POKER Brought to you by: May 31, June 2 & 9, 2016 TEAM ROSTER (3 members) Your co-ed team will consist of 3 players, either 2 male and 1 female, or 2 female and 1 male. All players must sign the roster prior to playing. No substitutions for each session. REGISTRATION NO ID - NO PLAY - NO EXCEPTIONS!! Team Captains (or designate) will be responsible for bringing completed & signed team rosters to the registration with the minimum team required for your division. Roster & Registration information will be included in the Roster Book distributed in May. Team Captains are responsible to see that each athlete registers with photo ID and proof of employment (i.e. Human Resource letter or Pay stub). It is the responsibility of each participant to have the proper ID. Players must register together as a 3-person team. FORMAT Each team has 3 players that will be randomly seated amongst the 9 tables. No two people from the same team will be at the same table. The game played is Texas Hold em poker, where each player receives two cards, and in combination with the 5 community cards in the middle, makes the best 5-card poker hand to determine the winner of the wagered pot. All players will start with $5,000 in tournament chips and will then play till the end of 3 levels (total of 1.15 hours) of increasing blinds. At the end of the 3rd level all hands will cease (see chart). Please note that the chips have no actual cash value. In the event that there is a tie between 2 teams, a separate 4-hand tie breaker will be played out between the 2 teams. If there is a tie between 3 teams, a separate 3-hand tie breaker will be played out. SCORING At the end of the playing session, the total amount of chips that the player has is the player s individual score. If a player runs out of chips, they will be allowed one re-entry back into the tournament, with the same amount of starting chips. However, players that have re-entered into the game will automatically be given a penalty of $10,000 from their final score. After all individual scores are recorded the volunteers will combine all the score sheets to determine what the total team score of all 3 players combined. The team with the highest chip totals will be awarded their respective Corporate Challenge points.
COACHING & OFFICIALS There is only one player per hand. A player must protect their hand (contents of the hand) from the neighboring players at all times, but make their hand (face-down) visible to all players at the table, so they know that you are still in the hand. There shall be no coaching from the side (spectators) or at the tables themselves. Players may not discuss a hand while a hand is in play. Players that have folded may not talk about the hand in play. Violations may result in having their hand killed, at discretion of the tournament director(s). The Tournament Director(s) will be available to preside over a rule interpretation or if a situation should arise during a game where a judgment is required during a hand. The tournament director must be summoned to the table at the time of a suspected foul. Once the pot has been awarded to a player, and the dealer has commenced the washing of the cards for the next shuffle, a player may no longer file a dispute. The tournament director s decision is final. TEAM CANCELLATION / NO SHOW PENALTY Cancellations must be in writing either emailed or faxed to the Corporate Challenge office. If a team must cancel their participation in a sport, the Penalties are as follows: CANCELLATIONS: (After Friday, April 1, 2016) This is the date that your Sport Commitment/Team Captains List is required. After this date, schedules are made and ALL Cancellations will result in a 3-point deduction for your company. LAST MINUTE CANCELLATION: (Within 48 hours of your event start time) Teams that provide written notification (by email or fax) that they are canceling out of an event within 48 hours of the start of the event will be penalized 5 points. A company with participants who register at the event but are unable to register an eligible team will be considered a cancellation and the penalty will apply. NO SHOWS: (No notification of cancellation) A No Show will result in a 10-point deduction and disqualification from that sport for the following year. A NO SHOW is a team that has not provided any notification that their team is not participating in an event prior to start time of the event. GENERAL RULES Please note that the masculine gender has been used for simplicity of wording and is not intended to specify the gender of the players. BASIC PREMISE The basic premise of the game is to combine the two face-down cards that are dealt to you with the five face-up cards in the middle of the table, to make the best possible 5-card poker hand. There are four rounds of betting for each hand. The player with the best hand at the end of the four rounds will win what is in the pot. If you bet large enough without any one that calls your bet, you will win the pot, without having to show your cards. As player s cards are hidden (face-down), no one knows what each other has. If you are able to bet out another player with a bad hand, then you have bluffed the pot. Thus, you don t necessarily have to have the best hand in order to win.
However, be careful, as someone might catch on to your tactics, and call your bet to see what you have, which can result in a big loss BLINDS Before a hand is even dealt, players put money in the pot. This way, each player has something at stake in the game before the first card is dealt. The two players to the left of the dealer (clockwise direction) pay the blinds. The player immediately to the dealer s left places bet called the small blind, while the player two places to the left puts in the big blind. It's called a blind because you haven't seen a card when you put in this forced bet -- you're going in without seeing, or it is a blind bet. The blinds will progressively increase at the end of each level. Level Duration Round 1 30 m Round 2 30m Round 3 15m Game Type No Limit No Limit No Limit Game Name Small Blind Big Blind Limit 1 Limit 2 Ante Start Time Texas Hold 'Em $100 $100 $0 $0 $0 0:00 Texas Hold 'Em $100 $200 $0 $0 $0 0:30 Texas Hold 'Em $200 $400 $0 $0 $0 1:00 NOTE: Blinds are only implemented in the first round (of four) of betting.
BETTING OPTIONS AND ROUNDS OF PLAY There are four rounds of betting: 1st round Pre-Flop where you receive your 2 face-down cards: Action starts to the player immediately left of the big blind. If you are not a blind, your option is: 1. Call the bet Match the last bet 2. Raise the bet Wager at least double the last bet ( Re-Raise - Wager at least double the last raise ) 3. Fold Discard your hand If you are a blind, you will have to Call any bets that have been raised, when the action get to your position. If no bets have been raised in this round, the blinds options are to: The small blind must either Call the big blind, Raise, or Fold The big blind must either 1. Check their option to raise 2. Raise Wager at least double the last bet. The round of betting is over when everyone simply calls the last bet and all the players (who haven t folded) have put in the same amount of money. For the following three rounds the betting option are all the same: 2nd round The Flop The first three face-up cards in the middle (community cards or the board) 3rd round The Turn The fourth face-up card is presented on the board 4th and final round The River The fifth and final face-up card is presented on the board Action starts with the player immediately left of the Dealer button. When there is no bet on the table, your options are: 1. Check When you choose not to make a bet, and pass the action to the next player. Can be represented by a tap of the table, or by saying Check. 2. Bet Wager any amount of chips, but at least the size of the big blind for that round. 3. Fold Discard your hand. (Fold is an option, but if there is no bet on the table, there is no reason to fold, unless you believe there is no chance that you can win the pot.) Once a bet has been made each player will have the option to: 1. Call Match the last bet 2. Raise Wager at least double the last bet ( Re-Raise - Wager at least double the last raise ) 3. Fold Discard your hand The round of betting is over when everyone simply calls the last bet and all the players (who haven t folded) have put in the same amount of money. A round of betting can also be checked around meaning everyone checks and there s no money put in the pot that round.
TIME FOR SHOWDOWN This is the stage where players that still have cards in their hand, and have called all bets are to show what they have in their hand, to determine who makes the best hand, and is thus awarded the pot. To determine the best hand, players are to combine their 2 cards with the 5 community cards, total of 7 cards, and make the best possible 5-card poker hand possible. At showdown, a player that lays their cards face up on the table, allows the hand to be read by the dealer and the rest of the table. Even if the player states they have a certain hand, and in fact the hand is better or worse; the rule is that CARDS SPEAK, meaning whatever the best possible hand is will be the actual hand considered. In the event there is a tied hand, the pot is chopped (split) evenly amongst the remaining winners. GOING ALL-IN If you wish to bet all your chips, or bet the remainder of your chips to cover a bet, then it is said that you have gone All-In. Be wary of going All-in, unless you think you have the best possible hand, because if you lose you may be out of chips to play. If you don t have enough chips to cover a bet made, do not worry, as you can go All-in and will be able to make claims to a pot for the value of chips that you have wagered. Other players may continue to bet further, as side pots will be created. RE-ENTRY AT A PENALTY Players that have lost all their chips will be allowed one re-entry back into the tournament, with the same starting stacks that they started with. However, if you exercise this option, you will automatically be deducted 10,000 from your total score (ultimately team total score.) If you decide to re-enter, you will have some ground to make up, but may come out ahead at the end, the decision is up to you. To exercise the re-entry notify the tournament director, or volunteer, so that you may receive more chips and be marked down for the penalty. You may only re-enter once, so use your chips wisely.
POKER HAND RANKINGS (This mini poker guide is available at request from the poker houseman.) If players share the same pair, two pair, or three of a kind, then the next highest card in the hand will determine who will break the tie. This is using the kicker to determine who has the best hand. If players both have a straight, the player with the higher straight will win. If players both have a flush, the player with the highest card in their flush will win. NOTE: If your hand comes in contact with the muck (discard pile) or another player s cards, this hand will be considered dead. To protect your cards, cover it with a chip, so that if by accident other cards come in contact with yours, it will not result in a dead hand.
POKER ETIQUETTE 1. DON T PLAY OUT OF TURN While you may be so excited about how good your hand is you can hardly wait to raise the pot, you have to wait until it's your turn to do so. Same goes for folding hands you can't wait to get away from. If you jump the gun, it gives other players information they shouldn't have before they make their own decision and can confuse the action. 2. DON T TALK ABOUT YOUR CARDS While the Hand is Still in Play Once you've folded, it's tempting to chat about what would have happened if you had stayed in, but if anyone who's still in the hand hears, it'll give them information that they might use to their advantage. For instance, if you had a 7-2 as your pocket cards (cards in your hand) in Hold'em and the flop (first three cards of the card in the middle) comes 7-7-2, if you blurt out that you would have had a full house, everyone will know that it's unlikely that any player still in the hand has the full house, making it hard to bluff and represent that hand. 3. DON'T SHOW YOUR CARDS (UNTIL THE SHOWDOWN) When you fold, make sure you don't flash or flip over your cards as you toss them into the muck ( folded cards pile. Again, if players know what you fold, it'll give them information that may change how the rest of the hand plays out. Unless you are all-in and heads up, there is no reason to show or expose your cards until the showdown. 4. Don't Splash the Pot There are two bad betting habits that you see a lot in the movies which are no-no s in real life. The first is when a player tosses his bet in a big mess in the center of the pot. That's called Splashing the Pot, and it makes it hard to tell how much you've bet. A better way is just to stack your chips neatly in front of you to bet. 5. DON'T MAKE STRING BETS The second bad habit from movies is the String Bet, which is when a player goes "I'll call your 500... and raise another 1000!" You have to declare whether you're simply calling or raising right away -- once you say "call," that's all you can do. If you're going to raise, say raise and the amount right away. This is especially important in casinos. 6. DON'T BE RUDE OR MEAN Even if you're having a bad losing streak, it doesn't give you the right to curse other players or be rude to the dealer. It will win you neither pots nor friends. 7. IF YOU SHOW ONE, SHOW ALL If you win a hand before the showdown but want to show your cards anyway, you can't just show them to the one player to your left or right, you have to turn them up for the whole table to see. After all, why should only the lucky players next to you get to know what you were holding? 8. DO PAY ATTENTION If you're in a hand, don't make everyone remind you that it's your turn -- keep up with the action so the game keeps moving. Talking on cell phones is a bad idea.
PRACTICES AND TRY-OUTS PROUD SPONSOR OF CORPORATE CHALLENGE POKER There s a possibility to book private special learn-to-play sessions from our training coordinator specifically for Corporate Challenge. Friday Night Sit n Go Turbo Tournaments $30.00 single table tournament, where there is only one winner per 10-11 players. Sit n Go Turbos occur every Friday night at 7:30pm. This cheap tournament replicates the same fast pace of play that corporate challenge poker event will be involved with. Daily Poker Tournaments Go to www.rivercreeresort.com/poker for the schedule of poker tournament events. For Private Company Poker Tournament, Team Building Events, or Fundraising Information PHONE: 780-930-2707 (Poker Room) FAX: 780-478-8531 E-MAIL: pokerhouseman@rivercreeresort.com WEB: www.rivercreeresort.com