Rules and Regulations
Nobody likes rules, but we gotta have ’em. Many of our rules are adapted straight from the World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker rules, and we’ve added a few house rules as well (that’s what playing Chip and a Chair poker so much fun!). Feel free to download and print out the rules, or just browse them below.
Click Here to Download the Rules and Regulations PDF
GENERAL INFORMATION
Chip and a Chair (C&C) poker games are FREE, NON-GAMBLING events. They are played in tournament style and are for ENTERTAINMENT only. Anyone suspected of gambling will be asked to leave immediately. It is against the rules for games to be played for cash and under NO circumstances will this be allowed. There is no side betting allowed.
C&C holds FREE poker games at each venue, and we use the standard Live Action Poker Manual rules adopted by both the World Poker Tour (WPT) and World Series of Poker
(WSOP)WPT/WSOP apply, except where a C&C “house” rule has been established.
C&C requires all players to be at least 18 years old to play, however the policies of each individual venue take precedence and supersede the rules of C&C. Many of the venues
serve alcohol, thereby requiring players to be a minimum of 21 years or older to play.
HOW THE CHIP & A CHAIR LEAGUE PLAYS POKER
We play tournament style poker, with each tournament consisting of 3 games. Players play for wins and points. Each tournament is completed once the 3 games have been
played. The overall tournament winner is determined after all 3 games and based on the number of points accumulated over those 3 games. The winner receives a gift card awarded by the venue. Note: There can be more than 3 games played (bonus games).
These bonus games can collect points, but do not count towards the overall winner status.
TOP 22 TOURNAMENT
The top 22 players on the leaderboard will compete in a special tournament twiceyearly. If someone who is in the top 22 cannot participate, the next person will move up to complete the top 22.
DEALERS
Dealers are the backbone of a great poker league. They are also volunteers, and tips are greatly appreciated for their time and efforts.
Tipping your dealer before each game is always optional, and highly encouraged, but it is not required in order to play in the C&C Poker League tournament games.
CHIPS AND CHIP PROMOTIONS
CHIP VALUES
WHITE = $100
RED = $500
BLACK = $1000
GREEN = $5000
STARTING CHIP STACK
Everyone at the table will be given a chip stack of 5000 in chips. Each player has the ability to CHIP-UP and add to their starting stack. Chip-up promotions are only available at the beginning of each tournament game. No player is allowed to use a chip-up promo or chip card during an ongoing tournament game. All chip cards or chip-up promos must be presented to the dealer prior to the tournament game start.
CHIP-UP PROMOTIONS
| Chip-Up Amt |
Promotion |
Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 500 in chips |
Dressing in the designated theme |
Per Game |
| 500 in chips |
Bringing a brand-new player to any venue the first time |
Per Game |
| 1,000 in chips |
Join the free Facebook Group Chip and a Chair Poker |
One Time |
EARNING WINS, POINTS and CHIP CARDS
Players earn wins, points and chip cards during their tournament game play. The player with the most points at the end of the 3rd game is considered the overall winner (with bragging rights!)
1 win = 1 point *ALL Players get DOUBLE WINS at C&C Poker events.
NUMBER OF WINNERS
The number of winners is based on the number of starting players.
10 Players or Less = 2 winners per game; 11 – 14 Players = 3 winners per game;
15 – 20 Players = 4 Winners
Rules and Regulations for our Poker League
REGISTRATION AND SEATING
Seating for the first tournament game is first come, first served. Players choose their own seats when they arrive, and choice of seat has no outcome on where the starting button position is located. If there are more than 11 people wanting to play, then the game begins without starting the blind time clock. Once players go out, the next on the waiting list will sit. Once there are no more people on the waiting list, the time clock begins.
Subsequent tournaments are seated based on the elimination order from the previous game, with new players added to the bottom of the list upon arrival.
MINIMUM PLAYERS FOR VENUE TOURNAMENT START
No tournament game may begin with less than 5 players. In unique and rare instances, on a case-by-case basis, if it is at least 30 minutes past the scheduled start time the dealer may be permitted to deal AND play to constitute the 5th player. In this instance, the playing-dealer is not a win bounty, however a player who knocks that playing-dealer out of the game will be awarded the Blind Bounty point. If a venue does not have enough players to play one hour after the scheduled start time, any player who was present for that one hour will be awarded one (1) win.
DEALER BUTTON
The dealer button for each tournament game is determined by the dealer in one of two ways.
1. A high-card flip up around the table. The dealer will deal face-up single cards to each player.
2. The dealer washes the cards face down spread across the poker table, and each player picks their own card and flips it over.
The highest card in either situation is awarded the dealer button. The cards are ranked A-2 with an Ace being the highest card. If there is a tie, the following standard suit order will be followed: Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs.
| Points/Wins/Chip Cards | How to earn them | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| DOUBLE POINTS FOR 1 WIN | All players receive DOUBLE WINS (2 points) for winning any game during a tournament. This is a C&C house rule and can change at any time. | Per Game |
| TRIPLE POINTS FOR 1 WIN | NEW VENUE PROMO - Playing at a brand-new venue for the first month will get you triple points per win (3 points) | All games played during the first month |
| 1 POINT | DRESSING UP IN THEME – In addition to a chip-up card, If you come dressed up for the theme, earn a point | Per Tournament |
| 1 POINT | BRING A NEW PERSON – In addition to a chip-up card, if you bring a new person to a venue, earn one point | Once per venue |
| 1 Point | High Hand - Minimum Full house Jacks or better. | Per Game |
| 2 Points | High Hand Sweep - Post the high hand of the night during the first round, and keep it through all 3 games of the tournament and get the high hand sweep and pocket 3 points total | Per Tournament |
| 5 Points | 4 of a Kind 9’s - This is a special house promotion that will win you 5 points. Note: You must have pocket 9’s with two 9’s on the flop to earn the points. It could also be the high hand, but can be beat by bigger high hands. | Per Game |
| 2 Points | Straight Flush - This hand will get you 2 points (and probably a lot of chips from pot!) | Per Game |
| 5 Points | Royal Straight Flush - If you’re lucky enough to hold this hand, you’ve just earned 5 points | Per Game |
| 1 point | Blind Bounty Takedown - If you take out the blind bounty, you’ll get 1 point | Per Game |
| 1 point | Blind Bounty Winner - If you are the blind bounty, and you win, you get 1 point | Per Game |
| 2 points | Dealer Bounty – If a dealer from another venue is playing, and they are a bounty. Any other player taking them out wins 2 points. If no one takes the dealer out, the dealer gets the 2 points | Per Game |
| 500 Chip Card | First One Out – So the cards didn’t fall your way…no worries! You’ll get a 500 chip card to use another time | Per Game |
| 500 Chip Card | Ace of Spades – If you get the Ace of Spades on the Dealer Button draw, lucky you! You get a chip card | Per Game |
| 500 Chip Card X 2 | Bubble Luck – If you get knocked out and you were on the bubble (player that just missed out on the win), you get 1000 in chip cards (2 cards) | Per Game |
BLINDS
Blinds are mandatory bets by the two players left of the dealer button. The person immediately to the left of the button will post the small blind. The person immediately left of the small blind will post the big blind. Under NO circumstances will a player ever be big blind twice in a row. If a player is not at their seat at the table when they are to be a blind, their blind will be posted for them out of their chip stack by the dealer or a player the dealer designates. If a player is still
missing from their seat at the time action comes to them, the hand is automatically folded by the dealer.
After each hand, the dealer button, small blind and big blind positions move one player to the left, ensuring that every player eventually has the opportunity to post a blind.
DEAD POSITIONS
If a player has been eliminated, their position until refilled is a dead position. The only position that CANNOT be a dead position is the big blind.
BLINDS – Here are the small and big blind levels used during tournament games.
100/200
200/400
400/800
500/1,000
1,000/2,000
2,000/4,000
4,000/8,000
5,000/10,000
The time clock for the blind levels doesn’t start until all players have been seated at an 11-person table. This means if there are people on the waiting list, the game will be started and when a player is eliminated, the next on the waiting list will take the seat. Once there are no more players waiting for a seat, the time clock for the blinds will begin.
Blind times are 10 minutes until 500/1,000 blind level, then blind times are 1 minute per remaining player, with a minimum of 5-minute blinds. See table below.
10 Minutes until 500/1000
9 players = 9 minutes
8 players = 8 minutes
7 players = 7 minutes
6 players = 6 minutes
5 players = 5-minute blinds for the remainder of the game
COMING IN LATE
If a player arrives at a venue late, and the table has an open seat available, and the blinds have not reached the 200/400 level or the table still has more than 5 players, , the dealer will pause the blind time clock to allow the player to be seated. If the blinds have reached the 200/400 level or there are less than 4 players, the late player will need to wait until the next game.
DEALERS
Dealers will be the only ones to make change for players during a hand. Please DO NOT grab change from a blind that is out on the table. The same goes for all-in and side pots. The dealer will be the only one to sort this out.
MISDEALS
Even awesome dealers can have a mishap. If a player is dealt a card that accidently gets exposed face up, or is dealt in a way that it’s seen by another player or the card leaves the table, the dealer will finish dealing, with the exposed card being used as the burn card, and the deal
continuing with the next card in the deck.
The exposed card is announced and shown to all players and becomes the first burn card. If two cards are exposed, a misdeal is declared, and the hand must be re-shuffled and re-dealt. If either the first or second card is exposed, it constitutes a misdeal and the hand must be reshuffled and re-dealt.
BETTING – These are basic betting rules, and many have been adapted from WPT/WSOP rules of poker.
All players are encouraged to state their intentions (verbalize to the dealer and table to check, call or raise) before moving any chips forward.
• The minimum bet is the amount of the BIG BLIND.
• The minimum raise must be double the last bet. (A player bets 600 in chips, min. raise would be 1200 in chips)
• STRING BETS ARE NOT ALLOWED. A “string bet” is when a player puts out one bet to call another person’s wager, then tries to go back to their stack for another bet (a raise) to put on top of that without verbalizing
• Players are highly encouraged to say their intentions out loud to the dealer and the table (call, check or raise) before placing chips in front of them. All verbalizations are binding. Any forward motion towards the playing field constitutes a bet. If there is no verbalization prior to a motion, all chips moved towards the pot must be put into play.
• Players betting out of turn must stand on the bet they make.
• Players continuously betting out of turn will receive a warning from the dealer. Players that continue to bet out of turn after being warned by the dealer, and it is believed the betting out of turn is intentional, will receive a 10 minute time out. Further betting out of turn after a timeout will result in the player being asked to leave the game.
ALL IN AND SIDE POTS
• If a player lacks sufficient chips to make either blind, the player WILL BET all remaining chips from their stack.
• If a player wants to call a bet, but has less than the bet amount, the player would put in all of their remaining chips.
• A player CANNOT win any more chips from each player than are already bet. This creates a side pot for still active players with chips.
[Ex: Player 1 bets 2,000 in chips. Player 2 calls with only 1,500 chips. Players 3, 4 & 5 all call the original 2,000. The main pot will have 7,500 chips (5 players x 1,500) and the side pot will have 2,000 chips (4 players x 500 chips). There can end up being multiple all-in players and multiple side pots. Please allow the dealer to handle the chip counts, side-pots and all-ins.]
• The All-in player will hold their cards while there is still action on the table.
• When the betting action is complete at the table, the dealer will instruct which players to turn up their cards for the side pot(s) first, then the main pot.
• If a player goes all in for less than a minimum bet, the remaining players in the hand can simply call that reduced amount
• If a player loses all their chips, they are eliminated from play and must leave the table. If two or more players are eliminated on the same hand, the player who started the hand with more chips will be awarded the higher finishing position.
GENERAL RULES OF POKER AND C&C POKER
• A player’s chips must remain on the table at all times
• Please do not place drinks directly on the poker tables. There will be drink holders or other places for drinks.
• Cards must remain above the table during play.
• Cards and chips must be visible to the dealer and other players at ALL TIMES.
• Players cannot talk about their active hands with other players. They may NOT ask for advice, or opinions from other players, the dealer or any spectators.
• If a player exposes their cards to another active player during the hand their cards will be mucked.
• If a player exposes their cards prematurely the following applies:
** If the cards are exposed prior to the FLOP, the player cannot play the hand and the hand is mucked
** If the hand is exposed after the FLOP, the hand will be left exposed and face-up on the table for all the other players to see. The other players have the option to bet or fold, and play continues. The player who exposed their cards may only call a bet or fold. They cannot raise or initiate a bet
• Once cards are mucked, they cannot be put back into play. Players who push their cards towards the muck pile will not be allowed to retrieve them
• We understand some actions require a little time to make a decision. Most players will accommodate, but anyone repeatedly slowing the game down will be put on a time clock.
• TABLE TALK IS NOT ALLOWED about a hand still in play. Players may not talk about their hand in any way, shape, or form while others are still playing,
• Proper poker etiquette – showing cards at showdown: The last player to act aggressively typically shows first. This is because they made the last bet or raise, and the other player is calling to see their hand.
• Show one, show all – If a player shows their cards at the end of the hand, the cards must be shown to all players.
• Keep your cards to yourself – If you’re in an active hand, please refrain from showing anyone else who is not in the active hand your cards.
• You are not required to show your cards if your opponent folds to your bet on the river. You can simply muck your hand to win the pot without revealing anything.
• If your opponent mucks, you can win the pot without showing your cards. In this scenario, you have the right to show your hand, but you are not required to do so if the other player has already folded and mucked theirs.
• A player can never win a game by being away from the table. Players who leave the table will be blinded out and their hands folded until they come back to the table or they run out of chips.
• A player who announces that they wish to leave, and leaves during the game will have their chips surrendered.
• LEAVING THE TABLE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME – We understand you may need to get up from the active game and leave the table for a few minutes (take phone calls away from table, bathroom break, grab a drink, etc.) You can be away from the table for 1 rotation without consequence. If you leave of absence from the table goes beyond 1 rotation, the dealer will pull your chips and you will be out of that game.
• RABBIT HUNTING – Players are given 1 Rabbit Hunting Card at the beginning of the tournament. Play the card if you want to see the remaining cards after a fold. Any unused rabbit hunting cards will be given back to the dealer at the end of the night, so use it or lose it. The overall winner will be given 1 rabbit hunting card to be used at another game. Winners cannot play more than 2 cards per venue tournament.
• Even though there may be people that speak multiple languages, to be fair to all players, only English is allowed at the poker table.
• Dealers do have the final say on any rules, disputes or disciplinary actions.
ACT APPROPRIATELY
All players are expected to adhere to good poker etiquette. For new players that may not be familiar with proper poker etiquette in specific situations, please ask the dealer. Inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated and players will be given a warning, and if behavior continues, players will be asked to the leave the game and the venue
If a player gets banned from a venue because of their behavior, they will receive a 30-day suspension from all C&C venues. Upon their return from their 30-day suspension if their behavior continues, they will be banned indefinitely from ALL C&C venues.
Inappropriate behavior can consist of:
- Cheating – This will get you banned, not just warned
- Excessive Cussing – We get it. Things happen and sometimes a cuss word is the only word that seems appropriate. But we are also in family establishments, so just be aware of your surroundings, keep the cussing to a minimum or get a warning from the dealer (and possibly being asked to leave)
- Berating another player for their style of play – Because we are a fun, social league, and sometimes we will have brand new players who have always wanted to play poker but never did, we will never tolerate berating a player for their style of play.
- Harassment of another player, the dealer or the owner/employees of the venue. Again, we are a fun and social poker league. We want everyone to feel comfortable while playing. We will not tolerate any harassment of any kind towards another player, the dealer or the owner of the venue.
- Excessive drinking that affects the game and other players – We love a good drink or 2 but make sure it doesn’t get out of control.
LET’S HAVE SOME FUN!
Now that all those pesky rules, and regulations are out of the way, let’s have some fun!
Even though we compete for points and gift cards from the venue owner, be ready to laugh and have a blast!
This league is a fun, social, poker league, designed for anyone to come out, enjoy themselves, dress up in theme, have a drink or two, make new friends, try some new venues and just have a FUN FILLED evening of poker.
Sing and wave goodbye to the first out of each game. Tell the dealer what card you want on an all-in.
It’s all about good times, good food, and being surrounded by good people.