Poker Ape House Rules

Rules and Procedures

Rules and Procedures

These rules are based on the Federation Internationale de Poker Association (FIDPA) rules. For any clarification or additional details, please refer to the official FIDPA rules at the link above.

Staff Authority

Poker Ape staff have absolute authority to make final decisions on all matters related to game play, rules, and player conduct. Staff rulings are binding and cannot be overruled. By participating in our games, players agree to accept and abide by all staff decisions.

1. Wagering & Order of Play

1.1 Players shall indicate their decision to check, bet, call, raise, or fold by either verbal announcement of their intention or as follows:

1.1.1 Check

• By tapping or knocking on the table.

1.1.2 Bet

• By placing the required amount in chips as specified by the table minimum.
  • 1.1.2.1 If a player intends to make a bet less than the value of the chips they place, they must verbally announce the value of their bet prior to the chips touching the table surface.
  • 1.1.2.2 Betting without declaration of a bet value indicates a bet of the maximum allowable value for all chips placed across the betting line.

1.1.3 Call

• By placing the required amount in chips across the betting line.
  • 1.1.3.1 If a player places a bet less than the amount required to call, they must make up the difference in chips or go all-in if their stack is less than the amount required to call.

1.1.4 Raise

• By placing the required amount in chips to call plus an additional amount in chips to raise directly in front of them.

1.1.5 Fold

• By returning their cards face down to the dealer or across the betting line.
  • 1.1.5.1 Once a player’s card(s) crosses the betting line with the intention to fold or muck, their hand cannot return to play even if the exact cards are retrievable.

1.2 Where there are two or more indications, the first action will be binding.

1.3 Once a player has made a wager it may not be modified, except where necessary to comply with the rules of the game.

1.4 All raises must be at least equal to the size of the last full-size bet or raise, except in “all-in” situations.

• 1.4.1 If a player makes a raise less than the minimum required amount to raise without verbally announcing their intent, it shall be considered a call.
• 1.4.2 A single chip of greater value than the bet that is not verbally announced as a raise prior to the chip touching the table surface shall be considered as a call. If a raise is declared but no amount is stated, the raise will be the maximum allowable for the chip.

1.5 Players must protect their live cards by keeping them face down on the table surface and behind the betting line.

• 1.5.1 Cards that are insufficiently protected may be accidentally mucked by the dealer. In such instances, there is no redress for the player.

1.6 String bets are not permitted. Players shall declare their intention verbally or wager the proper amount of chips in one motion.

1.7 Players are expected to act in a timely manner and are not permitted to intentionally stall the game.

• 1.7.1 Once a reasonable amount of time has passed for an action, the dealer, in their sole discretion, may give the participant a reasonable amount of time to make a decision by a means interpretable by the participant. If the participant has not acted before the allocated time expires, their hand shall be declared dead.

1.8 If action occurs out of turn (check, call, or raise), the action will first be reversed to the correct player in order; then:

• 1.8.1 The out-of-turn player’s action is binding if all action leading to that player does not change. A check, call, or fold by the correct order of player(s) does not change the action.
• 1.8.2 If action changes, the out-of-turn action is not binding; any bet or raise is returned to the player who has the options to call, raise, or fold.
• 1.8.3 Out-of-turn folds are binding.

1.9 “Run it twice” is offered if:

• 1.9.1 Only two (2) players remain and there are still community cards to be dealt.
• 1.9.2 Both players are all-in.
• 1.9.3 Both players agree to the rules of “run it twice.”

1.10 In a “run it twice” scenario, each set of community cards accounts for 50% of the total pot. Undealt community cards may be dealt in accordance with these rules to a maximum of two (2) sets of community cards.

1.11 In accordance with the rules of showdown, the player who made the last aggressive action (bet or raise) prior to showdown must either table their hole cards or muck, regardless of which betting round the aggressive action occurred. If no aggressive action occurred in or after the preflop betting round, showdown shall commence in the normal order of play.

1.12 Both hole cards must be tabled for a player to be awarded a pot in showdown, except where a player is not required in accordance with rule 1.11 to table their cards first and all other players have forfeited claims to the pot in that playing round.

1.13 A new player to the table shall have the following options:

• 1.13.1 Place one required blind bet equivalent to the designated table stake.
• 1.13.2 Not be dealt hole cards for all subsequent rounds of play until it is their turn to place a big blind again.

1.14 Players may not refuse any blinds or other mandatory contributions to the pot.

1.15 “Dead hand” means a hand that is ineligible to win the pot.

2. Misdeals

2.1 There is a misdeal if:

• 2.1.1 One or more cards are exposed in the shuffling or cutting process.
• 2.1.2 Before substantial action has occurred, it is noticed the cards were not properly shuffled or cut prior to the deal.
• 2.1.3 Before substantial action has occurred, the dealer dealt the cards out of order and the error cannot be rectified.
• 2.1.4 Before substantial action has occurred, a player receives the incorrect number of cards and the error cannot be rectified.

2.2 In the event of a misdeal, all bets shall be void and returned to players. There will be a new shuffle and cut, and the same order of play will resume in the new deal.

2.3 Only a dealer or supervisor shall determine if there is a misdeal.

2.4 In the event that a card(s) is found to be missing or a card(s) is found that does not form part of the deck:

• 2.4.1 The results of all previously played rounds shall stand.
• 2.4.2 The round of play where the missing or foreign card(s) is discovered shall be declared a misdeal and voided.

2.5 In some cases, the cards are incorrectly dealt but play will continue as follows:

• 2.5.1 If a card(s) from the flop, turn, or river is exposed by the dealer prior to the completion of the respective betting round, the dealer shall first display the exposed card(s) to all players before directing the betting round to completion. Following the completion of the betting round, the burned card shall remain whereas the exposed card(s) and the rest of the deck shall be shuffled and a new flop, turn, or river shall be dealt.
• 2.5.2 If a card is exposed by the dealer during the pitching process, the exposed card shall first be displayed to all players before being set aside as the designated burn card for the flop. Cards shall continue to be dealt as per normal and once completed, the player with the exposed card shall be dealt the top card.

2.6 If an incorrect order of play is established due to accidental direction from the dealer, the order of play shall be reversed to the most recent correct action. All subsequent actions are voided.

2.7 If a player’s hole cards are exposed to one (1) or more players while live cards are in play, those hole cards will be made visible to all players at the table.

2.8 The shuffling procedure is:

• 2.8.1 One (1) wash of the playing deck from the starting position, followed by.
• 2.8.2 Two (2) riffles of the playing deck, followed by.
• 2.8.3 One (1) box of the playing deck, followed by.
• 2.8.4 One (1) riffle of the playing deck, followed by.
• 2.8.5 One (1) cut of the playing deck, with the cut card then placed at the bottom of the playing deck. The deck is then ready to be put into play.

3. Player Conduct of Play

3.1 At any time while live cards are in play, a supervisor may direct that:

• 3.1.1 Only English be spoken by the players at the table.
• 3.1.2 There will be silence, except for a player declaring their intention.
• 3.1.3 Players suspected of collusion not play at the same table.
• 3.1.4 Any spectators to leave the area.

3.2 Players may not communicate or exchange information regarding their respective hands while live cards are in play, regardless of whether the player receiving the information is participating in the current round of play.

• 3.2.1 Players revealing their cards to an opponent or communicating any information regarding their respective hands may constitute a fold by discretion of the dealer.

3.3 Players shall not look at the undealt cards or discards at any time.

3.4 No spectator or player may attempt to influence or offer advice to another player regarding that player’s decision of play while live cards are in play.

3.5 If a hand is opened during showdown, any player is allowed to announce the correct strength of the hand. A player need not correctly identify their own hand to be awarded the pot if the above condition is met.

3.6 Any player wishing to contest a pot must do so immediately. The right to claim a pot ends when the next round of play begins. A round of play begins when the first card is drawn from the deck and all previous results shall stand.

3.7 Players may choose their seats where possible, but the supervisor retains the right to determine final allocation of seats.

3.8 If any player shows their cards to another player at the completion of a round, all other players at the table then have a right to see them upon request. Mucked cards shall not be retrieved to comply with this rule.

3.9 A supervisor has the discretion to forfeit a player’s seat at the table if they do not place a wager in three (3) orbits of play.

3.10 No player may attempt to wager another player’s chips.

3.11 Players are not permitted to remove chips from their stack unless they are forfeiting their seat at the game.

3.12 Additional chips may only be added by a player to their stack while they have no live hole cards in play. The total of the amount added and their current stack must not exceed the specified table limit.

3.13 A player miscalling their hand with the intent to cause another player to act on their hand risks forfeiture of the pot.

3.14 If a player has a stack in play but is not in their allocated seat when the initial deal of cards occurs:

• 3.14.1 The player remains liable for posting any blinds or other mandatory contributions to the pot.
• 3.14.2 The player’s hand may be declared dead by discretion of the dealer.

3.15 The dealer is not required to reveal to the player the precise value of the pot.

3.16 While a player has live cards in play, the player must ensure that their stack is:

• 3.16.1 Presented in a neat and organized manner, with.
• 3.16.2 Chips of higher denomination presented at the top or front of their stack facing towards the center of the table.

3.17 Players are entitled to a reasonable estimation of another player’s stack. Upon request, a player must ensure their entire stack is visible to those with live cards in play.

3.18 Players are not entitled to a precise count of another player’s stack, except when facing an all-in bet or raise. In such instances:

• 3.18.1 The all-in will be verbally announced by the dealer.
• 3.18.2 The all-in player is not required to conduct a count of their stack. Instead:
  • 3.18.3 On request, the dealer must conduct a precise count of the stack of the all-in player.

3.19 Players are entitled to ask the dealer to verify the value of a bet or raise. In the instance that a player acts after an incorrect valuation by the dealer, their action is binding.