Players, both Member or Guests, must comply with the procedures below. Each item listed is due to a issued raised by a player. Our procedures/rules are similar to what you find in home, card room and casino settings. Differences in rules among venues are common, so review ours. Our decisions are made with the advancement of our game and equity in mind.
Our Golden Rule:
Decisions of management are based on what advances our game.
Game play decisions are final. We don't have professional dealers, players or staff - keep it light. Mistakes and misunderstandings will occur, expect and accept it, roll with it, the stakes are low - Members and Guests should welcome and help our less experienced players, but don't play their hand.
Those challenged by our rules or decisions are encouraged to play elsewhere and not here - we will help you find a game in a venue better suited to you.
General Rules
Membership requirement: Residents/member of Heritage HOA with an amenity card and following HPC procedures. Members may invite guests.
Guests are invited by Members in attendence.
Age to Play: HOA member/Heritage resident minimum age 18, guests minimum age is 21.
No club member may profit from the club except from play on the table.
Anytime the action is on a player the player may check, fold, call, or raise. .
Bet/Raise: Raises (except for all-in) must be at least equal the previous raise. Example: player #1 bets 100, player #2 calls the 100. Player #3 wishes to raise 200 so the bet is now 100+200 for 300. If player #4 wishes to raise the minimum raise is 200 (equal to prior raise) so the bet is now 100 (original bet players #1 and #2) + 200 (the raise of player #3) + 200 raise of player #4 so the bet is now 500.
INCOMPLETE BET: In any round of play an "Incomplete Bet” ends the option of “RAISE”. Example: Player A “BETs” $200. Player B then raises by going “ALL-IN” for $300. This is called an “Incomplete Bet” since it is not at least twice “A”s Bet. This limits players “C”, “D" etc to the choice of “FOLD” or “CALL”. On subsequent streets betting is open without reference to the “Incomplete Bet” on the earlier street. Rule established at the request of several players.
A verbal statement in turn denotes your action and is binding. If in turn you orally declare a fold, check, bet, call, or raise, you are forced to take that action. The first statement is primary thus if a player was imprecise and were to say "Call and Raise" only the Call is in effect.
Non Verbal Bet: When player A raises (say from the prior bet of $100 to $500) and player B then puts $100 into play (perhaps did not notice A raise) then play B has the choice of leaving the $100 in the pot and being folded or completing the bet by puting in the $500 and staying in the hand.
Action (to include a verbal statement) Out of Turn is binding if when the action gets to the Out of Turn player the action has not changed. An interceading check, call or fold does not change the action. An Out of Turn statement of "FOLD" is ALWAYS BINDING as it would be if the player discarded his cards into the muck at the moment of the statement.
Bet Line: When you move chips across the line on the felt or in the air it is a wager. The line is either the inside edge of the 'Race Track", depicted on the felt or imaginary. It delineates the player area of the table top where chips are stacked and hole cards are placed from the playing area for muck, community, or burn cards and the pot. Thus, if you hold seven chips in your hand and move them to or over the playing area, you are betting/raising all seven, so be careful. It does not matter that your "intention" was just to call with two chips.
One Chip Rule: A player placing a single chip forward without any accompanying verbal declaration after another player has bet is making a call and not a raise. For example, a player makes a bet of $50 after the flop, then another tosses out a $500 chip without saying anything. The second player’s action is a call of the $50, not a raise to $500. The rule is also known as the “oversize chip" rule.
Irregularities during the deal - we are working on setting up a rules to cover these unusual events. This project has been delayed.
Hole-Cards may not be displayed during tournament play. When the hand is over or all players in the hand are "all-in" the cards are displayed. Usually it is best to wait for the dealer to say "turn them over."
We do not "rabbit hunt" that is, after the hand is dead deal cards to show "what would have happened" if the hand continued after the final fold.
Protect your cards: from being seen or mucked. Cards put in the muck by a player are "mucked" face up or face down. Advanced players rarely lift hole-cards from the table except at showdown. They "cap" hole cards with a chip or other device in order to signify the hand is "live". This issue has been a serious problem for three different players during the past 12 months. Even at the casino there is inadvertent mucking of cards by the dealer. There is no recourse for the player in this situation.
Display Your Stack: Basic poker requires that chips be stacked and displayed in such a way that the dealer and other players may see the value of the stack. The highest value chips must be the most prominent. Thus stacks of 10 or multiples is normal. Typically if enough chips are held then stacks of 20 like chips are most common. Unethical players have been known to keep high value chips low in mixed stacks or behind lower value chips to lure a player into making an all-in bet thinking this player does not pose such a large risk.
Respect the Dealer and the Pot: The dealer is in charge of the pot. Be respectful. Wait for the betting round to be completed prior to asking the dealer for your change. Do not splash the pot. If you want the cards "washed" just wait until it your turn to deal and take the action yourself or request the dealer to allow you to wash them. Again we do not have a professional staff so be flexible and helpful.
Seats at Tables: Active Players only may sit at Tournament Tables, if no player objects cash game tables may allow non-players.
All HPC events and communications (to include the website) are products of amateur volunteers and prepared in good faith, but can not be relied upon to be error free. Updates and changes are often made so frequent review is recommended. Consult with management at the game if you wish.
Behavior, Comments and Table-Talk: Consider HPC games to be a home game, not a card room, ring game, or casino.
Respect our property and venue, protect from defacement and damage. Clean-up and be neat.
Players not in a heads-up hand and other observers should not comment on play.
Penalty ranges from verbal admonishment to permermant debarment and other sanctions may be assigned for rule violations.
No disrespectful, off-color, foul, offensive, demeaning, unreasonably loud, "trash talk" or unseemly behavior is permitted.
Do not criticize the play of another - those type of negative comments do not meet our standards of behavior.
Behavior matters, we do not accept that "I had too much to drink" as mitigating the seriousness of a breach of the above.
Decisions by management that effect pot and incentive awards, rule interpretation, hand value etc are final.
You may be surprised by how little anyone cares about the cards folded prior to the flop or how a hand was played 5 minutes earlier. All participants may be audio/video recorded.
Guests: The HPC welcomes guests sponsored by members. The member must accompany guests to the event. Members and guests should both be fully aware of our procedures to include all portions of the Fine Print
Smoking: HOA and Poker Club allow NO smoking (including electronic cigarettes) inside the club house. Front entry and rear patio are designated smoking areas.
Pay-Outs: Risk of error or short funds is that of the players and not the club.
House Procedures for Tournaments
Re-Buys/Re-Entry: Frequency determined each game. One of two situations must exist 1) You are "felted" (have no chips) or 2) You surrender your remaining chips to the tournament director.
Cards are dealt only to players with chips or reasonably expected to be "chips behind".
Re-Buy/Re-Enter players who wish to immediately return to the game sit in the same position unless directed to sit elsewhere. This player, unless no intervening hands have been dealt, may not come in as Small Blind or Button. This Re-Buy/Re-Enter procedure is based on what many casinos use, but modified for our smaller group.
When a Re-Buy/Re-Enter player obtains new chips they must immediately sit in assigned chair. Players may not keep chips away from the table. A player is not obliged to immediately Re-Buy/Re-Enter. The result is that a player felted may take a break and later, if the entry period is open, Re-Buy/Re-Enter. This follows our usual procedure of allowing players to enter, without penalty, until the end of the Re-Buy/Re-Enter period.
Add-Ons: Add-On is determined for each Tournament.
Table Breaks: When a Table Break/Combine Tables occurs a draw for Seat and/or Dealer may occur. We will usually draw for Dealer at two tables and draw for Seats, Dealer and Position on final table.
ANTE/BUTTON (Dealer): Instead of each player posting an ante the Dealer (Button) will post, as an Ante, an amount equal to the Big Blind. When player elimination results in the same player being dealer more than once per orbit.
No matter how many chips a participant starts with he/she can always win the entire ante. For example: the blinds are 4k/8k and the big blind also antes 4k. A participant who is not in the blinds who starts the hand with only 1k gets involved in a three-way pot against the blinds. If that participant wins, he/she wins 7k (his/her own 1k wager, plus 1k from each opponent, plus the 4k ante). In this scenario, 1 chip can win 7 chips.
Final Table: is usually established when tournament players number 8 or fewer.
Button and Blinds when Heads-Up: When there are only two players remaining in the tournament - the small blind is always the button and will pay the ANTE. The Button acts first before the flop. The Button acts last after the flop. The player who does not have the button is dealt the first playing card.
Prize Pool: All (100%) Buy-In and Re-Buy/Entry make up the tournament prize pool which is paid to the winning players.
Blinds go up: Increased blind level is based on when that hands dealer has control of the deck, not when players post their blinds.
Club Dues: The add-on is, in-effect, the club dues and is 100% used for club property, operations and player incentives. Donations: Often players who cash in the tournament donate to the club, these funds are handled the same as dues. No player may profit from the club except via normal play.
House Procedures for Cash Games
Cash Game: All transactions should be in multiples of $10.
Banking: Chip transactions are slow and deliberate, each player must verify the accuracy of transactions. The banking is done by a volunteer player so delays may be expected. Only the designated Banker may handle chip transactions, all others stay away from the chip/cash box.
Buy-in is minimum $50. The maximum buy-in is $200 or up to 80% of the big stack, whichever is greater.
Re-Loads permitted at any time when a player is not in a hand. The Re-Loads have a minimum of $50. The Maximum Re-Load is limited so your total stack does not exceed 80% of the big stack.
Missed Blinds: Upon the return of a player away from the table while the blinds pass over his seat may choose to either 1) wait until the blind reaches his seat and come in as the big blind or 2) Post $3 from any position.
Pot Limit Omaha - PLO and Congress often is played at cash games. This is often played as High/Low where the pot(s) are split between the high and low poker hands. How to compute the winning hand(s) in Omaha and Congress.
1. The best High Hand is the combination of 2 Hole Cards and 3 Board Cards that give the best Poker hand.
2. A low hand requires 2 Hole Cards and 3 Board Cards, all 8 and lower, that give the lowest Poker Hand.
A. Straights and Flushes are not considered in the low hand.
B. Each of the 5 cards used must be a different value.
3. Notes:
A. Ace,2,3,3,4 is not a low hand since there are two 3’s. (Must play 5 different value cards of 8 or less)
B. 3,5,6,7,8 is a low hand since there are 5 cards 8 or less.
C. The best low hand is A,2,3,4,5 the worst low hand is 4,5,6,7,8 (of course these may be good high hands).
D. Any board that does not contain 3 cards of 8 or less precludes the possibility of a Low Hand BUT 3 cards of 8 or less does not ensure the possibility of low hand.
4. Examples:
A. The board is K, 9, 7, 4, 2 there is a possibility for a low hand.
B. The board is K, 9, 7, 4, 4 there is NO possibility for a low hand since 3 cards 8 or less from the board must play and the 7, 4, 4 includes a pair so there are only two different cards 8 or less.
The board is 8, 7, 7, 5, 5 allows for the possibility of a low hand since the 8 and one each of the 7’s and 5’s could play.
C, To compute what the lowest hand consider the two hole cards that must play and the 3 board cards that must play. Order these 5 cards from the highest number you are playing to the lowest.
A. 8,7,4,3,2
B. 7,6,5,3,2
C. 6,4,3,2,Ace
D. 7,5,3,2,Ace
How do YOU rate the above hands?
A short cut is to read the qualifying low hands as a single 5 digit number (high to low card) where Ace is a 1. The lowest number is the winner. 64321(C) is lower than 75321(D) which is lower than 76532(B) and finally comes 87432(A) the highest number in the example. Thus C wins the low.
Straddle - Straddle is played as if the straddle was the big blind. Once the action reaches the straddle he will act. There may be none, one, two, three or more restraddles. There is no "Button" straddle.
Enjoyment of Event: Our "home game" needs to move along at a normal pace. No multimillion dollar pots are involved. We don't have a "shot clock" but if we did it would be set at 30 seconds. If you take longer then that to decide on your action do not be surprised or upset with a "clock" call.
Cash Pots: There is no "Rake" or deductions, thus 100% of the wagers are awarded to the winning player(s).
Donations: Winning Cash Players are welcome to and traditionally have shared their good fortune with the club. This donation is in effect part of our club dues, used for club property and player incentives. No member may profit from the club except via normal play and incentives.
Our Golden Rule:
Decisions of management are based on what advances our game.
Game play decisions are final. We don't have professional dealers, players or staff - keep it light. Mistakes and misunderstandings will occur, expect and accept it, roll with it, the stakes are low - Members and Guests should welcome and help our less experienced players, but don't play their hand.
Those challenged by our rules or decisions are encouraged to play elsewhere and not here - we will help you find a game in a venue better suited to you.
General Rules
Membership requirement: Residents/member of Heritage HOA with an amenity card and following HPC procedures. Members may invite guests.
Guests are invited by Members in attendence.
Age to Play: HOA member/Heritage resident minimum age 18, guests minimum age is 21.
No club member may profit from the club except from play on the table.
Anytime the action is on a player the player may check, fold, call, or raise. .
Bet/Raise: Raises (except for all-in) must be at least equal the previous raise. Example: player #1 bets 100, player #2 calls the 100. Player #3 wishes to raise 200 so the bet is now 100+200 for 300. If player #4 wishes to raise the minimum raise is 200 (equal to prior raise) so the bet is now 100 (original bet players #1 and #2) + 200 (the raise of player #3) + 200 raise of player #4 so the bet is now 500.
INCOMPLETE BET: In any round of play an "Incomplete Bet” ends the option of “RAISE”. Example: Player A “BETs” $200. Player B then raises by going “ALL-IN” for $300. This is called an “Incomplete Bet” since it is not at least twice “A”s Bet. This limits players “C”, “D" etc to the choice of “FOLD” or “CALL”. On subsequent streets betting is open without reference to the “Incomplete Bet” on the earlier street. Rule established at the request of several players.
A verbal statement in turn denotes your action and is binding. If in turn you orally declare a fold, check, bet, call, or raise, you are forced to take that action. The first statement is primary thus if a player was imprecise and were to say "Call and Raise" only the Call is in effect.
Non Verbal Bet: When player A raises (say from the prior bet of $100 to $500) and player B then puts $100 into play (perhaps did not notice A raise) then play B has the choice of leaving the $100 in the pot and being folded or completing the bet by puting in the $500 and staying in the hand.
Action (to include a verbal statement) Out of Turn is binding if when the action gets to the Out of Turn player the action has not changed. An interceading check, call or fold does not change the action. An Out of Turn statement of "FOLD" is ALWAYS BINDING as it would be if the player discarded his cards into the muck at the moment of the statement.
Bet Line: When you move chips across the line on the felt or in the air it is a wager. The line is either the inside edge of the 'Race Track", depicted on the felt or imaginary. It delineates the player area of the table top where chips are stacked and hole cards are placed from the playing area for muck, community, or burn cards and the pot. Thus, if you hold seven chips in your hand and move them to or over the playing area, you are betting/raising all seven, so be careful. It does not matter that your "intention" was just to call with two chips.
One Chip Rule: A player placing a single chip forward without any accompanying verbal declaration after another player has bet is making a call and not a raise. For example, a player makes a bet of $50 after the flop, then another tosses out a $500 chip without saying anything. The second player’s action is a call of the $50, not a raise to $500. The rule is also known as the “oversize chip" rule.
Irregularities during the deal - we are working on setting up a rules to cover these unusual events. This project has been delayed.
Hole-Cards may not be displayed during tournament play. When the hand is over or all players in the hand are "all-in" the cards are displayed. Usually it is best to wait for the dealer to say "turn them over."
We do not "rabbit hunt" that is, after the hand is dead deal cards to show "what would have happened" if the hand continued after the final fold.
Protect your cards: from being seen or mucked. Cards put in the muck by a player are "mucked" face up or face down. Advanced players rarely lift hole-cards from the table except at showdown. They "cap" hole cards with a chip or other device in order to signify the hand is "live". This issue has been a serious problem for three different players during the past 12 months. Even at the casino there is inadvertent mucking of cards by the dealer. There is no recourse for the player in this situation.
Display Your Stack: Basic poker requires that chips be stacked and displayed in such a way that the dealer and other players may see the value of the stack. The highest value chips must be the most prominent. Thus stacks of 10 or multiples is normal. Typically if enough chips are held then stacks of 20 like chips are most common. Unethical players have been known to keep high value chips low in mixed stacks or behind lower value chips to lure a player into making an all-in bet thinking this player does not pose such a large risk.
Respect the Dealer and the Pot: The dealer is in charge of the pot. Be respectful. Wait for the betting round to be completed prior to asking the dealer for your change. Do not splash the pot. If you want the cards "washed" just wait until it your turn to deal and take the action yourself or request the dealer to allow you to wash them. Again we do not have a professional staff so be flexible and helpful.
Seats at Tables: Active Players only may sit at Tournament Tables, if no player objects cash game tables may allow non-players.
All HPC events and communications (to include the website) are products of amateur volunteers and prepared in good faith, but can not be relied upon to be error free. Updates and changes are often made so frequent review is recommended. Consult with management at the game if you wish.
Behavior, Comments and Table-Talk: Consider HPC games to be a home game, not a card room, ring game, or casino.
Respect our property and venue, protect from defacement and damage. Clean-up and be neat.
Players not in a heads-up hand and other observers should not comment on play.
Penalty ranges from verbal admonishment to permermant debarment and other sanctions may be assigned for rule violations.
No disrespectful, off-color, foul, offensive, demeaning, unreasonably loud, "trash talk" or unseemly behavior is permitted.
Do not criticize the play of another - those type of negative comments do not meet our standards of behavior.
Behavior matters, we do not accept that "I had too much to drink" as mitigating the seriousness of a breach of the above.
Decisions by management that effect pot and incentive awards, rule interpretation, hand value etc are final.
You may be surprised by how little anyone cares about the cards folded prior to the flop or how a hand was played 5 minutes earlier. All participants may be audio/video recorded.
Guests: The HPC welcomes guests sponsored by members. The member must accompany guests to the event. Members and guests should both be fully aware of our procedures to include all portions of the Fine Print
Smoking: HOA and Poker Club allow NO smoking (including electronic cigarettes) inside the club house. Front entry and rear patio are designated smoking areas.
Pay-Outs: Risk of error or short funds is that of the players and not the club.
House Procedures for Tournaments
Re-Buys/Re-Entry: Frequency determined each game. One of two situations must exist 1) You are "felted" (have no chips) or 2) You surrender your remaining chips to the tournament director.
Cards are dealt only to players with chips or reasonably expected to be "chips behind".
Re-Buy/Re-Enter players who wish to immediately return to the game sit in the same position unless directed to sit elsewhere. This player, unless no intervening hands have been dealt, may not come in as Small Blind or Button. This Re-Buy/Re-Enter procedure is based on what many casinos use, but modified for our smaller group.
When a Re-Buy/Re-Enter player obtains new chips they must immediately sit in assigned chair. Players may not keep chips away from the table. A player is not obliged to immediately Re-Buy/Re-Enter. The result is that a player felted may take a break and later, if the entry period is open, Re-Buy/Re-Enter. This follows our usual procedure of allowing players to enter, without penalty, until the end of the Re-Buy/Re-Enter period.
Add-Ons: Add-On is determined for each Tournament.
Table Breaks: When a Table Break/Combine Tables occurs a draw for Seat and/or Dealer may occur. We will usually draw for Dealer at two tables and draw for Seats, Dealer and Position on final table.
ANTE/BUTTON (Dealer): Instead of each player posting an ante the Dealer (Button) will post, as an Ante, an amount equal to the Big Blind. When player elimination results in the same player being dealer more than once per orbit.
No matter how many chips a participant starts with he/she can always win the entire ante. For example: the blinds are 4k/8k and the big blind also antes 4k. A participant who is not in the blinds who starts the hand with only 1k gets involved in a three-way pot against the blinds. If that participant wins, he/she wins 7k (his/her own 1k wager, plus 1k from each opponent, plus the 4k ante). In this scenario, 1 chip can win 7 chips.
Final Table: is usually established when tournament players number 8 or fewer.
Button and Blinds when Heads-Up: When there are only two players remaining in the tournament - the small blind is always the button and will pay the ANTE. The Button acts first before the flop. The Button acts last after the flop. The player who does not have the button is dealt the first playing card.
Prize Pool: All (100%) Buy-In and Re-Buy/Entry make up the tournament prize pool which is paid to the winning players.
Blinds go up: Increased blind level is based on when that hands dealer has control of the deck, not when players post their blinds.
Club Dues: The add-on is, in-effect, the club dues and is 100% used for club property, operations and player incentives. Donations: Often players who cash in the tournament donate to the club, these funds are handled the same as dues. No player may profit from the club except via normal play.
House Procedures for Cash Games
Cash Game: All transactions should be in multiples of $10.
Banking: Chip transactions are slow and deliberate, each player must verify the accuracy of transactions. The banking is done by a volunteer player so delays may be expected. Only the designated Banker may handle chip transactions, all others stay away from the chip/cash box.
Buy-in is minimum $50. The maximum buy-in is $200 or up to 80% of the big stack, whichever is greater.
Re-Loads permitted at any time when a player is not in a hand. The Re-Loads have a minimum of $50. The Maximum Re-Load is limited so your total stack does not exceed 80% of the big stack.
Missed Blinds: Upon the return of a player away from the table while the blinds pass over his seat may choose to either 1) wait until the blind reaches his seat and come in as the big blind or 2) Post $3 from any position.
Pot Limit Omaha - PLO and Congress often is played at cash games. This is often played as High/Low where the pot(s) are split between the high and low poker hands. How to compute the winning hand(s) in Omaha and Congress.
1. The best High Hand is the combination of 2 Hole Cards and 3 Board Cards that give the best Poker hand.
2. A low hand requires 2 Hole Cards and 3 Board Cards, all 8 and lower, that give the lowest Poker Hand.
A. Straights and Flushes are not considered in the low hand.
B. Each of the 5 cards used must be a different value.
3. Notes:
A. Ace,2,3,3,4 is not a low hand since there are two 3’s. (Must play 5 different value cards of 8 or less)
B. 3,5,6,7,8 is a low hand since there are 5 cards 8 or less.
C. The best low hand is A,2,3,4,5 the worst low hand is 4,5,6,7,8 (of course these may be good high hands).
D. Any board that does not contain 3 cards of 8 or less precludes the possibility of a Low Hand BUT 3 cards of 8 or less does not ensure the possibility of low hand.
4. Examples:
A. The board is K, 9, 7, 4, 2 there is a possibility for a low hand.
B. The board is K, 9, 7, 4, 4 there is NO possibility for a low hand since 3 cards 8 or less from the board must play and the 7, 4, 4 includes a pair so there are only two different cards 8 or less.
The board is 8, 7, 7, 5, 5 allows for the possibility of a low hand since the 8 and one each of the 7’s and 5’s could play.
C, To compute what the lowest hand consider the two hole cards that must play and the 3 board cards that must play. Order these 5 cards from the highest number you are playing to the lowest.
A. 8,7,4,3,2
B. 7,6,5,3,2
C. 6,4,3,2,Ace
D. 7,5,3,2,Ace
How do YOU rate the above hands?
A short cut is to read the qualifying low hands as a single 5 digit number (high to low card) where Ace is a 1. The lowest number is the winner. 64321(C) is lower than 75321(D) which is lower than 76532(B) and finally comes 87432(A) the highest number in the example. Thus C wins the low.
Straddle - Straddle is played as if the straddle was the big blind. Once the action reaches the straddle he will act. There may be none, one, two, three or more restraddles. There is no "Button" straddle.
Enjoyment of Event: Our "home game" needs to move along at a normal pace. No multimillion dollar pots are involved. We don't have a "shot clock" but if we did it would be set at 30 seconds. If you take longer then that to decide on your action do not be surprised or upset with a "clock" call.
Cash Pots: There is no "Rake" or deductions, thus 100% of the wagers are awarded to the winning player(s).
Donations: Winning Cash Players are welcome to and traditionally have shared their good fortune with the club. This donation is in effect part of our club dues, used for club property and player incentives. No member may profit from the club except via normal play and incentives.
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