These rules may be subject to change in the following months as we are still finalizing them. We reserve the right to change the rules but we will ensure that the changes will be made publicly available.

We intend on complying with the rules set forth by the Department of Internal Affairs New Zealand, we have requested an official document to be sent out so that we adhere to the regulations and conduct the poker series on the correct side of the law.

During these stages please allow us the time to ensure that we can continue to bring a Poker series to you in the correct manner.

• The organizer of the tournament is to consider the best interest of the game and fairness as the top priority in the decision-making process. Unusual circumstances can, on occasion, dictate that the technical interpretation of the rules be ignored in the interest of fairness. Their decision is final.
• All players must be aged 18 or over.

Betting Procedures

2. The action of betting is physically defined as the release of chips after a single, forward motion.

3. Above all, verbal declarations in turn are binding. A player who declares a call, raise, fold, must do so to the limit that the chips allow. If simultaneous declarations are made (tossing in a raise and saying call), the verbal declaration takes precedence.

4. Action out of turn is not binding. The deliberate intention to act out of turn may result in a penalty.

5. Check-raising (checking, then later raising over a bet) is allowed.

6. String betting (placing out bets with more than one motion without verbally declaring your intention) is forbidden. Any betting motions after the first motion will be dismissed. 

7. In no limit or pot limit, by stating the word raise, a player protects his right to raise, but the raise must be made in one additional motion unless he states the amount.

8. In no limit or pot limit, a bet must be at least the amount of the big blind.

9. In no limit or pot limit, a raise must be at least the amount of the previous bet.

9a. If a player puts in a bet below the minimum allowed that is equal or above 50%, the player will be required to make a full raise. The raise will be exactly the minimum raise allowed. If a player cannot cover the full minimum raise, he or she must go all-in.

9b. If a player puts in an amount that is less than 50% of the minimum allowed bet, the player is considered to have called and is returned the excess chips. 

10. A player who is all-in must show his cards at the showdown.

11. In the case of a split pot when there are two or more high hands, the chip(s) will be split as evenly as possible (chips may need to be broken down into smaller denominations) with any odd chip(s) left over given out to the winning player with the worst position (left of the button being the worst).

12. Each side pot will be split as a separate pot. They will not be mixed together before they are split. 

13. When a player creates a side pot by going all-in, the side pot will be the current pot plus each call up to the amount of the all-in. Any raises (or calls in the case of a below-the- limit all-in) go into the new pot. 

14. At the showdown with a side pot, the player who is all-in can only win the pot set aside when he or she went all-in. After the winner of that hand is resolved, the players involved in the main pot determine the winner without regard to the all-in hand. 

15. In case of multiple side pots, a player can only win up to what he put in times the number of calls up to the all-in amount.

Blinds

16. Players must post blinds before cards are dealt.

17. If a player does not have enough to cover his blind, a side pot is created before cards are dealt and...

18. When heads up, the blinds are reversed. The player on the button has the small blind.

19. In the hand after a big blind is eliminated, the button will move normally and there will be no small blind. The following hand, the button will move into the position where the eliminated player was, creating a dead button situation. 

20. In the hand after a small blind is eliminated, the button will move into the position where the eliminated player was, creating a dead button situation.

21. In the hand after both blinds are eliminated, the button will move into the position where the former small blind was and there will be no small blind. The following hand, the button will move into the position where the former big blind was.

22. Through players being eliminated, no player should miss a big or small blind.

Chips

23. All chips must be visibly displayed at all times. Players may not have tournament chips in their pockets at any time. A player who has chips in his pocket will forfeit the chips. The forfeited chips will be taken out of play from the tournament. Any other form of ratholing will be dealt with similarly. 

24. Players must keep their highest denomination chips visible at all times.

25. There will be no foreign chips allowed on the table.

26. At the request of the dealer, a player must exchange his or her chips for chips of a different denomination.

Killing a Hand / Dead Hands

27. Another player may call for a clock against a player who is taking an unreasonable amount of time to make a decision. 

28a. Once a clock is called for, the player with action will be given one minute to make a decision. If a decision has not been made by the time the minute is over, there will be a 10-second countdown. If a player has not acted on his hand by the time the countdown is over, the hand will be dead.

28b. A player who calls time will act on the same rules as above.

29. If a live player leaves during a hand, there will be no minute countdown and the hand will be declared dead.

30. A player must be in their seat by the time all players have complete hands in order to have a live hand. Otherwise the blinds will be forfeited and the hand will be killed. 

31. If a live hand touches the muck, it will immediately be ruled dead.

32. If a dealer kills an unprotected hand, the player will have no redress and will not be entitled to his money back. An exception would be if a player raised and his raise had not been called yet, he would be entitled to receive his raise back.

33. Dealers cannot kill a winning hand that was turned face up and was obviously the winning hand. 

Verbal Discussion

34. Verbally disclosing the true contents of your hand will cause the hand to be killed and a penalty will be assessed.

35a. A player cannot verify the contents of a live hand that was verbally disclosed. Only a director or floorperson may check those contents after the hand is over, but before the pot has been awarded. If the hand is verified but is not in violation of the previous rule, the contents will not be revealed by the floor or director to anyone.

35b. If a verbally disclosed hand is killed through verification after the hand, the pot goes to the best hand among the remaining players at the showdown, or to the last player to fold.

35c. By definition, verbal disclosure must include the actual ranks or suits, or any synonym to the ranks or suits. Nicknames for specific two-hand combinations like Big Slick or American Airlines will also constitute verbal disclosure. Furthermore, only a definitive declaration will constitute a verbal disclosure. Language like may, might, or could could nullify a declaration as verbal disclosure.

36. Advising a player how to play a hand may result in a penalty. 

37. Verbal declarations as to the content of a players hand at the showdown are not binding (cards speak); however at managements discretion, any player deliberately miscalling his hand to induce other players to reveal their cards may be penalized.

38. Players are obligated to protect the other players in the tournament at all times. Discussing cards discarded or hand possibilities is not allowed.

Exposing Cards

39. During the initial deal, if any pocket card is exposed due to dealer error, it is a misdeal.

40. A player who exposes his cards during the play may incur a penalty, but will not have his hand killed. If any player at the table saw the exposed cards, any other player has a right to know what the exposed card or cards were. If a player unintentionally exposes his cards during play, his hand will not be ruled dead. If any player at the table saw the exposed card(s), then any other player at the table has the right to know what the exposed card(s) was.

41. At the showdown players begin the show their cards starting with the player to the left of the last to call. A player may muck his cards if they cannot win over a previously shown hand. If the house suspects cheating or collusion, you may be asked to expose your cards to the dealer, coordinator, and/or the other players.

42. Any player who is live during the showdown may ask to see both pocket cards from a player who reveals only one. 

43. Any player may ask another player to reveal his or her pocket cards if they were exposed to any player at the table. 

44. A player may not ask to see both pocket cards from another player who revealed them to a spectator. 

Multi-table rules

45. Initial tournament and satellite seats will be randomly assigned.

46. Players going from a broken table to fill in seats assume the responsibilities of their new position. They may receive any position from blind to button. 

47. The only place a moved player cannot be placed is between the small blind and the button. If it is necessary for a player to be moved to this position, that player must sit out that hand. 

48. A player moved to balance two tables will be the player who will not lose position as a result of the move. Play may be halted temporarily to accommodate for the move. In a case where multiple seats are open, the worst positioned seats are the most preferable to be moved. 

49. A player who intentionally dodges his blind(s) when moving from a broken table will forfeit the blind(s) and/or incur a penalty. The money will be put into the next pot and will be considered dead money.

50. Prior to the bubble (the point where only a few more players must be eliminated for all remaining players to be guaranteed a portion of the prize pool), the tournament may be played hand-for-hand. This means that each table will wait until all other tables finish their hands before starting another. This deters stalling by players in an attempt to place higher.

51. Hand-for-hand play may also be instituted during times where stalling to receive a higher place in the tournament would be advantageous to any player.

Miscellaneous Rules

52. One player to a hand. During the hand, a player may not discuss play with other players, spectators, or the dealer.

53. Players may not exchange chips for any reason. 

54. The tournament coordinator reserves the right to cancel or alter any event at its sole discretion in the best interest of the tournament and/or its players.