Poker Rules and Tips

Features:

Our poker clients have lots of added features. Additional features and functions are added continuously. A few of the features are:

Play at multiple tables. You can be seated and playing at more than one table at the same time.

Raise/Fold tables. The much requested raise/fold table type is available. Look for tables labeled
Lobby chat. You can chat with other players in the lobby without being seated. All logged in players can use the lobby chat function.

Several different poker games. Choose from Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Seven Card Stud and Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo.

Different betting structures. Limit, pot-limit and no-limit tables are available.

Vote out abusive players - the players at a table can vote out people that they feel are abusive (play-money only).

All-In Probabilities - get instant information about your chances of winning a hand after going all-in in a Texas Hold'em tournament game (downloaded client only)!

Private Tables:

How to play at a private table:
There are two types of private tables, private and unrestricted. The unrestricted version works just like a regular table except that a player has created it. The private version, however, is limited to players that are accepted by the table owner. You can recognize a private table in the lobby by the small, red padlock icon next to it. When you open such a table, you will be prompted to send a request to enter to the table owner. You can also choose to type in a short message in the input field if you want to.

The table owner will then receive your request. If you are accepted, you can then sit down at the table.

How to create a private table:
First select the "Private Tables" tab in the lobby. Then click on the green button marked "Create Private Table". You can then select from a long list of possible table types. In addition to this, you can also choose the maximum number of players, the table restrictions (private or unrestricted) and the game speed.

There are 3 types of game speed:
• Normal (This is the same as on the standard tables.)

• Adaptive (The time to think is dynamic, and adapts according to how people have played previously.)

• Turbo (The turbo tables have a shorter time to think, and are well suited for players that like fast games and have stable Internet connections.)

Tables that have turbo- or adaptive speed have a small, green flash icon next to them in the lobby.

It's optional to write a description of the table. The description will be shown in the lobby when someone selects that table.

Just click on the "Create" button when you have chosen all the table settings, and your table will then be created. Please note that it may take up to a minute before it's visible in the lobby.

When someone wants to sit down at the table you have created, the player must first ask for your permission. You can choose to accept or deny such requests.

Available Games:

Texas Hold 'em
In Texas Hold'em, each player is given 2 pocket cards. The game continues with a total of 5 community cards face up, first 3, then 1 after the other. Between each deal there is a round of betting.

Hold'em is played with two blinds (a bet before the pocket cards are received). The first two players after the dealer pay the blinds. The small blind is posted by the first player and the big blind by the second. In heads-up games, the player seated after the dealer pays the big blind. The first two betting rounds are played with the lower limit while the last two rounds of betting are played with the higher limit.

Omaha
Omaha is a poker game derived from Texas Hold’em. Each player is dealt four cards ("hole cards"), which belong only to that player. Five community cards are dealt face-up on the "board". All players use three of the five community cards together with two of their hole cards to make the best five-card poker hand.

Omaha Hi/Lo
The player with the best five-card hand for high wins half the pot, and the player with the best hand for low wins the other half. In Omaha, players must use two and only two of their four hole cards in combination with three cards from the board. In the event of identical hands, the high and low shares of the pot will be equally divided between the players with the best hands. In the event that no hand qualifies for low, the best hand(s) for high wins the pot.

For a five card hand to qualify for low, it cannot include cards higher than 8 or contain any pairs. Aces can be used for both high and low. When comparing low hands, the winner is the hand with the lowest high card, thus 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 is better than Ace, 2, 3, 4, 8. The best possible low hand is Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Seven Card Stud
In Seven Card Stud, players are dealt seven cards throughout the course of the hand, but only the best five-card hand possible for each player is used to determine the winner.

Before a game of Seven Card Stud starts, all players ante a nominal amount, for example $1 in a $10-$20 game. Each player is dealt two hidden hole cards and one exposed card. The player with the lowest exposed card is the "bring-in", and is forced to make a wager of either a half a small bet or a full small bet (for example, either $1 or $2 in a $2/$4 game). Action continues clockwise around the table until betting is complete for the round.

In the unlikely event that all 8 players are still in the hand on the river, the total number of cards needed for all the players to receive their own card would not be available in a standard deck of cards. In this case the river card is dealt face up on the table and it will be used as a community card.

Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo
The player with the best five-card hand for high wins half the pot, and the player with the best hand for low wins the other half. In the event that no hand qualifies for low, the best hand(s) for high wins the pot.

5 Card Draw
In 5 Card Draw, players are dealt five down (concealed) cards each. After the first round of betting, all remaining players are given the option of drawing (changing) one or more of their cards. After a second round of betting, the game goes to a showdown. The player with the best high hand wins.

5 Card Draw is played with two blinds (forced bets), paid by the first two players seated after the dealer.

Available Betting Structures:

Limit
In structured limit games, the only valid bet/raise is the current limit, for example $5 on the first two rounds in a $5-$10 Hold'em game. There may be a maximum of 4 bet/raises in a round of betting. This includes a bet, raise, re-raise and a cap.

No-Limit
In no-limit, a valid bet/raise must be at least the higher of the current limit and the last bet/raise. No higher limit is available, other than the players’ credits. No maximum number of raises exists.

Pot-Limit
In pot-limit, the valid bet/raise must be at least the higher of the current limit and the last bet/raise. A pot-limit bet/raise may be at highest the value of the pot, plus all bets at the table including the current player's call. No maximum number of raises exists.

Tournaments:

1. Tournaments will begin according to schedules. Should a player fail to be logged in at the time the tournament commences, he or she may forfeit their space at the table.

2. It’s not possible to change seats during a tournament, except when part of the tournament table balancing – see Multi Table Tournaments section.

3. In a Multi Table Tournament, the seats are assigned randomly. At a single table tournament the player may select his or her own seat.

4. During a Multi Table Tournament the button is placed at a fixed position, in a Single Table Tournament however, the players are high-carding for the button.

5. The Tournament will end when one player accumulates all the chips in play.

6. Should two or more players be eliminated on the same hand, the player with more chips at the beginning of the hand will be placed higher. If players started the hands with identical amounts of chips, then both players tie for that rank and any prizes due to those players will be distributed equally amongst them.

7. When players that were supposed to post blind in the next are eliminated, there may be players who get a reprieve from one of both blinds due to the fact that the button will move anyway.

8. With only two players remaining, the button will post the small blind and act first on the opening round.

9. Disconnects:
• By participating in a tournament, a player accepts the risk of Internet disconnection, due to the problems with the connection between their computer and the servers, lag or freeze or some other problem in the player's computer.

• If a player loses connection, he/she will have an extra 30 seconds to reconnect on top of the regular time allotment for acting.

• If a player times out during a hand, whether connected or disconnected, his or her hand will be folded.

• If a player is not connected before a hand commences, he or she will be dealt cards and a blind ante will be posted. There is no rule against choosing to sit out – a player doing so will continue to have blinds and antes posted, as well as cards dealt.

10. Unethical play, including collution, may result in disqualification and the termination of the offender’s account.

11. As players are knocked out, the tournament tables will be balanced to ensure all tables have as equal an amount of players as possible. The balancing of tables is done randomly.

12. A bet and three raises are permitted in structured limit tournaments. There is no raise cap in pot-limit and no-limit tournaments.

13. In the event of a server crash, the tournament will be restarted from the position it was halted. If that’s not possible, the remaining portion of the prize pool will be divided between the remaining players.

14. Prizes will be awarded in accordance with the prize list.

15. Players may not discuss a hand until all gaming action is finished. "R/F" in the lobby.