House Rules

1. BYOB. There is a fridge in the poker room for your beverages (although help yourself to leftovers).
2. No string bets.
3. Verbal declarations are binding.
4. Don’t discuss your hole cards during the active hand.
5. Don’t act out of turn.
6. One player to a hand.
7. Keep your cards visible and on the felt when not in your hands.
8. Keep your bet in front of you until the pot is called. Don’t get change from another player’s bet unless you’re the last to call.
9. Show one player, show them all.
10. Do not look at mucked cards.
11. Time can be called by any player with chips in the game. After 60 seconds the player will get a warning, and 10 seconds after that their hand will be folded.
12. Last aggressor, or first to check, must show first.
13. In a showdown, the player must show both cards to win.
14. When players are all-in and betting is complete, they must flip their cards (tournament play only).
15. If after a split pot there are leftover chips, they stay in the pot for the next hand.
16. If two or more players bust out on the same hand, the finishing ranks of the players (and prize money) is based on the starting size of their chip stacks.
17. The deal follows the big blind if a player who would have been a blind or dealer busted out. In other words, a player can deal multiple times in a row, but can never skip a blind.
18. A player may not raise an all-in if that amount was less than the minimum bet.
19. Minimum opening bet is the size of the big blind.
20. Minimum raise is as big as the last bet or raise (the small blind is a half bet).
21. Foul language is allowed; abuse is not. Belligerent players will be asked to leave, and if in a tournament will forfeit their buyin.
22. John is the law and his ruling is final, regardless of any of the above.

Hi/Lo Hand Evaluation

Omaha Hi/Lo and Stud Eights-or-better

1. In order to qualify for the low, the entire hand must be 8 and lower (and unpaired). If no one has a low hand, the high hand (or hands, if a split) scoops the pot.
2. Straights and flushes do not count in evaluating the low (A 2 3 4 5 is the nut low hand).
3. Evaluate beginning with the highest card in the low. A 2 3 4 6 (a “six low”) would beat A 2 3 4 7 (a “seven low”).
4. If the players share the highest card, then the next lowest card determines the winner. A 2 3 5 7 (a “seven-five low”) would beat A 2 3 6 7 (a “seven-six low”).
5. Continue in this manner until the tie is broken.

Razz

1. Same rules as Hi/Lo games, except #1 does not apply since only the low hand is evaluated

Dealer’s Choice Variants

Most often cash games are played with $0.10/0.25 blinds. Dealer’s choice lasts for one orbit plus one player (so the next player clockwise picks the next variant after one orbit).

Hold ‘Em – No limit.

Omaha Hi – Pot limit.

Omaha Hi/Lo - Pot limit.

Pineapple - No limit. You get 3 hole cards, and discard one, face down, just before the flop. Otherwise plays exactly like hold ‘em.

Crazy Pineapple – No limit. Just like Pineapple, except you discard just before the turn.

Coconut - No limit. Just like Pineapple, except you discard face up preflop, in normal order clockwise from the dealer.

Dirty Coconut – No limit. Just like Coconut, except you discard just before the turn.