JPA uses TDA as "Guidelines" for our nighlty games and our Main Events. We have tweaked the TDA rules to benefit JPA and the Bar Poker Industry as a whole. Tournament Directors (TDs) also have authority to make decisions that they feel "maintain the integrity of the game" as is written in TDA rules. There are many distractions in a bar that do not exist in a casino poker room which is why the TDs make a ruling that "appears" to go against a TDA rule. Please contact Carl or Leilani if you have an issues, but please dont cause a scene in a venue just because you dont agree with a TD's ruling.
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POKER TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION RULES
https://www.pokertda.com/poker-tda-rules/
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The Poker TDA is a voluntary poker industry association founded in 2001. The TDA mission is to increase global uniformity of poker tournament rules. TDA Rules supplement the conventional rules of this house. In case of conflict with a gaming agency, the agency rules apply.
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1: Floor Decisions
The best interest of the game and fairness are top priorities in decision-making. Unusual circumstances occasionally dictate that common-sense decisions in the interest of fairness take priority over technical rules. Floor decisions are final.
2. Seating at the Begining of the Game
A: Players will choose their own seats at the beginning of the game. As tables fill up, some players may be asked to move to even out the tables.
B. The Tournament Directors will first ask for a volunteer. If no volunteer is available, the last player to the table will need to move. If asked to move, take your chips to the new table and begin play.
C: After the first blind, Rule 9 will be in effect.
3. Shuffling and Dealing
To maintain the integrity of the deck, cards must be shuffled a minimum of 3 times face down, so as not to expose any of the cards. The deck must be cut and placed on the cut card to prevent the bottom card from being seen.
4. Exposing Cards
Players are not permitted to purposefully expose their cards to another player with live cards. Doing so will result in the hand being deemed dead.
5. All-Ins
All hands will be tabled without delay once a player is all-in and all betting action by all other players in the hand is complete. No player who is either all-in or has called all betting action may muck his or her hand without tabling. All hands in both the main and side pot(s) must be tabled and are live.
6. Order of Showdown
In a non all-in showdown, if cards are not spontaneously tabled or discarded, the last aggressive player on the final betting round must table first. If there was no final round bet, the player who would act first in a final betting round must table first.
7. Discarding Irregularities
If a player bets, then discards thinking he or she has won (forgetting another player is still in the hand), call the floor. If cards are mucked and not retrievable and identifiable to 100% certainty, the player's hand is dead and they are not entitled to a refund of called bets. If cards are mucked and the player initiated a bet or raise not yet called, the uncalled amount will be returned.
8: Asking to See a Hand
A: Players not still in possession of cards at showdown, or who have mucked their cards face down without tabling, lose any rights or privileges to ask to see any hand.
B: If there was a river bet, any caller has an inalienable right to have the last aggressor’s hand tabled on request (“the hand they paid to see”) provided the caller tabled or retains his or her cards.
9. Balancing and breaking tables
To balance tables or to break down a table, player(s) will be assigned new tables and seats by the Tournament Director. Players will be placed as close to their previous position based on seat availability.
10. Cards & Chips Kept Visible, Countable, & Manageable.
Players are entitled to a reasonable estimation of chip counts; thus, chips should be kept in countable stacks. Higher denomination chips must be visible and identifiable at all times.
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11. Discretionary color ups.
TDs control the number and denominations of chips in play and may color up one or more players at their discretion at any time.
12.Calling for a Clock
Players should act in a timely manner to maintain a reasonable pace of the game. If a reasonable time has passed, any player may call the clock. A player on the clock has up to 25 seconds plus a 5 second countdown to act. If the player faces a bet and time expires, the hand is dead; if not facing a bet, the hand is checked. A tie goes to the player. TDs may adjust the time allowed and take other steps to fit the game and stop persistent delays.
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13. Live Hands
A:To have a live hand, players must be at their seats when its their turn to act . Players not then at their seats may not look at their cards which are killed immediately. Their posted blinds are forfeit to the pot. “At your seat” means in reach of your chair. This rule is not intended to encourage players to be out of their seats while in a hand.
​14. Over-sized chip betting
If facing a bet or blind, pushing out a single oversized chip (including your last chip) is a call if raise isn’t first declared. To raise with an overchip you must declare raise before the chip hits the table surface. If raise is declared but no amount is stated, the raise is the maximum allowable for the chip. If not facing a bet, pushing out an overchip silently (no declaration) is a bet of the maximum for the chip.
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15. Chips Out of View and in Transit
Players may not hold or transport chips in a way that takes them out of view.
16. Players that miss two consecutive sets of blinds will be disqualified.
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General Rule Clarifications
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7: Seating at the Begining of the Game
Players will choose their own seats at the beginning of the game. As tables fill up, some players may be asked to move to even out the tables.
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8: Late Arrivals
A:Late arrivals will fill in where they are needed by the Tournament Director.
B:Players have one hour after the start of the game to play.
C: If a player is going to be more than 15 minutes late, they must inform the Tournament Director via text or phone call.
D. If a player is coming from an earlier game, the previous TD can call ahead to gain them entry. They must be able to get to the venue within the hour late limit.
E. Late players will have less chips based on this formula: 0-20min=2500, 21-40mins= 2300, 41-60mins= 2100.
9: Special Needs
Accommodations for players with special needs will be made when possible.
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23: New Hand & New Limits
A new level starts on announcement after the clock reaches zero. The new level applies to the next hand. Hands begin on the first riffle, push of the shuffler button, or on the dealer push. If a hand starts at the prior level by mistake, the hand will continue at the prior level after SA occurs (Rule 36).
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30: At Your Seat and Live Hands
A:To have a live hand, players must be at their seats when its their turn to act . Players not then at their seats may not look at their cards which are killed immediately. Their posted blinds are forfeit to the pot. “At your seat” means in reach of your chair. This rule is not intended to encourage players to be out of their seats while in a hand.
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B. Players that miss two consecutive sets of blinds will be disqualified.
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35: Misdeals and Fouled Decks
A: Misdeals include but are not necessarily limited to: 1) 2 or more boxed cards on the initial deal; 2) first card dealt to the wrong seat; 3) cards dealt to a seat not entitled to a hand; 4) a seat entitled to a hand is dealt out;
B: Players may be dealt 2 consecutive cards on the button (see also Rule 37).
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38: Burns After Substantial Action
The burn card is to protect the stub, not “preserve card order”. If SA occurs and a hand is killed due to the wrong number of cards, all cards of the killed hand are mucked and randomness applies to further dealing (See also RP-14 Randomness). The stub is treated as a normal stub and one and only one card is burned off the stub for each subsequent street. See Illustration Addendum.
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RP-5. Prematurely Dealt Cards
Board and burn cards are sometimes dealt prematurely, before action on the preceding round is finished. The general procedures for these situations are:
A: Premature flop, leave the flop burn card as the burn. Return the premature board cards to the deck stub and reshuffle the entire stub. Re-deal the flop (without another burn) from the newly shuffled stub.
B: A premature turn card is placed back into the remaining stub, and we reshuffle the stub and deal the turn card without a new burn card.
C: A premature river card is placed back into the remaining stub, and the premature river burn card is left as the river burn. Once action on the turn is completed, reshuffle the stub and deal the river without a new burn card.
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43: Raise Amounts
A: A raise must be double the previous full bet or raise of the current betting round. A player who raises 50% or more of the largest prior bet but less than a minimum raise must make a full minimum raise. If less than 50% it is a call unless “raise” is first declared or the player is all-in (Rule 45-B). Declaring an amount or pushing out the same amount of chips is treated the same (Rule 40-C). Ex: NLHE, opening bet is 1000, verbally declaring “Fourteen hundred” or silently pushing out 1400 in chips are both calls unless raise is first declared. See Illustration Addendum.
B: After the flop, a player goes all-in for less than the big blind. The other players have three options. They can fold, call the lower amount (not whatever the big blind is) or they can raise. If they choose to raise they have to raise at least to the minimum bet before the all-in action.
For example: Blinds are 200/400. Four people are in the hand after the flop. The first player to act goes all-in for 75. The next two players both call the 75. The fourth player want to raise. He has to raise at least to 400.
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67: No Disclosure. One Player to a Hand
Players must protect other players in the tournament at all times. Therefore players, whether in the hand or not, must not:
1. Discuss contents of live or mucked hands,
2. Advise or criticize play at any time,
3. Read a hand that hasn't been tabled.
One-player-to-a-hand is in effect. Among other things, this rule prohibits showing a hand to or discussing strategy with another player, advisor, or spectator.
68: Exposing Cards and Proper Folding
Exposing cards with action pending, including the current player when last to act, may result in a penalty but not a dead hand. Any penalty begins at the end of the hand. When folding, cards should be pushed forward low to the table, not deliberately exposed or tossed high (“helicoptered”). See Rule 66.
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70: Etiquette Violations
Etiquette violations are subject to enforcement actions in Rule 71. Examples include but are not limited to: persistent delay of the game, unnecessarily touching another player’s person, cards or chips, repeatedly acting out of turn, maintaining poor card or chip visibility and countability, betting out of reach of the dealer, abusive conduct, offensive hygiene, and excessive chatter.
71: Warnings, Penalties, & Disqualification
A: Enforcement options include verbal warnings, one or more “missed hand” or “missed round” penalties, and disqualification. For missed rounds, the offender will miss one hand for every player (including him or her) at the table when the penalty is given multiplied by the number of penalty rounds. Repeat infractions are subject to escalating penalties. Players away from the table or on penalty may be anted or blinded out of a tournament.
B: A penalty may be invoked for etiquette violations (Rule 70), card exposure with action pending, throwing cards, violating one-player-to-a-hand, or similar incidents. Penalties will be given for soft play, abuse, disruptive behavior, or cheating. Checking the exclusive nuts when last to act on the river is not an automatic soft play violation; TD’s discretion applies based on the situation.
C: Players on penalty must be away from the table. Cards are dealt to their seats, their blinds and antes posted, their hands are killed after the initial deal, and if dealt the stud bring-in they must post the bring-in.
D: Chips of a disqualified player shall be removed from play.
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E. Penalties for violations: 1st violation - verbal warning, 2nd violation - miss a hand, 3rd violation - miss a round and 4th violation - disqualified.
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RP-5. Prematurely Dealt Cards
Board and burn cards are sometimes dealt prematurely, before action on the preceding round is finished. The general procedures for these situations are:
A: Premature flop, leave the flop burn card as the burn. Return the premature board cards to the deck stub and reshuffle the entire stub. Re-deal the flop (without another burn) from the newly shuffled stub.
B: A premature turn card is put to the side. Another card is burned, and the normal river card is used as the new turn card. After action on the turn, the premature turn card is placed back in the stub, the stub is reshuffled, and a river card is dealt without another burn.
C: A premature river card is placed back into the remaining stub, and the premature river burn card is left as the river burn. Once action on the turn is completed, reshuffle the stub and deal the river without a new burn card.
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