Tournament Rules

The following rules will apply to all tournaments unless otherwise stated.

1. Table Sit & Gos: Start as soon as the required number of players takes a seat. Players choose their seat on a first-come-first-served basis.

2. Multi-table Sit & Gos: Start as soon as the required number of players is registered. Players will be randomly seated. 

3. Multi-table tournaments: Start at predetermined times. Players will be randomly seated. 

4. A player can join a tournament that allows late registrations even after play has begun. Registration is only considered closed when any of the following occur:

5. Players will be allowed to unregister from a Sit & Go tournament provided that the last person that would start the tournament has not registered or taken a seat.

6. Players will be allowed to unregister from a multi-table tournament provided that registration has not closed.

7. Password restricted tournaments: You must use the password we sent to you by email to register for these tournaments. We’ll only send passwords to eligible players

8. All players in tournaments will be forced to post all blinds and/or antes. Players that are not present and ready to play will be blinded/anted off.

9. Tables in multi-table tournaments will be broken down from the highest numbered table to the lowest numbered tables. When tables are broken, players are randomly moved. This means a player may be moved into the blinds after having just paid the blinds on the previous table.

10. In multi-table tournaments, players will be balanced as follows:

• Three players if the number of running tables is greater than 10
• Two players if the number of running tables is greater than two, but less than 10
• One player if the number of running tables is two

11. Players are dealt into the next hand after a transfer (unless they are moved into the small blind position). Players are informed when they are transferred (and when others are transferred to their table).

12. In general, each player will post a small blind and a big blind each round. Collapsing tables and moving players mean it is possible that any of the following may occur at any time:

• A player may be forced to post the big blind more than once per round
• A player may be positioned with the button for more than one hand
• A player may skip one or both blinds in a round

Since these are basically random occurrences, no player will receive any long-term advantage, and the rule is necessarily fair for all players.

13. In community card games (Hold'em and Omaha), players 'high card' to determine the starting position of the Dealer Button. If two players get the same high card, the suit preference of spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs will determine who starts with the button.

14. All tournaments will continue until one player has won all of the chips. In rare exceptions (some qualifier tournaments), a tournament may stop with more than one player remaining.

15. With the exception of rebuy tournaments, a player is eliminated when he loses all of his chips.

16. In limit tournaments (fixed betting), there will be one bet and three raises in each betting round. When only two players remain, there is no limit on the number of raises. In pot-limit and no-limit tournaments, there are no limits on the number of raises.

17. When two players remain, the player due to assume the big blind will do so, and the small blind will inherit the button. The small blind or button will act first prior to the flop and second after the flop.

18. If two (or more) players from the same table are eliminated on the same hand, the player who started the hand with the most chips will be awarded the higher finishing position.

19. If two (or more) players from different tables are eliminated on the same hand, the prize money will be equally divided among all the players who finished with the same rank. They will each be assigned the lowest rank.

20. Players are expected to follow established poker etiquette. Any players who abuse proper etiquette may be disqualified from the tournament.

21. Soft playing is not allowed in tournaments. Soft playing happens when a player does not bet his or her hand to its full potential with the expressed intent of helping another player advance further in the tournament.

22. Players who do not act on their hand in time ('time out') will be automatically folded.

23. Tournaments will, at pre-determined times, go into 'hand-for-hand' mode. This allows tables to play the exact same number of hands at critical times.

24. 1-table Sit & Gos: If a tournament is cancelled for technical reasons, any player who was eliminated prior to cancellation will lose his or her buy-in and entry fee. The remaining players will be refunded their buy-ins and entry fees and will equally divide the buy-in monies (from the players already eliminated), regardless of their chip count when the tournament was cancelled.

25. Multi-table Sit & Gos and tournaments: If a tournament is cancelled for technical reasons, the following refund policy will take effect:

• Eliminated players at the time of cancellation will not be refunded their buy-in or entry fee
• Players still in the tournament at time of cancellation will be refunded:
• Prize money equal to the amount that would have been awarded to the next player eliminated from the tournament will be awarded to all the players still in the tournament at the time of cancellation. Of the remaining prize pool, 50% will be distributed equally between all players still in the tournament at the time of cancellation, and 50% will be distributed on a percentage basis at the time of cancellation (based on each player's chip count).
• Their entry fee.

26. Play money tournaments: Any play money tournament that is cancelled for any reason will be considered to be 'not played'. This includes play money tournaments with real money prize pools. Prize pools for these tournaments will not be redistributed, and no compensation will be awarded to players still remaining in the tournament at the time of cancellation.

27. The tournament Disconnect Protection and Cancellation Policy applies to all tournaments.

28. We reserve the right to cancel or reschedule tournaments at any time, for any reason, with or without notice. We reserve the right to amend our poker tournament rules and policies at any time without notice. Such amendments will become effective immediately upon being listed in the 'Tournament Rules' section of the website. It is the player's sole responsibility to review the tournament rules and policies before entering a tournament.

29. The poker tournament rules and policies contained herein represent the complete understanding between the player and the site with respect to the player’s activities at any tournament, except as otherwise specified in any poker tournament rules pertaining to a particular tournament, as posted on the website.

30. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, all use of the website by a player is governed by the Terms and Conditions of Use. In the event of any dispute, these terms and conditions shall apply.