(i)            The player moving All-In is eligible to win only the main pot, consisting of the Antes, Blinds, all previous bets, the bet of the player moving All-In, and the bets of the other players matching the All-In bet.

(ii)            The players with chips remaining may continue placing bets into the side.

(iii)            Additional Side Pots may be created if other players are All-In.  There is no limit as to how many Side Pots can be in play.

 

Elimination

(w)       A player is eliminated from the Tournament when either of the following occur:

(i)            the player has lost all of his/her chips; or

(ii)            the player is absent and has been Blinded out.

 

Misdeal

(x)            In the event of a misdeal, the dealer will retrieve all cards, re-shuffle and deal a new Hand.  A misdeal may NOT be called after Substantial Action has occurred.  The following would be cause for a misdeal:

(i)            Dealing to the wrong person first.

(ii)            Dealing too few or too many cards to a player.

(iii)            Finding more than one Boxed Card (that is, a card that was mixed face up) in the deck.

(iv)            Finding the deck to be defective.

(v)            Finding a joker in the deck.

(vi)            Dealing a player out that has requested a Hand, or has money invested in
the Hand.

(vii)            Failure to shuffle and/or Cut the deck before dealing.

(viii)            Dealing one of the Blind’s first card face up.

(ix)            Dealing two or more cards face up.

 

(y)        In the event of a misdeal, additional Antes or Blinds shall not be required.