Olympic Poker Club rules

Rules in Olympic Poker Club

The Tournament Director (hereinafter TD) / Supervisor always has the right to change or adjust the game rules according to the situation and ensure fairness and honesty of the game. 

All disputes shall be resolved on the spot and the TD/Supervisor’s decision is final.

Unduly delayed complaints concerning situations in the game will not be reviewed.  

 1. General rules of the Club Poker

1.1.  These rules cover general rules of club poker, rules and criteria for winning the Olympic Poker Jackpot as well as descriptions of the games offered.

1.2.  By registering for a tournament and by playing a cash game a Player confirms that they have read and agreed with the Rules of the poker room.

1.3.  The Supervisor has the right not to allow visibly intoxicated persons into the poker room.

1.4.  All the decisions of disputable situations are always made in cooperation with the Supervisor.

1.5.  Rude behavior towards Dealers or other Players is strictly forbidden. Throwing cards or chips, insulting or any other rude actions may justify discontinuing the game with the Player. When there is a “hand” being played, the Players are only allowed to communicate in Estonian, Russian or English languages.

1.6.  The following games are offered in the poker room:

  • Texas Hold`em;
  • Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo;
  • Five Card Stud (Sökö);
  • Seven Card Stud;
  • Crazy Pineapple;
  • Card Omaha;
  • Courchevel;
  • Watermelon;
  • Razz
  • Eight or better high low stud
  • Open Face Chinese Pineapple
  • Sviten Special
  • H.O.R.S.E
  • 8-Game
  • 2-7 Triple Draw

1.7.  A Player is only allowed to play one “hand” at a time, they have to make all the decisions related to the game by themselves, neither spectators nor other Players are allowed to provide them with any “advice”. 

1.8.  Cards are dealt to all the stacks regardless of whether a Player is at the table or not.

1.9.  If a Player has not taken their seat and the Dealer has dealt the last Player all the cards, then:

  • In tournaments - the hands of those Players are declared “dead” and the cards are removed (mucked).
  • In cash games – the cards are removed, when it’s this Player’s turn to make a decision and they have not taken their seat.

1.10. Special playing chips are used in all the poker games (tournament or cash chips).

1.11. Players have to keep their cards on the table and within the Dealer’s visual field.

1.12. A Player has to keep their chips on the table in such a way, that would allow others to visually estimate how many chips they have.

1.13. A Player has the right to demand chip count in all-in situations only. In all the other cases Players are not required to tell how many chips they have and Dealers are not required to count their chips.

1.14. A Player is required to post their bet in one motion, otherwise the bet is not accepted (string bet)

1.15. If a Player makes a string bet:

  • If there was a bet already, then it is considered to be a call.
  • If it is the first bet of the betting round, then the value of the first chip to land on the table (touch it) is considered to be the bet.

1.16. If during the game a Player places a higher value chip on the table without any comments (and if somebody before them has made a bet) then it is considered to be a call. 

1.17. The minimum raise rule applies to Pot and No Limit games:

  • The first minimum raise is always double the previous bet.
  • A minimum re-raise equals default bet (call) + the last raise.

1.18. If a Player places a bet consisting of multiple chips without any comments and the bet is large enough to be a min-raise, then it counts as a raise. If the bet is not large enough to be a min-raise, then it counts as a call.

1.19. When counting the min-raise a 50% raise rule is used, according to which in a situation described in paragraph 3.1.19 it is enough for a Player’s bet to be 50% more than the min-raise. In this case to meet the min-raise requirement a Player is asked to add a sufficient number of chips. 

1.20. An all-in bet that does not meet the min-raise requirement but follows the 50% rule is considered to be a raise and the next raise has to be in the full amount.

1.21. If a bet is announced, a Player is obliged to follow through and a string bet is allowed.

1.22. A new Player’s blind and bets placed out of order are only counted when calculating a pot-sized raise once the action has passed those Players.

1.23. All Players make their decisions in turns. It is forbidden to both make decisions out of turn and to leave the table before making a decision related to the game.

1.24. If a Player has not made their decision within reasonable time, the other Players at the table have the right to call the clock (by saying “time”) and after that the TD/Supervisor gives the Player 30 seconds (25+5) to make their decision.

1.25. The TD/Supervisor may disregard calling the clock if they consider it to be unreasonable.

1.26. If a Player makes their bet out of turn (Action out of turn):

  • If the action does not change, their bet remains in the game;
  • If a Player in earlier position bets or raises, the Player who has made their bet out of turn receives their bet back and can make a new decision.

1.27. If a Player with the last card dealt has received the best possible combination (“nuts”), then as the last Player making a decision they are required to bet or to raise.

1.28. A Player is responsible for protecting their cards. If the Dealer throws their unprotected cards in the muck, the Player cannot get them back. 

1.29. Muck is placed on the Dealer’s right-hand side, this is where the discarded (“mucked”) cards are kept. 

1.30. If the Dealer “mucks” a Player’s cards (picks up the discarded cards) in such a hand, where the Player has forgotten to protect their hands, then the Player will not receive back chips they have invested in the hand already. The only situation where the Player will receive their chips (the raise) back, is if they have raised and nobody has replied yet.  

1.31. Nobody is allowed to take the discarded cards back from the muck. Except for the TD/Supervisor.

1.32. If a Player was dealt an incorrect number of cards, yet continues to play their hand, then the hand is declared dead and all the chips posted remain in the pot.

1.33. If a Player is holding their cards in such a way, that allows other Players to see their cards, then the TD/Supervisor has the right to make a warning or to declare the hand dead.

1.34. If a hand was revealed out of turn, then whether it is declared dead or live is up to the TD/Supervisor. If it is declared live, then the Player remains in the game with limited choices (check/call/fold). After the hand the Player receives a time penalty.

1.35. A Player’s hand is considered dead from the moment the Dealer has placed it in the muck.

1.36. If the Dealer has revealed/dealt the next card before the round of betting was finished, then they take the revealed/dealt card back, repeat the shuffle, finish the round of betting and reveal/deal the next card without burning. 

1.37. If the Dealer has revealed the turn card out of turn, then they burn the next card in the deck, deal the river card face down, take the turn card revealed out of turn back, finish the round of betting on the flop, repeat the shuffle and reveal the turn card without burning.

1.38. If a Player reveals their cards to other Players during the game, then all the Players have the right to see them, so the “show one — show on” rule is applied. If a Player is about to fold their hand, they are not allowed to reveal it to other Players, regardless of whether those Players have already folded or not.

1.39. After a “showdown” the Player who wishes to win the pot is required to reveal all of their hole cards.

1.40. In an all-in showdown situation to win the pot a Player is required to reveal their hole cards. If they neglect to do so, the Dealer has the right to reveal all the hole cards.

1.41. The “Cards speak” rule is applied, i.e. a Player with the best five card combination wins even if a Dealer or the Player themselves have made a mistake when determining the combination.

1.42. A Player’s verbal announcement of their combination is not binding, i.e. the revealed combination counts, not an announcement. The TD has the right to penalize the Player according to the rules if it is being done on purpose.

1.43. If the pot is mistakenly awarded to the Player whose combination is not the best, then the Player on the receiving end is obliged to return the pot to the Player with the best combination. If they refuse to do so, the Casino has the right to eject them from the game and the Casino. 

1.44. When deciding on the winning hand suits are not taken into account.

1.45. Only five cards are taken into account when deciding on the winning hand. The sixth and seventh cards never speak.

1.46. If the hands are equal the pot is split (Split Pot). If the pot cannot be split equally, then in Flop Games the remaining chip goes to the Player in the earliest position (leftmost to the button) still involved in the pot and in Stud games it goes to the Player in the earliest position who has been involved in the pot. 

1.47. If there are multiple pots (side pots), then Players contesting the last side pot reveal their cards first and the last side pot is won first. The side pots are awarded in the following order: starting from the last one and finishing with the first one.

1.48. A “showdown” starts from the Player, whose last bet (raise or all-in) was called. If there was no action of the river, then a Player in the earlier position opens their cards first.

1.49. If there is suspected collusion, then the Casino has the right to prohibit two or more Players from playing at the same table.

1.50. TD/Supervisor has the right to see Players’ hole cards at any time.

1.51. Players have no right to ask for a card deck to be replaced, unless the deck or cards are damaged.

1.52. The Players are banned from:

  • Hindering the work performed by a Dealer.
  • Making any agreements dishonest towards other Players.
  • Removing their chips from the table or loaning them to other Players.
  • Announcing misdeal/showdown/dead instead of the Dealer.
  • Exchanging information concerning the cards they are holding.
  • Commenting on their own or their opponents’ cards.
  • Advising other Players on their decision-making.
  • Acting out of turn.
  • Showing or revealing their cards to other Players or bystanders during the game. 
  • Showing or revealing their folded hand before the hand is finished.
  • Showing down their cards before the showdown is announced by the Dealer.
  • Leaving the table with tournament chips.
  • Touching bets or the pot instead of the Dealer.
  • Hiding their cards or chips.
  • Using their phones and other devices during the “hand” (except for devices used for listening to music).
  • Changing tables or taking seats without the Supervisor’s approval.
  • Placing drinks, food or personal items on the table.

1.53. If the rules are breached, then on top of a verbal warning, the TD/Supervisor is allowed to impose a penalty on the Player:

  • In tournaments, the Player is ejected from the table and receives a one-round penalty.
  • In heads tournaments the Player is given two verbal warnings and then ejected from the game, i.e. they are awarded the second place automatically.
  • In cash games the same rules apply.

1.54. Repeat offenses may result in the Player being ejected from the game.

1.55. Stacks belonging to disqualified Players will be removed from the tournament.

1.56. Misdeal is announced in the following situations:

  • Two or more cards were revealed when dealing the cards,
  • The Dealer started dealing cards from the wrong Player,
  • The button was left unmowed,
  • A new/reseated Player has not taken their seat yet,
  • A Player was dealt the wrong number of cards.

1.57. If two or more Players have already acted (for instance, call/call/call raise/fold fold+any action), then the situation can no longer be considered a misdeal.

2. General rules to play cash games

2.1.  Cash chips are used as a medium in all the cash games.

2.2.  Cash bets are not accepted, cash (and plaques) needs to be exchanged for cash chips before the cards are dealt.

2.3.   To take part in a game the Player needs to be registered in the dedicated system (Cash Game Waiting List).

2.4.  If a Player has not taken their seat by the time the game is starting, they might lose their seat.

2.5.  A reserved place is only kept for as long as it is written in the system.

2.6.  Players cannot purchase or somehow obtain seats at a table jumping the queue.

2.7.  Players are not allowed to participate in multiple games at the same time (tournaments and cash games).

2.8.  A Dealer Button is used in all the cash games, its position is decided by lot before the first hand.

2.9.  Minimum and maximum buy-in sums are decided by a poker supervisor according to the game and blinds.

2.10.       A new Player joining the game is obliged to make at least a minimum buy-in. Cash, plaque or cach chips can be used to buy in. 

2.11.       A new Player joining a cash game is allowed to choose a spare seat, once they have chosen, other Players are not allowed to take that seat.

2.12.       If by changing their seat a Player evades a forced bet, then they are still required to post it.

2.13.       If a new Player happens to have the button (they are seated at the Dealer’s position), then they are allowed to join in the game if they post the big blind (new Player’s blind).

2.14.       It is not allowed to deal cards to those Players, who do not have a sufficient number of chips to continue the game. Cards are only dealt to those Players, who have at least a minimum bet worth of chips.

2.15.       Any Player, who happens to be seated in between the small blind and the button (Dealer’s chip), misses one hand and is only dealt cards and allowed to take part in the game after that. If desired, they can purchase the button by posting both blinds.

2.16.       In cash games it is possible to post Straddle bets. A Straddle bet is always double the previous bet:

  • The first straddle that can be posted is UTG (under the gun — the first Player on the big blind’s left), straddles can be posted until the button (including). All the Straddle bets are Live. 
  • A Player who has to post the new Player’s blind is also allowed to post a live straddle bet.

2.17.       When calculating the minimum raise a live straddle is considered as the third blind.

2.18.       Players are only allowed to change table minimum or maximum with the Supervisor’s permission and only if all the Players at the table have given their consent.

2.19.       All the games are “table stakes”, only chips that are on the table can be used. It is neither allowed to add chips in the middle of a hand (make add-ons etc.), nor to remove them before the game has finished, the exceptions are paying for food/drinks and giving tips. In between the hands it is possible to buy more chips.

2.20.       With the Supervisor’s permission a Player is allowed to make one “short buy-in” (half of the minimum buy-in) during the night. 

2.21.       Players are not allowed to loan each other chips that are on the table.

2.22.       With the Supervisor’s permission Players are allowed one 30-minute break during the night, if they are not back on time, they might lose their seat.

2.23.       If a Player leaves the table without the Supervisor’s permission or if they are not back after the 30-minute break, then:

  • If there is a waiting list, then their seat is kept for up to 15 minutes.
  • If there are spare seats, then the blinds are collected from the corresponding stacks for up to 30 minutes and afterwards their stack is removed from the table.

2.24. The cards are always dealt to all the stacks at the table, blinds are collected even if Players are not at the table.

2.25. A Player in the Big Blind (or in the Small Blind if the blinds are equal) who is not present cannot win the pot at showdown.

2.26. If a Player wants to leave the table and rejoin the action at the same table within an hour, then they are obliged to rejoin the game with the same number of chips as they had when they left. When coming back they need to post a New Player blind regardless of the number of hands they have missed.

2.27. If there are multiple cash tables with the same blinds, then the Supervisor has the right to “break” the table that started playing last to form one main table.

2.28. A Player joining in from a “broken” table does not have to post a new Player’s blind.

2.29. If the Players have agreed so, then in all-in situations it is possible to “run it twice” on the flop, turn and river.

2.30. “Run it twice” means, that in all-in situations Players have the right to tell the Dealer to deal the board (all the community cards), turn or river twice, depending on when the all-in situation has arisen. If Players have gone all-in before the flop was dealt, then the board is dealt twice; if before the turn, then both turn and river cards are dealt twice; and if before the river, then the river card is dealt twice.

2.31. In 5 Card Omaha and Courchevel it is only possible to run the board twice, if there are 7 or less Players at the table. If there are 8 Players at the table, then it is only possible to run twice turn and river. In this case the last card in the deck is dealt as well.

2.32. All the Players involved in the hand until the end need to agree to run it twice.

2.33. “Run it twice” opportunity is only offered in cash games with blinds 2/2€ or higher. As a special offer, the Casino might offer “Run it twice” opportunity in cash games with smaller blinds.

2.34. A Player has to inform the Supervisor if they wish to change the table.

2.35. If the Players decide to finish the game to join another table and at the other table there are not enough spare seats, then the sitting order is decided by drawing cards.

2.36. The Casino takes up to 5% rake (Casino fee) from every pot. The minimum raked sum is 10 EUR (the rake is 0,50 EUR). The rake percentage is calculated for every full 10 EUR in the pot (for instance, there is 30 EUR in the pot, then the rake is 1,50 EUR). Starting from 200 EUR the rake does not increase, i.e. it’s capped at 10 EUR. In special cases, the Casino has the right to raise the rake to 15 EUR.

2.37. The Casino has the right to apply the time rake of up to 250 EUR per table. The time rake costs are split evenly between Players, it needs to be paid upfront before every 30 minute game period.

2.38. In cash games 1 EUR is taken from every pot, it goes into the Olympic Poker Jackpot. The jackpot money is only taken, if there are at least 6 Players at the table.

2.39. The jackpot money is always taken from the main pot.

2.40. If the hand was finished during the first round of betting and no flop (in flop games) or the second open card (in stud games) was dealt, then neither rake nor Jackpot money is taken. 

 3. Tournament rules

3.1.  A poker tournament is a competition, to participate in which Players pay a fixed buy-in. The sum of these buy-ins is the tournament prize pool and it is split between the tournament winners in a way, that was announced before the tournament started.

3.2.  There are the following tournament variations:

a)     Rebuy tournaments, in which within the period designated by the tournament organizer Players can buy additional chips, provided they have lost all their chips.

b)     Rebuy tournaments, in which within the period designated by the tournament organizer Players can buy additional chips once or more, regardless of the number of chips they have.

c)     Freezeout tournaments where it is impossible to buy any additional chips.

d)     Freezeout Double Chance tournaments where under certain conditions and within the period designated by the tournament organizer Players can receive additional chips free of charge.

e)     Time tournaments, where after the period designated by the tournament organizer the prizes are split up depending on how many chips each Player has.

f)      Satellite tournaments, where the prize is an entry to a tournament with the higher buy-in that was announced in advance. The number of entries depends on the entry cost and on the tournament prize pool.

g)     Terminator tournament, where each Player is given a personal cash chip with monetary value. The monetary value is assigned before the tournament. Once a Player knocks another Player out of the tournament, they receive their personal cash chip. The more Players they knock out of the tournament, the more cash chips they collect and these can be exchanged for money at any given time.

h)     Joker tournaments, where there is a joker in the deck. In joker tournaments if there are the same combinations, then the Player without a joker in their combination wins the pot.

i)      Royal Flush Jackpot tournaments. A set amount of each buy-in goes into the Royal Flush Jackpot prize pool. This jackpot can be won on the following conditions:

  • 20% of the prize pool is paid out for a Straight Flush combination.
  • 80% of the prize pool is paid out for a Royal Flush combination.
  • It is not necessary to reach the showdown to win the jackpot, but a Player needs to use at least one of their hole cards to form the combination and the hand should reach the river.

3.3.  Tournament registration:

  • Players can register themselves for tournaments and pay for their entries at the cashier’s desk in a Casino, where the tournament is taking place. If this option is available, then they can also make a wire transfer. 
  • It is only possible to register for daily tournaments  by buying a ticket at the Casino’s cashier desk or in the OlyBet poker room. 
  • Only during large festivals is it possible to book a tournament spot free of charge .
  • When there is a waiting list for a tournament, all the unpaid reservations are canceled. 
  • Depending on the nature of the  tournament the Casino has the right to limit registration requirements.
  • There is a late registration period in all the tournaments. The duration of this period is announced in advance.
  • If more Players are willing to join a tournament than there are spots available, then a waiting list is formed. Players on the waiting list can then join the tournament during the late registration period once a spot becomes available, i.e. somebody gets knocked out of the tournament.  The duration of the late registration period is provided in the tournament description. 
  • The waiting list position is individual and cannot be passed on to another Player.
  • With the TD/Supervisor's approval, a Player has the right to receive back the money they have paid for their entry.
  • If by the end of the late registration period there are still people on the waiting list, then the TD/Supervisor might allow them to join the tournament after the late registration period has ended.
  • If there is a waiting list for a tournament, then Players who have made reentries go to the back of the waiting list.

3.4.  Tournament procedures:

  • Bets, time limits and starting stacks (tournament structures) are announced in advance and are available to all the participants before then tournament starts.
  • The Casino has the right to amend preannounced bets and tournament structure, in such cases the Casino is obliged to inform the participants.
  • Seats are chosen by lot (performed either manually or electronically) and participants are not allowed to arbitrarily change their seats.
  • Depending on the organizer’s decision the button is either placed in front of the last seat (in the latest position) or is chosen by lot before the tournament starts. 
  • Live Stacks are used in all the tournaments, i.e. if a Player has paid their buy-in, then their stack enters the game once they have taken their seat.
  • All the stacks belonging to Players who have paid their buy-ins enter the game if there is a waiting list for the tournament.
  • At the beginning of a tournament, all the participants receive equal numbers of playing chips (starting stacks). These chips cannot be used for other games, as these are meant for tournament play and have no cash value. As a special offer, the Casino has the right to give additional chips to those Players, who have met certain criteria.
  • Only tournament chips are allowed on tournament tables, as an exception 1 “foreign” chip is allowed to be used as a card cap (lucky chip) or in terminator tournaments a cash chip used as a terminator chip is allowed.
  • Players are not allowed to give their playing chips to a third person outside the game: all the playing chips have to change hands through the game.
  • Players are not allowed to leave tables with their playing chips without the TD/Supervisor’s authorization or instruction. 
  • If a Player has left the table, the Dealer posts their ante and blind.
  • When there are just two Players left In a Texas Hold`em or Omaha tournament (Players are heads up), the Player on the button posts the small blind and their opponent posts the big blind. The same rule applies to heads-up tournaments.
  • If a level ends, a new level applies from the next hand on. If the Dealer has managed to start shuffling the deck (riffle), then the hand is played with the previous bet level.
  • The tables are balanced if the number of Players at different tables differs by 2 or more Players.
  • If the number of Players at a table differs from other tables by 3 or more Players, then the game at this table is stopped until the number of Players at all the tables is equalized.
  • Table seats are always decided by lot when setting up three tables in monthly tournaments 
  • When tables are being balanced, a Player is moved from the big blind position at one table to the blind position (or as close to it as possible) at the other table. In stud games, a Player is reseated at the knocked out Player’s position.
  • In 8 Game/H.O.R.S.E tournaments Players are reseated according to the Button’s last position.
  • After the balancing of the tables Players are obliged immediately to place their playing chips on the new table (where they are directed).
  • A Player who needs to go from the “broken”table to another and ends up between the Small blind and the button has to sit out one hand and only after that are they dealt cards and allowed to play.
  • Seats at the final table are decided by lot.
  • If two or more Players get knocked out at the same time, the higher finishing position belongs to the one, who went all-in with the bigger stack. Bigger stack means higher position, if the stacks are equal, then the finishing order is decided by whoever has the better combination.
  • If just one Player needs to be knocked for everybody else to reach the prizes (there is a bubble), then the hands at all the tables are played simultaneously (Hand for Hand) until somebody gets knocked out.
  • The Freeze Action procedure is used if the play goes Hand for Hand: if there is an All-in and a Call, then the showdown occurs only once hands at all the other tables are finished.
  • In All-in — Showdown situations all the active Players show down their cards.
  • The Players have to inform the TD/Supervisor if they have decided on how to split the prizes (made a deal).
  • If a Player has already paid their tournament buy-in and then they win a ticket to the same tournament via a satellite, then the value of ticket won at the satellite is paid out in cash.
  • Tournament tickets won at satellite tournaments or in different campaigns cannot be gifted or sold to other Players.

4. Jackpot in the Poker room

4.1.  The money is collected for the Olympic Poker Jackpot, it is only possible to win it at a cash game table with at least 6 Players and under the following conditions:

  • A flop was opened in flop games.
  • The second face-up card was dealt in stud games.

4.2.  It is possible to win the jackpot in all the club poker games.

4.3.  In all the games that meet criteria listed in paragraph 4.1., the Dealer takes 1€ from each pot, this money accumulates the Olympic Poker Jackpot.

4.4.  When calculating the amount of the jackpot that was won, its level at the time the previous Casino game closed (07:00 at the latest) goes into account.

4.5.  There are 2 Jackpots —  Bad Beat Jackpot and Royal Flush Jackpot.

4.6.  When a Bad Beat Jackpot is won, 60% of the Olympic Poker Jackpot is paid out as winnings. The Bad Beat Jackpot is paid out if at the showdown in a poker game there are two or more hands that meet the JP draw criteria. If there are more than two Players who have the same hand meeting the JP draw criteria, then they split up that portion of the jackpot, that their hands entitle them to.

4.7.  The combinations that meet the Bad Beat Jackpot are as follows:

4.7.1.   Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo – a Player has to lose with four of a kind or better.

4.7.2.   5 Card Omaha and Courchevel — a Player has to lose with four of a kind kings or better.

4.7.3.   Texas Hold’Em and Crazy Pineapple – a Player has to lose with aces full of jacks or better. Both losing and winning hands need to contain at least two of the Player’s hole cards!

4.7.4.      Seven Card Stud — a Player has to lose with at least aces full of deuces or better.

4.7.5.   Sökö – a Player has to lose with at least a five-card king high flush or better.

4.8.   Bad Beat Jackpot payouts are as follows:

4.8.1.   50% of the current Bad Beat Jackpot goes to the Player with the losing hand (provided the hand meets the above-mentioned criteria).

4.8.2.      25% of the current Bad Beat Jackpot goes to the Player with the winning hand (provided the hand meets the above-mentioned criteria).

4.8.3.   The remaining 25% is split between all the Players, who have seats at the poker table.

4.9.   To win the Royal Flush Jackpot:

  • A Player has to have a „Royal Flush” combination;
  • In Texas Hold’Em and Crazy Pineapple, a Player needs to use two hole cards. .

4.10. When a Royal Flush Jackpot is won, 500€ is paid out regardless of the game. If at the time the Olympic Poker Jackpot is less than 2 500€, then 20% of it is paid out.

4.11.       During different campaigns the Casino has the right to run cash games, where no money is collected for the Olympic Poker jackpot and where it is not possible to win it either.

4.12.  If less than to hole cards are used, a hand does not qualify for a jackpot (neither Royal Flush, or Bad Beat)

5. Tournament ranking in club poker

5.1.  When making a tournament the Poker Manager decides which poker tournaments are going to be ranking tournaments, i.e. awarding points in tournament ranking.

5.2.  Satellites, international, private and restricted tournaments (such as Women only, Estonian Championships, etc.) cannot be ranking tournaments. 

5.3.  2% of the prize pool of each ranking tournament goes into the ranking prize pool.

5.4.  Each of the TOP 9 Players in a ranking tournament are awarded ranking points according to the chart provided below.

5.5.  Ranking prizes are paid out quarterly. To do so at the end of each quarter the price of each ranking point is calculated by dividing the total ranking prize pool of the quarter by the number of ranking points accumulated by TOP 10 Players in the ranking. TOP 10 Players then receive their ranking prizes, where each prize equals the price of one ranking point multiplied by the number of ranking points they have accumulated. 

5.6.  Ranking points accumulated by TOP 10 Players in the ranking and total prize pool of the ranking are counted

5.7.  Ranking scorekeeping chart:

Positional Factor

 

Buy-in Factor

 

Number of Participants' Factor

1st place

30

 

Average Buy-in

Factor

 

Number of Participants

Factor

2nd place

24

 

19 or less

2

 

10 or less

1

3rd place

20

 

20-34

2,5

 

11-20

1,5

4th place

16

 

35-59

3

 

21-40

2

5th place

14

 

60-119

3,5

 

41-70

2,5

6th place

12

 

120-179

4

 

71-100

3

7th place

10

 

180-249

4,5

 

101-150

3,5

8th place

8

 

250-499

5

 

151+

4

9th place

6

 

500+

5,5

 

 

 

 

* Average buy-in = prize pool / number of participants

To get the Players ranking points all the above-mentioned factors are multiplied.

6. Description of the club poker games.

6.1.  Texas Hold´Em

6.1.1.   The aim of the game is to form the highest possible five-card combination out of seven cards (two hole cards and five community cards).

6.1.2.   Each Player is dealt two hole cards face down. Then there is a round of betting, each Player acts clockwise. Once the round of betting is finished (the bets are made), the Dealer deals three community cards (flop) face up in the middle of the table. All the Players can use community cards to form their combinations along with their hole cards. Then there is another round of betting. Once it is closed, the Dealer deals the fourth community card face up (turn), another round of betting follows. Once it is done, the Dealer deals the fifth community card face up, the last round of betting follows. Once it is done, the Players open up their cards, the one with the best five card combination (out of seven cards) wins the pot. 

6.2.  Omaha

6.2.1.   The aim of the game is to collect the highest possible five-card combination out of nine cards (four hole cards and five community cards).

6.2.2.   Each Player is dealt four hole cards face down, unlike in Texas in Omaha it is only allowed to use two hole cards and three community cards. The rest of the game is played just like it is in Texas.

6.3.  Omaha Hi/Lo

6.3.1.   The aim of the game is to form both the highest and the lowest five card combinations out of nine cards (four hole cards and five community cards).

6.3.2.   The game is played similarly to Omaha, but the pot is divided differently: the pot is divided equally (split) between the highest (Hi) and the lowest (Lo) combinations. To win the Lo, five of the Players nine cards need to be from Ace to Eight (Ace being the lowest and Eight the highest card), provided there are no pairs and two hole cards and three community cards are used.

6.3.3.   At least three of the community cards need to be Lo (Eight or lower) for there to be a Lo hand. If there is no Lo hand, then the entire pot goes to the Player with the best Hi hand. If two Players have the same best Lo hand, then half the pot goes to the best Hi hand, and the other half (Lo half) is divided equally between the two best Lo hands. 

6.4.  Five Card Stud (Sökö)

6.4.1.   The aim of the game is to form the best five card combination. Each Player is dealt five cards.

6.4.2.   The game is played as follows: the Dealer deals each Player one card face down and one card face up. Then there is a round of betting. Once it is closed, the Dealer deals each Player the third card face up. The second round of betting follows. Each Player is dealt four cards face up in this manner and once the last round of betting is closed, the Players open up their cards. The Player with the best five card combination wins the pot. As an exception in this game there “four card straight” and “four-card flush” combination. These are better than “Pair”, but worse than “Two pair”.

6.5.  Seven Card Stud

6.5.1.   The aim of the game is to form the best five card combination out of seven cards.

6.5.2.   The game is played as follows: the Dealer deals each Player two cards face down and one card face up. The first round of betting follows. Once all the bets are made, each Player is dealt the fourth card face up, another round of betting follows. Then all the Players are dealt three more cards face up and one card face down, with rounds of betting in between. In total there are five rounds of betting. Once the last round of betting is closed, Players open up their cards and the one with the best five card combination out of seven cards wins the pot.

6.6.  Crazy Pineapple

6.6.1.   This game is played similarly to Texas, the difference being that in this game all the Players are dealt three hole cards and they have to discard (muck) one of these three cards before the fourth round of betting (before the turn). Then the game is played just as in Texas.

6.7.  Courchevel

6.7.1.   This game is played similarly to Omaha, the difference being that in this game all the Players are dealt five hole cards and the first flop card is opened right away. No card is “burnt” before dealing the first community card. The first round of betting follows, after that the Dealer “burns” the first card and deals the rest of the flop. After that the game is played just as Omaha and to form a combination each Player has to use two of their hole cards and three of the community cards. This game can be played by 8 Players, if Dealer’s Choice is being played with 9 Players at the table, then the Player next to the big blind sits out the hand.

6.8.  5 Card Omaha

6.8.1.   This game is played similarly to normal Omaha. The difference being that in this game all the Players are dealt five hole cards. To form a combination each Player has to use two hole cards and three community cards. This game can be played by 8 Players, if Dealer’s Choice is being played with 9 Players at the table, then the Player next to the big blind sits out the round.

6.9.  Watermelon

6.9.1.   This game is played similarly to Crazy Pineapple. The difference being that all the Players are dealt four hole cards and they have to discard (muck) one of these cards before flop, and before turn they need to discard (muck) one more card. After that the game is played just like Texas.

6.10. Razz

6.10.1. This game is played similarly to Seven Card Stud, the difference being that the aim of the game is to form the lowest possible five card combination.

6.11. Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo

6.11.1. The aim of the game is to form the highest and the lowest five card combinations out of seven cards. The game is played similarly to Seven Card Stud, but the pot is divided differently: the pot is split equally between the highest (Hi) and the lowest (Lo). To win the Lo five out of seven cards need to be from Ace to Eight (Ace being the lowest and Eight the highest card). If two Players have the same best Lo hand, then half the pot goes to the best Hi hand, and the other half (Lo half) is divided equally between the two best Lo hands.

6.12. Sviten Special

6.12.1. The aim of the game is to both form the highest five card combination out of five hole cards and to form the best highest combination using two holes cards and three community cards, similarly to 5 card Omaha. After the first three community cards are dealt, Players can replace one of the five cards for a new one. The cards are replaced clockwise, starting from the Player on the button’s left. If a Player replaces their card, then firstly the Dealer deals a card face up and if the Player does not want it, then they are dealt the next card in the deck face down. The pot is split between the highest formed combination and the highest 5 Card Omaha combination. This game can be played if there are no more than 6 Players at the table.

  1. The prize pools in poker tournaments are divided as follows:

Place

8 or less Players

9-11 Players

12-20 Players

21-30 Players

31-50 Players

51-70 Players

71-100 Players

101-130 Players

131-160 Players

1st

60,0%

50,0%

40,0%

36,0%

34,0%

31,7%

30,5%

29,0%

28,0%

2nd

40,0%

30,0%

27,0%

25,0%

23,0%

20,7%

19,5%

18,7%

18,0%

3rd

-

20,0%

19,0%

17,5%

16,5%

15,3%

13,7%

13,5%

13,0%

4th

-

-

14,0%

12,8%

11,9%

10,8%

10,0%

9,5%

9,3%

5th

-

-

-

8,7%

8,0%

7,2%

6,7%

6,5%

6,3%

6th

-

-

-

-

6,6%

5,8%

5,4%

5,2%

5,0%

7th

-

-

-

-

-

4,6%

4,2%

4,0%

3,9%

8th

-

-

-

-

-

3,9%

3,7%

3,4%

3,3%

9th

-

-

-

-

-

-

3,3%

2,9%

2,9%

10th

-

-

-

-

-

-

3,0%

2,6%

2,55%

11th

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

2,4%

2,25%

12th

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

2,3%

2,0%

13th

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

1,8%

14th

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

1,7%