Memphis Grinders Poker Club Rules
RULE 01: NO DRAMA
You know this one.
Rule 04: Official Terminology and Gestures
Official betting terms are simple, unmistakable, time-honored declarations like bet, raise, call, fold, check, all-in, complete, and pot (pot-limit only). Regional terms may also meet this test. Also, players must use gestures with caution when facing action; tapping the table is a check. It is the responsibility of players to make their intentions clear: using non-standard terms or gestures is at a player's risk and may result in a ruling other than what the player intended.
RULE 07: Declarations, Card Speak at Showdown
Cards speak to determine the winner. Verbal declaration of hand value are not binding at showdown but deliberately miscalling a hand may be penalized. Dealers should read and announce hand values at showdown. Any player, in the hand or not, should speak up if he or she thinks a mistake is made in reading hands or calculating and awarding the pot.
RULE 10: Face Up for 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.
RULE 13: Etiquette Violations
Etiquette violations are subject to enforcement actions in Rule 14. Examples include but are not limited to: persistent delay of game, unnecessarily touching another player's person, cards or chips, repeatedly acting out of turn, maintaining poor card or chip visibility and countability, and abusive conduct.
Rule 02: 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.
Rule 05: Special Needs
Accommodations for players with special needs will be made when possible.
RULE 08: Tabling Cards & Killing Winning Hand
A. Proper tabling is both 1) turning all cards face up on the table and 2) allowing the dealer and players to read the hand clearly.
B. At showdown, players must protect their hands while waiting for cards to be read. Players who don't fully table all cards do so at their own risk. If a hand is not 100% retrievable and identifiable and the TD rules it was not clearly read, the player has no claim to the pot. The TD's decision on whether a hand was sufficiently tabled is final.
C. Dealers cannot kill a properly tabled hand that was the winner.
RULE 11: 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 hers cards. TDs discretion governs all other request such as to see the hand of another caller, or if there was no river bet.
RULE 14: Warnings, Penalties, & Expulsion.
A. Enforcement options include verbal warnings, one or more "missed hand" or "missed round" penalties, disqualifications, and/or league expulsion. For missed rounds, the offender will miss one hand for every player 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 blinded out of a tournament.
B. A penalty may be invoked for etiquette violations, card exposure with action pending, throwing cards, violating one-player-to-a-hand, or similar incidents. Penalties will be given for soft play, abuse, or disruptive behavior. Checking the exclusive nuts when last to act on the river is not an automatic soft play violation; TDs discretion applied based on the situation.
Rule 03: Player Responsibilities
Players should verify registration data and seat assignments, protect their hands, make their intentions clear, follow the action, act in turn with proper terminology and gestures, defend their right to act, keep cards visible and chips correctly stacked, remain at the table with a live hand, table all cards properly when competing at showdown, speak up if they see a mistake, call for a clock when warranted, transfer tables promptly, follow one player to a hand, know and comply with the rules, practice proper etiquette, and generally contribute to and orderly event.
Rule 06: Breaking Tables
Players from a broken table will be assigned new tables and seats by a 2-step random process. They can get any seat including small or big blind or the button and be dealt in except between the SB and button.
Rule 09: Live Cards at Showdown
Discarding non-tabled cards face down does not automatically kill them; players may change their minds and table cards that remain 100% identifiable and retrievable. Cards are killed by the dealer when pushed into the muck or otherwise rendered irretrievable and unidentifiable.
RULE 12: Ethical Play
Poker is an individual game. Soft play will result in penalties, which may include chip forfeiture and/or disqualification.
RULE 14: Continued
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. Memphis Grinders Poker Club has a zero-tolerance policy for cheating. This includes, but is not limited to chip incentives. Anyone caught cheating will be asked to leave and will not be allowed to play in any subsequent tournaments with the Memphis Grinders Poker Club.