Down The River Poker Rules

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OBJECTIVE: To become a winner you should make up the highest possible poker hand of five cards, using the two initially dealt cards and the five community cards.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2-10 players

NUMBER OF CARDS: 52- deck cards

RANK OF CARDS: A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2

THE DEAL: Every player is dealt two cards face down which is commonly called ‘hole cards’.

TYPE OF GAME: Casino

The dealer continues back 'down the river' by dealing the next card on top of the third card dealt. This time players give three cards for each matching card. The next deal is a give of two drinks, and the last deal is a give of one drink. After all the cards are dealt, simply shuffle and deal again. Many otherwise good online poker players will call that big bet on the river, even when it’s obvious they’re beaten. Don’t be one of those players. This situation usually arises when a player hits a really great flop for his hand, but then things go pretty sour on the turn and river.

AUDIENCE: Adults

Introduction to Texas Hold ‘Em

No Limit Texas Hold’em. Sometimes called the cadillac of Poker, Texas Hold ‘em is a fairly easy game to learn but can take years to master.

How to Play

To begin every player gets two pocket cards. A deck of cards is placed in the middle of the table and these are known as community deck and these are the cards that the flop will be dealt from.

Once all players have been dealt their initial two cards players will be asked to place their first bid. Once all players have placed their first bid a second round of bidding occurs.

Once all players have placed their final bids, the dealer will deal the flop. The dealer will flip over the first 3 cards, known as the “flop”, from the community deck. The goal is to make the best 5 card had you can with the three cards from the community deck and the two in your hand.

Once the first three cards have been flipped over, player will have the option to bid again or fold. After all players have had a chance to bid or fold, the dealer will flip over a fourth card known as a “turn” card.

The players still remaining will have the option to once again fold or bid. Now the dealer will flip the 5th and final card over, known as the “river”card.

Once all five cards have been flipped by the dealer, players will have one last chance to raise the bid or fold. Once all bids and count bids have been made it’s time for the players to reveal their hands and determine a winner.

First Round Betting: The Pre-Flop

When playing Texas hold ‘em a round flat chip or “disk” is used to represent the position of the dealer. This disk is placed in front of the dealer to indicate their status. The person sitting to dealer left is known as the small blind and the person sitting to the left of the small blind is known as the big blind.

When betting, both blinds are required to post a bet before receiving any cards. The big blind is required to post the equivalent or higher of the bet placed by the small blind. Once both blinds have posted their bids two cards are dealt to each player and remaining players can choose to fold, call, or raise. After the end of the game the dealer button is moved to the left so that every player takes on the blind position at some point to maintain the fairness of the game.

Fold – The action of surrendering your cards to the dealer and sitting out the hand. If one folds their cards in the first round of betting, they lose no money.

Call – The action of matching the table bet, which is the most recent bet that has been placed on the table.

Raise – The action of doubling the amount of the most recent bet.

The small and the big blind have the option to fold, call, or raise before the first round of betting ends. If either of them choose to fold, they will lose the blind bet that they initially placed.

Second Round Betting: The Flop

After the first round of betting ends the dealer will proceed to deal the flop. Once the flop has been dealt, players will access the strength of their hands. Again, the player to the left of the dealer is the first to act.

Since there is no compulsory bet on the table, the first player has the option to to take the three previous options discussed, call, fold, raise, as well as the option to check. To check, a player taps his hand twice on the table, this allows the player to pass the option to make the first bet on to the player to his left. All players have the option to check until a bet has been placed on the table. Once a bet has been placed, players must choose to either fold, call, or raise.

Third & Fourth Round Betting: The Turn & The River

After the second round of betting closes, the dealer will deal the fourth card of the flop, known as the turn card. The player to dealer left has the option to check or place a bet. The player that opens the bet closes the bet, after all other players have chosen to fold, raise, or call.

The dealer will then add the bets to the existing pot and deal a fifth card known as “The River”. Once this card has been dealt, the remaining players have the option to check,fold, call, or raise. Lets say all players decide to check. If that is the case it is time for all remaining players to reveal there cards and determine the winner. The player with the highest ranking hand is the winner. They receive the full pot and a new game begins.

Ties

In the chance of a tie between hands the following tie-breakers are used:

Pairs– if two players are tied for highest pairs a “kicker” or the next highest-ranking card is used to determine the winner. You continue until one player has a higher-ranking card or both are determined to have the same exact hand, in which case the pot is split.

Two pairs– in this tie, the higher ranked pair wins, if top pairs are equal in rank you move to the next pair, then move to kickers if necessary.

Three of a kind – higher ranking card takes the pot.

Straights – the straight with the highest-ranking card wins; if both straights are the same the pot is split.

Flush – The flush with the highest-ranking card wins, if the same you move to the next card till a winner is found or hands are the same. If hands are the same split the pot.

Full house – the hand with the higher ranking three cards wins.

Four of a kind – the higher ranking set of four wins.

Straight flush – ties are broken the same as a regular straight.

Royal Flush – split the pot.

Hand Ranking

2. Pair – Two of the same the same card (9,9,6,4,7)

3. Two pair – Two pairs of the same card (K,K,9,9,J)

4. Three of a kind – Three cards of the same ( 7,7,7,10,2)

6. Flush – Five cards of the same suit

7. Full House – Three card of a kind and a pair (A,A,A,5,5)

9. Straight Flush – Five cards in order all of the same suit (4,5,6,7,8 – same suit)

Down The River Poker Rules Card Game

10. Royal Flush – Five cards in order of the same suit 10- A (10,J,Q,K,A)

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 6 PM to 4 AM
Thursday and Friday Noon to 4 AM
Saturday and Sunday 3 PM to 4 AM

The River Poker Club offers membership to a Social Club and provides a facility where members can play in cash games/tournaments. Texas Hold em Poker, Omaha, and other games of interest are offered and will be available at the players request. All games played will be rake-free (i.e. No house share). Members pay a daily membership for access to the card tables. Once checked in, they are provided with a dealer and table.
The River Poker Club does not take a rake from any pot or charge an entry fee for any cash game or tournament and receives no income from poker games 100% of all buy-ins/chips are paid out to the members.

Here at The River Poker Club we use a balanced table strategy and may implement a “must move table” at the discretion of the Floor. New players will be added to existing games at the discretion of the Floor.
Tipping of Dealers with actual poker chips is strictly prohibited whether in play or not. All tips must be in cash.
Players will be charge a minimum one hour seat fee for cash games and will only be charges by the minute after the first hour.

Sunnybrook Poker

A waiting list will be kept for all poker games. Players may reserve a seat by having their names placed on the list for the game of their choice. Players will be notified when a seat becomes available. An immediate response is required. Once in a poker game a player may request a table change from the Floor.
Players may not take their chips with them when leaving the poker room.
Players are allowed one short buy-in (50% or more of original buy-in) for each full buy-in.

The following is a list of rules and guidelines that will be followed while playing at The River Poker Club
1. We will be following Roberts rule of poker with slight variation listed here-in.
2. It is each player’s responsibility to protect his/her own hand and right to action.
3. If either of the players cards touch the muck they will be considered dead.
4. Cash of any kind will not be in play on the table for betting.
5. Show one, show all. If a player shows cards to another player during or after a hand, any player at the table has the right to see those exposed cards after the hand is over.
6. No discussion of the hand in play until the action is complete. Exception: if there are only two people in the hand (heads up), they may discuss the hand as they wish. Absolutely no discussion of the hand in play if you are not involved in the hand.
7. Don’t delay the game:
  1. Avoid mobile phone use during a hand, or fold. Long telephone conversations should take place away from the table.
  2. At the showdown, turn over BOTH cards without delay.
  3. Rabbit hunting is discouraged.
8. Keep your highest value chips visible at the front of your stack, so that other players can quickly estimate your chip total. Don’t hide high-value chips behind the rest of your stack.
9. Keep your cards visible, on the table, in front of your chip stack. Don’t hide your cards behind your stack, don’t take your cards off the table, and don’t cover your cards completely with your hands.
10. Use a chip or a card cover to protect your cards. If your cards enter the muck, even accidentally, they are dead.
11. Don’t splash the pot. Place your bet immediately in front of your cards and or inside the bet line, well separated from the pot.
12. As a courtesy players should announce their intention to leave the game at least one blind round (or half an hour) ahead. Exception: busted players of course are not expected to extend this courtesy.
13. “Buy the button” rule: A new or returning player may only enter the game between the button and the small blind (one hand early) by buying the button. The new player posts both the big blind (live) and the small blind (dead, in the pot) in place of the two players to his/her left, who take a one-hand break from posting blinds. On the next hand, the player who just bought the button gets the button (and the deal) and play continues normally. Everyone ends up posting one of each blind, as usual.
14. If a player is absent when it is their turn to act, their hand is dead and they forfeit their blind, if any.
15. Live straddle bets are allowed, before looking at cards (ideally before any cards are dealt), The straddle is double the big blind and can only be made in the under the gun position to the left of the big blind or on the button. In the case of both positions wanting to straddle, the under the gun position to the left of the big blind has precedence. However the button straddle has the option to pull down his/her straddle or they can double the straddle to retain it.
16. Absent players who have paid all their blinds for that round should be dealt in. Absent players with missed blinds should not be dealt in.
  1. When the action comes around to an absent player, their hand will be mucked regardless of their position or blinds paid.
  2. Dealing an absent player in or out does not cause a misdeal.
17. No string bets. Raises must be declared before any chips are placed, or the total bet (call + raise) must be placed in one motion.
  1. Exception: Placing a multiple-chip bet consisting of a full bet plus at least half a full raise is the same as announcing a raise, and the minimum raise must be completed. With less than half a full raise, the excess chips must be pulled back.
18. Declare your bets and raises! Without declaration, a wager is the full amount of the chip(s) played.
19. Single chip rule. After a bet, putting a single chip into the pot without declaration is a call, regardless of denomination or the minimum bet if they were first to bet.
20. Verbal declarations are binding (“fold”, “check”, “bet”, “call”, “raise”, amount of bet). Raises should be specific. Acceptable raise phrases: “raise, X more”, “raise, plus X”, “raise, X on top”, “raise, Y total”, “raise, Y to go”, “raise to Y”, “raise, make it Y”, “raise, Y all day”. Just saying “raise Z” is ambiguous — are you raising to Z or raising Z more? For example if the bet is $5 dollars and you say $10 it will be received as $10 total.
21. A verbal statement in turn denotes your action, is binding, and takes precedence over a differing physical action.
22. The proper time to draw attention to a mistake is when it occurs or is first noticed. Any delay may affect the ruling.
23. If an incorrect rule interpretation or decision by an employee is made in good faith, the establishment has no liability.
24. A ruling may be made regarding a pot if it has been requested before at anytime before the hand is over. (Once all cards have been collected i.e. facedown on the table the hand is considered over)
25. If a pot has been incorrectly awarded and mingled with chips that were not in the pot, and before the next hand begins, management may determine how much was in the pot by reconstructing the betting, and then transfer that amount to the proper player.
26. If you return to the same game within one hour of cashing out, your buy-in must be equal to the amount removed when leaving that game.
27. Chopping the big and small blind by taking them back when all other players have folded is allowed in button games.
28. Management reserves the right to make decisions in the spirit of fairness and intent, even if a strict interpretation of the rules may indicate a different ruling.
29. Decisions of the Floor Manager/Tournament Director are final.
30. The following behaviors can and will be grounds for immediate revocation of membership up to and including banishment:
  1. Collusion with another player or any other form of cheating.
  2. Verbally or physically threatening any member or employee.
  3. Creating a disturbance by arguing, shouting, or making excessive noise.
  4. Throwing, tearing, bending, or crumpling cards.
  5. Destroying or defacing property.
  6. Using an illegal substance.
  7. Deliberately acting out of turn.
  8. Deliberately splashing chips into the pot.
  9. Softplaying by refusing to bet against a certain opponent whenever heads-up.
  10. Revealing the contents of a live hand in a multihanded pot before the betting is complete. This hand can possibly be ruled dead.
  11. Revealing the contents of a folded hand before the betting is complete. Do not divulge the contents of a hand during a deal even to someone not in the pot, so you do not leave any possibility of the information being transmitted to an active player.
  12. Needlessly stalling the action of a game.
  13. Deliberately exposing cards out of turn in play or not.
  14. Making statements or taking action that could unfairly influence the course of play, whether or not the offender is involved in the pot.