The following are rules that are specific to the Seattle Poker League.  Please read them and make sure you are familiar with all aspects of our tournaments.  If you would like rules for No Limit Texas Hold Em, or how the Dealer Button and Blinds operate in play, click here.

1. All players must be registered members of the Seattle Poker Open.  You can register here, or come to an event at least 30 minute prior to start time.

2. Players must be at least 18 years of age, but please check with the hosting bar.  Some bars require you to be 21 to enter.

3. All players arriving prior to tournament start time, start with a full amount of chips and continue to play until one player remains and accumulates all the chips. Blinds are raised consistently throughout the tournament according to the blind structure.

4. Late arriving players can join a tournament until the end of 1 hour of play, providing the tournament is not full. If a player enters a tournament after it has begun, that player is obligated to pay all missed blinds "dead" to the pot of the next hand.  When possible, at the Tournament Director's discretion, the late arriving player may pay a "live" big blind for the current blind.

5. The lowest denomination of chip in play will be removed from the table when it is no longer needed in the blind structure. All lower-denomination chips that are of sufficient quantity for a new chip will be changed up directly. The remaining odd chips will be rounded up to the next chip denomination, with the exception of the 500 chips, which remain in play.

6. In SPO tournament events, the player who randomly selected the Ace for their table will be first on the Dealer button.  Player with the 2 card will be the small blind in the first hand, and the player with the 3 card will be the Big Blind for the first hand.

7. Players will rotate dealer responsibilities in a clockwise rotation.

8. Players are obligated to take their Blinds. You cannot sit out a hand.

9. The Small Blind is the player immediately to the left of the dealer button and the Big Blind is the player to the immediate left of the Small Blind. For an explanation of this, click here.

10. If a player in the small blind is eliminated, the button moves to the empty position and the player immediately to the right of the button deals the hand for the missing player. The other players post blinds as usual (this is called a “Dead Button”). If the player in the big blind is eliminated, the small blind position is dead on the next hand and only the big blind is posted ("Dead Small Blind"). This ensures that all players post the big blind every round.

11. Late arriving players are dealt in immediately unless they sit down in the small blind or button position. In these two cases, they must wait until the button passes. If a player is seated in the Big Blind position, the player must post the Big Blind and will be dealt in the hand.

12. When two Players remain, the Player due to assume the Big Blind will do so, and the Small Blind will inherit the button. The Small Blind or button will act first prior to the flop and last after the flop.

13. An absent player is always dealt a hand, and will have their blinds posted.

14. If you are not present when it becomes your turn to act, your hand is mucked (folded). This includes situations in which a live blind is not present to act, since an absent player cannot exercise the option to raise.

15. If a player is accidentally dealt a card face up (or a card is seen by someone else at the table), the dealer continues to deal the hole cards to all players. The dealer then replaces the seen card with a new card and the seen card becomes the first burn card.

16. The burn cards and muck pile must be kept separate until the hand is completed.

17. The current dealer is the only player allowed to touch the muck pile. No player is allowed to turn over any cards in the muck pile. After completion of the hand, the current dealer will collect all cards and pass the deal and button.

18. If at any time a players cards touch the muck pile (discard pile) the cards are dead and must remain in the muck and the player loses all action on that hand.

19. If a player lacks sufficient chips for a blind or a forced bet, the player is entitled to get action on whatever amount of money remains. In this situation a side pot could occur for players with remaining chips.  The Dealer must keep all side pots seperate from the main pot.  Please ask the Tournament Director for help if you are confused.

20. Whenever a player is all-in and all betting action is complete, all hands in play will be turned face up, and you must announce “all in and a call” to  the Tournament Director.

21. When a Player loses all his/her chips, they are eliminated from play and must leave the table.  Occupying a seat at a table without playing in the tournament is NOT allowed.

22. If two (or more) players are eliminated on the same hand, the player who started the hand with the most chips will be awarded the higher finishing position.

23. Tournaments will continue until one Player wins all the chips.

24. Players’ chips must remain on the table at all times, unless you are reassigned to another table.

25. All cards must remain above the table top during play.

26. One player per hand. You may not ask advice as to how to act during your action period. If you show your cards to a player at the table, you must show all players (Show one—Show all), and your hand may be declared dead.

27. No splashing the pot. You are to place your chips calmly in front of you, and then push the chips to the center after the dealer has stated that the “Pot is right”

28. No string bets. A player must state their intentions (Call, Check, Raise) before placing chips in front of them. You must place all chips required to satisfy your intentions in one motion. You may not go back into your chip stack multiple times.

29. Only the dealer is allowed to touch the chips in the pot. You must make change from your neighbor first. If you can’t do that between hands, then you should state your action (Check, Call, Raise) then put down a chip. The dealer will pull your change from the pot and give it to you after the action is completed by all players.  If you intend to raise by placing more chips than the Call requires, you must announce “Raise,” otherwise you will be considered a call.  The dealer must state that the “Pot is right”, all players should then push their chips into the center of the table (pot).

30. No short bets. If you state RAISE, your RAISE must double the previous bet. Example, previous bet is 400, If you raise, your total bet must be at least 800 (400 call and 400 raise).  In this example the next minimum raise would be to 1200 (400 call and 800 raise, or double the previous raise of 400)

31. Dealer must shuffle cards at least three times, and must cut cards every hand. This is to expedite play.

32. Session play never stops, except during break time. If you are seated at a table that has empty seats, you must notify the Tournament Director and continue playing until other players are seated or you are moved. Even if you are down to two players.

33. Poker etiquette is expected from all Players. Inappropriate behavior like throwing cards or chips may be punished with a penalty such as being dealt out for a length of time. A severe infraction such as abusive or disruptive behavior may be punished by eviction from the tournament, or possibly the league.

34. Management retains the right to cancel any event, or alter it in a manner fair to the players or to ammend these rules at any time.

35. All participants of any SPO sanctioned event are prohibited from placing any form of currency on a session table, as state law prohibits this. There will be no exceptions to this rule and violators will be asked to leave immediately, and membership in the league will be revoked.  The chips do not have ANY dollar value, and should not be called as such.  You do not raise 200 “dollars”, you raise 200 chips.

36. Absolutely NO GAMBLING at any SPO tournament. (No side bets, No cash bets…) Any member found violating this rule will be banned from the SPO forever.