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While specific rules vary from casino to casino, most public poker cardrooms have similar rules and regulations. Refer to the article on betting and the articles on poker variants for detailed discussion of the rules of poker gameplay.

Popular poker variants

While different casinos offer different poker variants, the most popular poker games offered in U.S. casinos include:

Casinos offer poker in ring game (cash game or live-action game) and tournament formats.

Waiting lists

Most casinos manage table seating on a first-come, first-served basis. During peak periods, there may be long waiting lists for poker seats. Players can normally be on multiple waiting lists (for different types of games and money amounts).

Chips

While cash often plays, chips are the primary currency of the game. These can usually be purchased from the casino employee dealing the game, or from cashier windows found around the casino.

Rake

The rake is the scaled commission fees taken by a casino operating a poker game. For ring games, it is generally 5-10% of each poker hand, up to a predetermined maximum amount, but not only can this percentage be anything, there are other non-percentage ways for a casino to take the rake. For tournaments, the rake is usually 10% of the buy-in. Poker is a player versus player game and the house does not wager against its players (unlike blackjack or roulette) so this fee is the principal mechanism to generate revenues.

Common rules

Aside from the particular rules of gameplay, some common rules in U.S. public cardrooms^[1]^[2] include:

Players must act in turn. Players should not telegraph or otherwise indicate intentions to act prior to their turn to act.
In the event of an action out-of-turn, the action may be binding if there is no bet, call or raise between the out-of-turn action and the player's proper turn.
Verbal declarations are binding and take precedence over non-verbal actions.
Betting actions without a verbal declaration must be made in a single motion or gesture ("no string bet" rule).
Knocking or tapping the table is a check. Tossing or pushing cards away is a fold.
If a player puts in chips equal to 50 percent or more of the minimum raise, he will be required to make a full minimum raise. Otherwise, the action is deemed a call and the excess chips should be returned to the player.
In limit games, an oversized chip will be constituted to be a call if the player does not announce a raise. In no-limit, an oversized chip before the flop is a call; after the flop, an oversized chip by the initial bettor put in the pot will constitute the size of the bet. In pot-limit and no-limit, if a player states raise and throws in an oversized chip, the raise will be the maximum amount allowable up to the size of that chip.
Bets should be placed in front of the player's cards. Chips should not be thrown (splashed) into the pot.
Wagers must be at least the size of the previous bet or raise in that round, unless a player is going all-in.
Hole cards, including folded hands, should not be revealed to other players until showdown. If a player reveals his hole cards to another player active in the current hand, all players have the right to also see the hole cards.
Players may not verbally disclose the contents of their hand.
Players may not advise other players how to play a hand ("One player to a hand" rule).
Cards may not be removed or held below the table or otherwise concealed from view.
Players must keep their highest denomination chips visible at all times.
Except for small denominations used to tip for food or drinks, players may not remove a portion of their chips from the table (called going south or ratholing) unless they cash out and leave the game.
Cards speak for themselves and prevail if a player mis-states the value of their hand at the showdown.
Speaking in foreign languages at the table is prohibited.
Players should not discuss or otherwise influence the hand-in-progress after folding.
Cell-phone use at the table is prohibited.
Profanity is prohibited.

Legality

The authority to operate public cardrooms in the U.S. is primarily prescribed by state laws, with some Federal laws covering tribal gaming. States usually limit public poker cardrooms to casinos and parimutuel betting facilities (e.g., horse tracks, greyhound tracks, off-track betting (OTB) facilities, and Jai Alai frontons) or tribal reservations.

State laws may limit the type or nature of poker games offered in public cardrooms. For example, North Dakota has a limitation of $25 per individual hand, game or event. Florida requires that all bets be no more than $2; ring games in Florida cardrooms must use limit betting structures.^[3] In Florida, poker tournaments are exempted from the betting structure rules and may use any betting structure including no limit.^[4] Tournament formats are used to circumvent gambling rules in other states as well. Unlike some other forms of gambling, tribal gaming may be subject to state laws governing poker.^[5]

Notes

^ Robert's Rules of Poker by Bob Ciaffone is a widely referenced set of poker rules.
^ World Series of Poker Official Rules
^ State Law Summary
^ Florida Raises Poker Stakes (A Little) article in Card Player Magazine by I. Nelson Rose
^ Poker Tournaments in Bars, Clubs, Online ... Everywhere by I. Nelson Rose

Categories: Poker gameplay and terminology

Gambling Guide

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