OLLH Festival Charity Gaming Poker Tournament
No Limit Texas Hold’em Rules

 Shotgun Tourney with 3 total rounds

(Assuming minimum 50 players, otherwise two rounds will be used)

General Terms & Conditions

1. A standard 52-card deck will be used without jokers.  No wild cards allowed!
2. The chips have no cash redemption value.
3. The order of finish will be determined by the following methods at a table:
1. If play continues until all but one player is eliminated, the order of finish shall be the order of elimination from last to first.  The last remaining player shall be declared the winner.
2. If play stops at a the set time as defined by the rules, the order of finish shall be determined by ranking the amount of chips held by each player at the end of play from highest to lowest.  The player having the most chips shall be declared the winner.
3. If two or more players are eliminated on the same hand and an order of finish is necessary then a single five-card hand will be dealt to each player with the best poker hand declared the highest finisher, next best hand the next finisher, etc.
4. Michigan Gaming Rules stipulate that prizes not exceeding $500 per player per day may be awarded based on the method used for determining the order of finish.
5. A player shall not bet on more than one hand in any round of play.
6. Hi/Lo games are prohibited.  Winners shall be determined by the highest-ranking poker combination.
7. Any dispute concerning the game, rules and tournament shall be directed to the chairperson.
8. Rebuys and add-ons are prohibited.

House Take

9. The house (OLLH Festival) shall collect its take from the entry fee charged to players to participate in the tournament. 

Game Conduct

10. All suits shall have the same rank.  The rank of cards, from highest to lowest, shall be ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2, except in a straight and straight flush where the ace may be counted low.
11. The dealer will be supplied by the house and will shuffle the cards prior to each round of play.
12. Prior to the first round of play, the dealer shall place the dealer button in front of the player immediately to the dealer’s left.   The dealer shall move the dealer button to the next player in a clockwise direction prior to commencing each subsequent round of play.
13. The player immediately to the left of the dealer button shall post the small blind before the beginning of each round.
14. The player immediately to the left of the small blind position shall post the required big blind before the beginning of each round of play. 

Note: When all but 2 players have been eliminated from the table, the player with the dealer button shall post the small blind and the other player shall post the big blind.

15.  All cards shall be dealt in a clockwise direction beginning with the player immediately to the left of the dealer button.
16. The dealer shall commence betting interval 1 by dealing the pocket cards; one card to each player face down, then a second card to each player face down. 
17. Players may examine their pocket cards at any time.
18. Each player shall keep their pocket cards in full view of the dealer at all times and must ensure that they are examined in a manner that does not disclose to other players their value.  Players may not exchange information concerning their hand.
19. Players that drop from the round of play shall not reveal their pocket cards.  They shall place their pocket cards face down in the discard pile. 
20. Betting interval 1 shall proceed as follows:
1. The player immediately to the left of the big blind position is the first to act and must call, raise or drop (fold).

Note: When all but 2 players have been eliminated from the table, the player with the dealer button is the first to act and must call, raise, or drop.

2. Betting continues in a clockwise direction until each player has an opportunity to call, raise or fold with the exception of the player in the big blind position who may also check if no other player has raised.
20. The dealer shall commence betting interval 2 by burning a card and then dealing three board cards face up in the middle of the table, commonly referred to as the Flop.
21. Betting interval 2 shall proceed as follows:
1. The player immediately to the left of the dealer button position is the first to act and must call, raise or drop.
2. Betting continues in a clockwise direction until each player has an opportunity to bet, call, raise or drop.
22. The dealer shall commence betting interval 3 by burning a card and dealing one board card face up, commonly referred to as the Turn, in the middle of the table next to the Flop.
23. Betting interval 3 shall proceed as defined in betting interval 2.
24. The dealer shall commence betting interval 4 by burning a card and dealing one board card face up, commonly referred to as the River, in the middle of the table next to the Turn.
25. Betting interval 4 shall proceed as defined in betting interval 2.
26. Upon completion of four betting intervals:
1. If only one player remains in the round of play, (i.e. all but one player has dropped) the player is not obligated to show their hand.
2. If two or more players remain in the round of play:

                                                                i.      It shall be the obligation of the player who made the last bet to show their hand.

                                                               ii.      If no player has placed a bet, it shall be the obligation of all players to show their hands.

28. Any combination of a player’s pocket cards and/or board cards may be used to construct a standard five-card poker hand.
29. The dealer shall:
1. Declare the last remaining player the winner or determine the winning hand among the remaining players in accordance with the following ranking of poker combinations:

Royal Flush                     is a hand containing an ace, king, queen, Jack, and 10 of the same suit.

Straight Flush                   is a hand containing five cards of the same suit in consecutive ranking.  An ace may count high or low.

4 of a Kind                       is a hand containing four cards of the same rank

Full House                       is a hand containing “3 of a Kind” and “1 Pair”

Flush                               is a hand containing five cards of the same suit but not in consecutive ranking.

Straight                            is a hand containing five cards of consecutive rank regardless of suit. An ace may count high or low.

3 of a Kind                       is a hand containing three cards of consecutive rank.

2 Pair                               is a hand two pairs.

1 Pair                               is a hand containing two cards of the same rank.

High Card                        is a hand that does not contain 1 pair or better.

2. Resolve ties in the following manner:

                                                                i.      The poker combination comprised of the highest ranking cards shall be declared the winner.

                                                               ii.      In the event of equal ranking poker combinations of 4 of a Kind, 3 of a Kind, 2 Pair or 1 Pair, the high card not used in the poker combination shall determine the winner.

                                                              iii.      If a tie can not be broken using the above methods, the pot shall be split equally.  If any chips can not be split equally they shall remain in the pot for the next hand to be posted with the blinds.

3. Award the pot(s) to the player(s) with the winning hand.
29. The dealer shall collect all cards and shuffle them prior to the next round of play.
30. The dealer shall move the dealer button to the next player in a clockwise direction.

All-in/Side Pots

32. If only two players remain in a round of play, and one player does not have enough chips to call the bet made by the other player, then the player with the fewest chips may move all-in and the player with the most chips shall remove enough chips from their bet to make it equal to the bet of the player moving all-in.  The round of play will then continue with no further betting.
33. If two or more players wish to bet more than the bet of another player moving all-in, the dealer shall establish a side pot.
1. The player moving all-in is eligible to win only the main pot, consisting of the blinds, all previous bets, the bet of the player moving all-in, and the bets of the players matching the all-in bet.
2. The players with chips remaining may continue placing bets into the side pot and are eligible to win both the main pot and side pot.

Elimination

34. A player is eliminated from the tournament when either of the following has occur:
1. The player is unable to post the required blind (they must put into the table pot their remaining chips so they have none left)
2. The player has lost all of their chips and has none left.

Misdeal

35. No misdeal may be called after the first bet.
36. In the event of a misdeal, additional blinds shall not be required to be posted.
37. Dealer Errors will be dealt with as follows:
1. If a dealer fails to burn a card before the flop, turn, or river and instead turns the top card immediately face up:

                                                                i.      The card will be shown to all players and then discarded

                                                               ii.      The next card will take its place.

2. If a player’s hole card is exposed due to a dealer error, he may not keep the card:

                                                                i.      After completing the deal, the dealer will exchange the exposed card with the top card on the deck.

                                                               ii.      The exposed card will be placed as the top card of the deck and used as the first burn card.

                                                              iii.      If two or more cards are exposed on the deal, it is a misdeal

3. If a dealer deals a player more or less than two cards:

                                                                i.      and it is discovered before a bet is placed, it is a misdeal

                                                               ii.      If it is discovered after a bet is placed, that player forfeits all bets and blinds and must fold their hand.

4. If a dealer has too many flop cards, or cards are flopped before all betting is completed:

                                                                i.      the entire flop is taken back into the deck and reshuffled

                                                               ii.      The burn card will remain burned and no new burn card will be used before dealing the flop

5. If a dealer turns up a fourth or fifth card before betting is complete, the card is not in play:

                                                                i.      After completion of the betting, the next card is burned and the following card is turned face up

                                                               ii.      After betting, the dealer will reshuffle the deck, including the card that was taken out of play, but no the burn card or any player discards.

House Rules

38. The initial tournament entry (buy-in / registration) fee shall be $50 for which a player will receive a chip value of 1000 to start Round 1. 

Note: Chips do not move from Round to Round and any player making successive Rounds will receive a chip value of 1000 to start the Round.

39. The tournament will be shot gun type occurring in Rounds with a maximum two hour playing time limit each round at which time a table winner will be declared.  The table winners of Round 1 will move to the Round 2.  The top three winners from each Round 2 table will move to the Championship Round.  Seating per table will be random draw by the Tournament.
40. Blinds, as posted at sign in, will start at 20/40 (small/big) and be doubled during set time intervals of ~20 to 30 minutes in each round.  They will be announced to each table.  The posted amounts and intervals may be adjusted by the tournament directed as needed.
41. Raises are limited to 3 per betting interval.
42. The minimum bet is the value of the big blind per hand of play.  The player needs to clearly announce “check”, “call” and the amount of their bet and/or raise so all players and dealer can hear.
43. A clock will be used for blind progressions and a new blind level will be announced.  The next hand dealt (start of first hole card to players) after the announcement will be at the new blind level.   
44. If a player checks, that player may not raise during that betting interval.
45. Players may not make chip exchanges on a table.  Only tournament officials and or dealers shall make any chip exchanges at a table.  Chips will not be sold at the table.
46. Dead Button Rule shall be applied as follows:
1. If the Big Blind busts out:

                                                                i.      the dealer button moves to the player who posted the Small Blind as usual and the player to the left of the eliminated Big Blind player posts the Big Blind. 

                                                               ii.      There is no Small Blind for that hand.

                                                              iii.      On the following deal, the dealer button moves to the now empty seat (the seat vacated by the eliminated player) and the two players to the left post the normal blinds.

2. If the Small Blind busts:

                                                                i.      The button does not move.

                                                               ii.      The player who was the Big Blind will now post the Small Blind and the player to their left will post the Big Blind.

47. The tournament director at his discretion will set breaks.  An initial break is planned at one hour for each round lasting 10 minutes.

Late players:

1. If you have reserved a seat for the tournament but do not arrive in time by the end of sign in your reserved spot and registration fee will be lost. 
2. If you have advanced to higher Rounds but do not arrive in time for the first deal or if you leave your assigned seat in any round and miss a deal:

                                                                i.      Your blinds will be posted in your absence but cards folded.

                                                               ii.      Missing two hands in a row eliminates you from that tournament round and your chips will be removed from the table. Your entry fee will be lost.

Food and drinks will be available throughout the festival. 

Beer tent will be operating during the Hold’em tournament!