No-Limit Hold’em (“NLH”)

1. Basic Rules

No-Limit Hold’em uses the full fifty-two-card deck. Each player is first dealt with two private cards (known as “hole cards”) that belong to him/her alone. Five community cards are dealt face-up, to form the ‘board’. All players in the game use these shared community cards in conjunction with their own hole cards to each make their best possible five-card poker hand. A player may use any combination of the seven cards available to make the best possible five-card poker hand, using zero, one or two of their private hole cards.

The player with the best five-card poker hand wins the pot. Please refer to “Hand Rankings” below for the rankings of poker hands.

2. The Dealer and the Blinds

A marker called ‘the button’ indicates which player is the nominal dealer for the current game. Before the game begins, the player immediately clockwise from the button posts the "small blind", the first forced bet. The player immediately clockwise from the small blind posts the "big blind", which is typically twice the size of the small blind.

3. Betting amount

The minimum bet in NLH is the same as the size of the big blind, but players can always bet as much more as they want, up to all of their chips.

In NLH, the raise amount must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same round.

The maximum raise is the size of the player’s stack (i.e. the player’s chips on the table).

There is no ‘cap’ on the number of raises allowed.

4. Player Betting Options

In NLH, the available actions are ‘fold’, ‘check’, ‘bet’, ‘call’ or ‘raise’. Exactly which options are available depends on the action taken by the previous players. If nobody has yet made a bet, then a player may either check (decline to bet, but keep their cards) or bet. If a player has bet, then subsequent players can fold, call or raise. To call is to match the amount the previous player has bet. To raise is to not only match the previous bet, but to also increase it.

Pre-Flop

After seeing his or her private cards, each player now has the option to play his or her hand by calling or raising the big blind. The action begins to the left of the big blind. That player has the option to fold, call or raise. Action then proceeds clockwise around the table.

Betting continues on each betting round until all active players (who have not folded) have placed equal bets in the pot.

Flop

Now, three community cards are dealt face-up on the board. This is known as ‘the flop’. Betting on the flop begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. The betting options are similar to pre-flop, however if nobody has previously bet, players may opt to check, passing the action to the next active player clockwise.

Turn

When the betting action is completed for the flop round, the ‘turn’ is dealt face-up on the board. The turn is the fourth community card. Another round of betting ensues, beginning with the active player immediately clockwise from the button.

River

When betting action is completed for the turn round, the ‘river’ is dealt face-up on the board. The river is the fifth and final community card. Betting again begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button, and the same betting rules apply as they do for the flop and turn, as explained above.

Showdown

If there is more than one remaining player when the final betting round is completed, the last person to bet or raise shows their cards, unless there was no bet on the final round in which case the player immediately clockwise from the button shows their cards first. The player with the best five-card poker hand wins the pot. In the event of identical hands, the pot will be equally divided between the players with the best hands.

After the pot is awarded, a new hand is ready to be played. The button now moves clockwise to the next player, the blinds and button are once again posted, and new hands are dealt to each player.

5. Hand Rankings

Please see below for the ranking of hands, starting from the highest.

(a) Royal Flush: five cards consisting of the ace, king, queen, jack and ten of a suit. A royal flush is an unbeatable hand.

(b) Straight Flush: five cards in numerical order, all of identical suits. In the event of a tie, highest rank at the top of the sequence wins.

(c) Four of a Kind: four cards of the same rank, and one side card or ‘kicker’. In the event of a tie, highest four of a kind wins, In community card games where players have the same four of a kind, the highest fifth side card (‘kicker’) wins.

(d) Full House: three cards of the same rank, and two cards of a different, matching rank. In the event of a tie, the highest three matching cards wins the pot. In community card games where players have the same three matching cards, the highest value of the two matching cards wins.

(e) Flush: five cards of the same suit. In the event of a tie, the player holding the highest ranked card wins. If necessary, the second-highest, third-highest, fourth-highest, and fifth-highest cards can be used to break the tie. If all five cards are the same ranks, the pot is split. The suit itself is never used to break a tie in poker.

(f) Straight: five cards in sequence. In the event of a tie: Highest ranking card at the top of the sequence wins. The Ace may be used at the top or bottom of the sequence, and is the only card which can act in this manner. For example, A,K,Q,J,T is the highest (Ace high) straight; 5,4,3,2,A is the lowest (Five high) straight.

(g) Three of a kind: three cards of the same rank, and two unrelated side cards. In the event of a tie: Highest ranking three of a kind wins. In community card games where players have the same three of a kind, the highest side card, and if necessary, the second-highest side card wins.

(h) Two Pair: two cards of a matching rank, another two cards of a different matching rank, and one side card. In the event of a tie: Highest pair wins. If players have the same highest pair, highest second pair wins. If both players have two identical pairs, highest side card wins.

(i) One Pair: two cards of a matching rank, and three unrelated side cards. In the event of a tie: Highest pair wins. If players have the same pair, the highest side card wins, and if necessary, the second-highest and third-highest side card can be used to break the tie.

(j) High Card: any hand that does not qualify under a category listed above. In the event of a tie: Highest card wins, and if necessary, the second-highest, third-highest, fourth-highest and smallest card can be used to break the tie.

Short-deck Poker (“NLH 6+”)

1. Basic Rules

Short-deck poker (also known as NLH 6+) is a new variation of traditional No Limit Hold’em that mostly follows the same rules but with some differences.

NLH 6+ uses a smaller thirty-six-card deck rather than the full fifty-two-card deck. All cards lower than a six are removed from the deck.

Each player is first dealt with two private cards (known as “hole cards”) that belong to him/her alone. Five community cards are dealt face-up, to form the ‘board’. All players in the game use these shared community cards in conjunction with own hole cards to each make their best possible five-card poker hand. A player may use any combination of the seven cards available to make the best possible five-card poker hand, using zero, one or two of their private hole cards.

The player with the best five-card poker hand wins the pot. Please refer to “Hand Rankings” below for the rankings of poker hands.

2. The Ante and the Blind

A marker called ‘the button’ or ‘the dealer button’ indicates which player is the nominal dealer for the current game. NLH 6+ uses a “button blind” structure in which every player posts an ante and the dealer button posts a blind. There is only one blind per hand. The blind is twice the size of the ante.

3. Betting Amount

The minimum bet in NLH 6+ is the same as the size of the blind, but players can always bet as much more as they want, up to all of their chips.

In NLH 6+, the raise amount must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same round.

The maximum raise is the size of the player’s stack (i.e. the player’s chips on the table).

There is no ‘cap’ on the number of raises allowed.

4. Player Betting Options

In NLH 6+, the available actions are ‘fold’, ‘check’, ‘bet’, ‘call’ or ‘raise’. Exactly which options are available depends on the action taken by the previous players. If nobody has yet made a bet, then a player may either check (decline to bet, but keep their cards) or bet. If a player has bet, then subsequent players can fold, call or raise. To call is to match the amount the previous player has bet. To raise is to not only match the previous bet, but to also increase it.

Pre-flop

All players must post an ante. To get the action going, the dealer (button) is required to post a blind which is twice the size of the ante. This is usually the same value as the regular ante, although may differ.

After seeing his or her private cards, each player now has the option to play his or her hand by calling or raising the blind. The action begins to the left of the dealer. That player has the option to fold, call or raise. Action then proceeds clockwise around the table.

Betting continues on each betting round until all active players (who have not folded) have placed equal bets in the pot.

Flop

Now, three community cards are dealt face-up on the board. This is known as ‘the flop’. Betting on the flop begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. The betting options are similar to pre-flop, however if nobody has previously bet, players may opt to check, passing the action to the next active player clockwise.

Turn

When the betting action is completed for the flop round, the ‘turn’ is dealt face-up on the board. The turn is the fourth community card. Another round of betting ensues, beginning with the active player immediately clockwise from the button.

River

When betting action is completed for the turn round, the ‘river’ is dealt face-up on the board. The river is the fifth and final community card. Betting again begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button, and the same betting rules apply as they do for the flop and turn, as explained above.

Showdown

If there is more than one remaining player when the final betting round is completed, the last person to bet or raise shows their cards, unless there was no bet on the final round in which case the player immediately clockwise from the button shows their cards first. The player with the best five-card poker hand wins the pot. In the event of identical hands, the pot will be equally divided between the players with the best hands.

After the pot is awarded, a new hand is ready to be played. The button now moves clockwise to the next player, the blind and button are once again posted, and new hands are dealt to each player.

5. Hand Rankings

In NLH 6+, a flush beats a full house. An Ace can be used as an Ace or a ‘5’ in a straight.

Please see below for the ranking of hands, starting from the highest.

(a) Royal Flush: five cards consisting of the ace, king, queen, jack and ten of a suit. A royal flush is an unbeatable hand.

(b) Straight Flush: five cards in numerical order, all of identical suits. In the event of a tie, highest rank at the top of the sequence wins.

(c) Four of a Kind: four cards of the same rank, and one side card or ‘kicker’. In the event of a tie, highest four of a kind wins, In community card games where players have the same four of a kind, the highest fifth side card (‘kicker’) wins.

(d) Flush: five cards of the same suit. In the event of a tie, the player holding the highest ranked card wins. If necessary, the second-highest, third-highest, fourth-highest, and fifth-highest cards can be used to break the tie. If all five cards are the same ranks, the pot is split. The suit itself is never used to break a tie in poker.

(e) Full House: three cards of the same rank, and two cards of a different, matching rank. In the event of a tie, the highest three matching cards wins the pot. In community card games where players have the same three matching cards, the highest value of the two matching cards wins.

(f) Straight: five cards in sequence. In the event of a tie: Highest ranking card at the top of the sequence wins. The Ace may be used at the top or bottom of the sequence, and is the only card which can act in this manner. For example, A,K,Q,J,T is the highest (Ace high) straight; 5,4,3,2,A is the lowest (Five high) straight.

(g) Three of a kind: three cards of the same rank, and two unrelated side cards. In the event of a tie: Highest ranking three of a kind wins. In community card games where players have the same three of a kind, the highest side card, and if necessary, the second-highest side card wins.

(h) Two Pair: two cards of a matching rank, another two cards of a different matching rank, and one side card. In the event of a tie: Highest pair wins. If players have the same highest pair, highest second pair wins. If both players have two identical pairs, highest side card wins.

(i) One Pair: two cards of a matching rank, and three unrelated side cards. In the event of a tie: Highest pair wins. If players have the same pair, the highest side card wins, and if necessary, the second-highest and third-highest side card can be used to break the tie.

(j) High Card: any hand that does not qualify under a category listed above. In the event of a tie: Highest card wins, and if necessary, the second-highest, third-highest, fourth-highest and smallest card can be used to break the tie.

Open Face Chinese Poker (“OFC”)

1. Basic Rules

Open Face Chinese Poker uses fifty-two cards. Each player must make three poker hands with thirteen cards. Two of the hands are five-card poker hands and one is a three-card poker hand.

The bottom five-card hand must be higher in value than the middle five-card hand and the middle five-card hand must be higher than the top three-card hand (the “Ranking Requirement”). The player who fails to comply with the Ranking Requirement will be considered as fouling. If a player fouls his hand the opposing players automatically scoop. Please refer to “Hand Rankings” below for the rankings of poker hands.

2. Setting hands

A dealer button is used for the sake of determining order of action and moves after each hand. The exception is a hand where one player is in "Fantasy" (Please refer to “Fantasy” below)

When a player is in Fantasy the button freezes until all players are playing standard OFC.

Five rounds of cards will be delivered. Starting with the player to the left of the button, each player is initially dealt five cards which he or she must set. The player to the left of the button then sets his/her five cards face up into whichever row(s) he/she wishes.

This continues until the player on the button has acted. Please note that once a player has set his/her hand and his/her turn is concluded, he/she cannot change his/her hand.

After the first five cards are dealt another three cards are then dealt to each player. Starting with the player to the left of the button, two cards are placed and one card is given up. This action continues to the button player.

This continues until each player has placed all thirteen cards. Once the last card is placed players (who have not been fouled) make comparisons of each of the three poker hands with the scores.

After the scoring is concluded, a new hand is ready to be played. The button now moves clockwise to the next player.

3. Fantasy

To enter Fantasy a player must make queens or better in his or her top hand without fouling.

If this happens the next hand the player will be dealt fourteen to seventeen cards and place thirteen cards at once. The player that's in Fantasy will not have his/her cards exposed until the other players have completed their hands.

A player can remain in Fantasy if he/she makes three of a kind in the top hand or four of a kind or better in the bottom hand.

4. Scoring

In scoring each specific hand (top, middle or bottom) is compared to every other player’s hand of the same type. The better hand earns a point off of the player with the weaker hand.

A player gets a point for winning one hand and if a player beats another player in all three hands it's called a scoop and that winning player gets a three-point bonus.

5. Hand Rankings

Please see below for the ranking of hands, starting from the highest.

(a) Royal Flush: five cards consisting of the ace, king, queen, jack and ten of a suit. A royal flush is an unbeatable hand.

(b) Straight Flush: five cards in numerical order, all of identical suits. In the event of a tie, highest rank at the top of the sequence wins.

(c) Four of a Kind: four cards of the same rank, and one side card or ‘kicker’. In the event of a tie, highest four of a kind wins, In community card games where players have the same four of a kind, the highest fifth side card (‘kicker’) wins.

(d) Full House: three cards of the same rank, and two cards of a different, matching rank. In the event of a tie, the highest three matching cards wins the pot. In community card games where players have the same three matching cards, the highest value of the two matching cards wins.

(e) Flush: five cards of the same suit. In the event of a tie, the player holding the highest ranked card wins. If necessary, the second-highest, third-highest, fourth-highest, and fifth-highest cards can be used to break the tie. If all five cards are the same ranks, the pot is split. The suit itself is never used to break a tie in poker.

(f) Straight: five cards in sequence. In the event of a tie: Highest ranking card at the top of the sequence wins. The Ace may be used at the top or bottom of the sequence, and is the only card which can act in this manner. For example, A,K,Q,J,T is the highest (Ace high) straight; 5,4,3,2,A is the lowest (Five high) straight.

(g) Three of a kind: three cards of the same rank, and two unrelated side cards. In the event of a tie: Highest ranking three of a kind wins. In community card games where players have the same three of a kind, the highest side card, and if necessary, the second-highest side card wins.

(h) Two Pair: two cards of a matching rank, another two cards of a different matching rank, and one side card. In the event of a tie: Highest pair wins. If players have the same highest pair, highest second pair wins. If both players have two identical pairs, highest side card wins.

(i) One Pair: two cards of a matching rank, and three unrelated side cards. In the event of a tie: Highest pair wins. If players have the same pair, the highest side card wins, and if necessary, the second-highest and third-highest side card can be used to break the tie.

(j) High Card: any hand that does not qualify under a category listed above. In the event of a tie: Highest card wins, and if necessary, the second-highest, third-highest, fourth-highest and smallest card can be used to break the tie.

Pot Limit Omaha (“PLO”)

1. Basic Rules

Pot Limit Omaha (“PLO”) uses the full fifty-two-card deck. Players receive four private cards (known as “hole cards”) that belong to him/her alone, and five 'community' cards are dealt face up to form the board. Each player must use two of their hole cards, as well as three of the community cards, to make up their hand best possible five-card poker hand.

The player with the best five-card poker hand wins the pot. Please refer to “Hand Rankings” below for the rankings of poker hands.

2. The Blinds

A marker called ‘the button’ indicates which player is the nominal dealer for the current game. Before the game begins, the player immediately clockwise from the button posts the "small blind", the first forced bet. The player immediately clockwise from the small blind posts the "big blind", which is typically twice the size of the small blind.

3. Betting Amount

The minimum bet in PLO is the same as the size of the big blind. PLO is played in pot-limit format, which means the size of the pot determines the maximum size of the bet.

4. Player Betting Options

In PLO, the available actions are ‘fold’, ‘check’, ‘bet’, ‘call’ or ‘raise’. Exactly which options are available depends on the action taken by the previous players. If nobody has yet made a bet, then a player may either check (decline to bet, but keep their cards) or bet. If a player has bet, then subsequent players can fold, call or raise. To call is to match the amount the previous player has bet. To raise is to not only match the previous bet, but to also increase it.

Pre-Flop

After seeing his or her private cards, each player now has the option to play his or her hand by calling or raising the big blind. The action begins to the left of the big blind. That player has the option to fold, call or raise. Action then proceeds clockwise around the table.

Betting continues on each betting round until all active players (who have not folded) have placed equal bets in the pot.

Flop

Now, three community cards are dealt face-up on the board. This is known as ‘the flop’. Betting on the flop begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. The betting options are similar to pre-flop, however if nobody has previously bet, players may opt to check, passing the action to the next active player clockwise.

Turn

When the betting action is completed for the flop round, the ‘turn’ is dealt face-up on the board. The turn is the fourth community card. Another round of betting ensues, beginning with the active player immediately clockwise from the button.

River

When betting action is completed for the turn round, the ‘river’ is dealt face-up on the board. The river is the fifth and final community card. Betting again begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button, and the same betting rules apply as they do for the flop and turn, as explained above.

Showdown

If there is more than one remaining player when the final betting round is completed, the last person to bet or raise shows their cards, unless there was no bet on the final round in which case the player immediately clockwise from the button shows their cards first. The player with the best five-card poker hand wins the pot. In the event of identical hands, the pot will be equally divided between the players with the best hands.

After the pot is awarded, a new hand is ready to be played. The button now moves clockwise to the next player, the blinds and button are once again posted, and new hands are dealt to each player.

5. Hand Rankings

Please see below for the ranking of hands, starting from the highest.

(a) Royal Flush: five cards consisting of the ace, king, queen, jack and ten of a suit. A royal flush is an unbeatable hand.

(b) Straight Flush: five cards in numerical order, all of identical suits. In the event of a tie, highest rank at the top of the sequence wins.

(c) Four of a Kind: four cards of the same rank, and one side card or ‘kicker’. In the event of a tie, highest four of a kind wins, In community card games where players have the same four of a kind, the highest fifth side card (‘kicker’) wins.

(d) Full House: three cards of the same rank, and two cards of a different, matching rank. In the event of a tie, the highest three matching cards wins the pot. In community card games where players have the same three matching cards, the highest value of the two matching cards wins.

(e) Flush: five cards of the same suit. In the event of a tie, the player holding the highest ranked card wins. If necessary, the second-highest, third-highest, fourth-highest, and fifth-highest cards can be used to break the tie. If all five cards are the same ranks, the pot is split. The suit itself is never used to break a tie in poker.

(f) Straight: five cards in sequence. In the event of a tie: Highest ranking card at the top of the sequence wins. The Ace may be used at the top or bottom of the sequence, and is the only card which can act in this manner. For example, A,K,Q,J,T is the highest (Ace high) straight; 5,4,3,2,A is the lowest (Five high) straight.

(g) Three of a kind: three cards of the same rank, and two unrelated side cards. In the event of a tie: Highest ranking three of a kind wins. In community card games where players have the same three of a kind, the highest side card, and if necessary, the second-highest side card wins.

(h) Two Pair: two cards of a matching rank, another two cards of a different matching rank, and one side card. In the event of a tie: Highest pair wins. If players have the same highest pair, highest second pair wins. If both players have two identical pairs, highest side card wins.

(i) One Pair: two cards of a matching rank, and three unrelated side cards. In the event of a tie: Highest pair wins. If players have the same pair, the highest side card wins, and if necessary, the second-highest and third-highest side card can be used to break the tie.

(j) High Card: any hand that does not qualify under a category listed above. In the event of a tie: Highest card wins, and if necessary, the second-highest, third-highest, fourth-highest and smallest card can be used to break the tie.