2002 Tournament Directors Association Rules

Tournament directors from more than 20 cardrooms recently gathered at Bellagio in Las Vegas to update TDA rules. In addition to last year's 14 rules, which were maintained, 23 new standard rules for tournaments were adopted.

As of Aug. 5, 2002, the following cardrooms are using the TDA rules, and more are joining in every day: Bellagio, Binion's Horseshoe, The Bicycle Casino, Brighton Seminole Indian Casino, Card Player Cruises, Casinos Europa, Cliff Castle, Commerce Casino, Elbow River, Foxwoods, Four Queens, Hollywood Park, Lucky Chances, Oasis Casino, Ocean's Eleven, Peppermill, Reno Hilton, Sonoma Joe's, Spirit Mountain, Turning Stone, and Winnavegas. Any tournament director who wants to register his/her cardroom with the TDA should contact Matt Savage ([email protected]) or Dave Lamb ([email protected]).

Following are the TDA mission statement and 23 new TDA rules:

TDA Mission Statement

To adopt basic standards, rules, and procedures that will positively impact the poker industry by inviting tournament directors, players, and media representatives to discuss, evaluate, and review proposed rules.

Accepted New TDA Rules

1. A player who wants to use a cellular phone must step away from the table.

2. There may be no foreign chips on the table except for a maximum of one card cap.

3. Deck changes will take place on the dealer push or limit changes, or as prescribed by the house. Players may not ask for deck changes.

4. When time has elapsed in a round and a new round is announced, the new limits apply to the next hand. A hand has begun with the first riffle.

5. A player may not miss a hand. If a player announces the intent to rebuy before the first card is dealt, that player is playing behind and is obligated to make the rebuy.

6. Players must keep their highest denomination chips visible at all times.

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

8. No rabbit hunting is allowed.

9. A player who intentionally dodges his blind(s) when moving from a broken table may forfeit the blind(s) and/or incur a penalty. The money will be put into the next pot and may be considered dead money.

10. All chips must be visibly displayed at all times. Players may not have tournament chips in their pockets at any time. A player who has chips in his pocket will forfeit the chips. The forfeited chips will be taken out of play from the tournament.

11. Moving players: In flop games, players will be moved from the big blind to the worst position.

12. In limit events, there will be a limit to the number of raises allowed, even when heads up. (The limit will be the house limit.) However, once the tournament becomes heads up, the rule does not apply.

13. In stud-type games, if any of the players' two downcards are exposed due to dealer error, it is a misdeal.

14. If a dealer kills an unprotected hand, the player will have no redress and will not be entitled to his money back. An exception would be if a player raised and his raise had not been called yet, he would be entitled to receive his raise back.

15. Dealers cannot kill a winning hand that was turned faceup and was obviously the winning hand.

16. Verbal declarations in turn are binding. Action out of turn may be binding.

17. Floorpeople are to consider the best interest of the game and fairness as the top priorities in the decision-making process. Unusual circumstances can, on occasion, dictate that the technical interpretation of the rules be ignored in the interest of fairness. The floorperson's decision is final.

18. Management reserves the right to cancel or alter any event at its sole discretion in the best interest of the casino or its players.

19. Players going from a broken table to fill-in seats assume the rights and responsibilities of the seat. 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.

20. Penalties available for use by the tournament director are verbal warnings, and 10, 20, 30, and 40 minutes away from the table, all of which may be used with discretion. These may be utilized up to and including disqualification. A player who is disqualified shall have his chips removed from play.

21. Players, whether in the hand or not, may not discuss the hand until the action is complete. Players are obligated to protect the other players in the tournament at all times. Discussing cards discarded or hand possibilities is not allowed. A penalty may be given for discussion of hands during their play.

22. A player who exposes his cards during the play of a hand may incur a penalty, but will not have his hand killed.

23. In no-limit or pot-limit, when raising, a player must either put the amount of the raise out in one motion or state his raise amount. If he states the amount, he may make more than one motion.

Now, let's play poker!

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