Ubetcha Inc.

OFFICIAL RULEBOOK & POLICIES

Ubetcha Poker Tour

Welcome to the Ubetcha Poker Tour. Your presence and participation in our league means that you agree to abide by all of our rules and procedures and behave in a courteous manner. You are also accepting our tournament director to be the final authority on all matters relating to that game. In addition, for you to claim a prize that includes the Ubetcha Poker Tour paying your entry fee into a tournament we are not running, you have agreed to wear approved Ubetcha Poker Tour clothing while playing in the event (for example: shirt or jersey along with an optional hat.)

PROPER BEHAVIOR:

The Ubetcha Poker Tour will attempt to maintain a pleasant environment for all our players, as well as the establishment s customers and employees, but is not responsible for the conduct of any player.

The Ubetcha Poker Tour has established a code of conduct in order to make our tournaments enjoyable to all. The Ubetcha Poker Tour reserves the right to interpret any behavior having a negative impact on players or the league as Improper . Improper behaviors are grounds for a warning, being sidelined for a length of time while still being required to post blinds, or even eviction from the tournament. Chips from a disqualified participant will be removed from play. Repeat or severe infractions could also lead to being suspended, or barred from ALL future Regular or Special Ubetcha Poker Tour tournaments. This includes being barred from a special tournament that the player may have previously qualified to participate in. The following are SOME of the behaviors that the Ubetcha Poker Tour considers improper:

1) Any cheating including collusion with another player.

2) Verbally or physically threatening any player, patron, or employee.

3) Using an excessive amount of profanity or obscene language.

4) Creating a disturbance, that does not allow players to enjoy the tournament, by arguing, shouting, or making excessive noise.

5) Throwing, tearing, bending, or crumpling cards.

6) Destroying or defacing property.

7) Using of an illegal substance.

8) Carrying a weapon.

POKER ETIQUETTE:

The following is basic Poker Etiquette and would also be considered improper by the Ubetcha Poker Tour:

1) Deliberately acting out of turn.

2) Deliberately splashing chips into the pot.

3) Revealing the contents of a live hand in a multi-handed pot 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. Showing cards from a live hand during the action injures the rights of other players still competing in an event, who wish to see contestants eliminated. If a player deliberately shows a card, the player may be penalized (but his hand will not be ruled dead). Verbally stating one s hand during the play may also be penalized.

4) Revealing the contents of a folded hand before the betting is complete. Once a hand is mucked, it must remain in the muck pile. You can t take them back for any reason including just to remind yourself of what you folded.

5) Needlessly stalling the action of a game.

6) Making statements or taking action that could unfairly influence the course of play, whether or not the offender is involved in the pot.

DECISION-MAKING:

1) The Ubetcha Poker Tour reserves the right to make decisions in the spirit of fairness, even if a strict interpretation of the rules may indicate a different ruling.

2) Decisions of the Tournament Director are final.

3) The proper time to draw attention to an error or irregularity is when it occurs or is first noticed. Any delay may affect the ruling.

4) If an incorrect rule interpretation or decision by the tournament director is made in good faith, the Ubetcha Poker Tour has no liability.

5) A ruling may be made regarding a pot if it has been requested before the next deal starts (or before the game either ends or changes to another table). Otherwise, the result of a deal must stand.

6) If a pot has been incorrectly awarded and mingled with chips that were not in the pot, and the time limit for a ruling request given in the previous rule has been observed, the tournament director may determine how much was in the pot by reconstructing the betting, and then transfer that amount to the proper player.

7) To keep the action moving, it is possible that a game may be asked to continue even though a decision is delayed for a short period. The delay could be needed to get a Ubetcha Poker Tour supervisor to give the ruling, or some other good reason. In such circumstances: a pot, or portion thereof, may be impounded by the tournament director while the decision is pending.

8) The same action may have a different meaning, depending on who does it, so the possible intent of an offender will be taken into consideration. Some factors here are the person s amount of poker experience and past record.

9) Ubetcha Poker Tour retains the right to alter or cancel any event for any reason.

PROCEDURES & RULES:

In hold em, players receive two downcards as their personal hand (holecards), after which there is a round of betting. Three boardcards are turned simultaneously (called the flop ) and another round of betting occurs. The next two boardcards are turned one at a time, with a round of betting after each card. The boardcards are community cards, and a player may use any five-card combination from among the board and personal cards. A player may even use all of the boardcards and no personal cards to form a hand (play the board). A dealer button is used at the final table when the tournament director deals to the remaining players.

1) The start may need to be delayed for a variety of reasons. The tournament director will decide when a tournament will start.

2) Cash is not allowed on the table.

3) Only one person may play a hand.

4) No one is allowed to play another player s chips.

5) Players must keep their cards in full view. This means above table-level and not past the edge of the table. The cards should not be covered in a manner to completely conceal them.

6) All players are entitled to a clear view of an opponent s chips. Higher-denomination chips must be placed where they are easily visible to all other players at the table.

7) Your chips may be picked up if you are away from the table for more than 15 minutes. Your absence may be extended if you obtain approval from the tournament director in advance. Frequent or continuous absences may cause your chips to be picked up from the table. If your chips are picked up, then you are out of the tournament and will not be allowed to sign out and earn points.

8) Looking through the discards or deck stub is not allowed. This includes re-looking at your cards after you have mucked them. Once they are mucked you can not get them back to look at them, show them to anyone, or for any other reason.

9) A player is expected to pay attention to the game and not hold up play. Activity that interferes with this such as reading at the table is discouraged, and the player will be asked to cease if a problem is caused.

10) A non-player may not sit at the table.

11) Speaking a foreign language during a deal is not allowed.

12) At the first color-up players will make stacks of 1000 using all of their 100 & 500 chips. At the second color-up players will make stacks of 5000 using all their 1000 chips. The tournament director will ROUND UP for a maximum of one partial stack per player.

13) A player must be at the table by the time it is their time to act in order to have a live hand for that deal. The players hand will be mucked when it comes to their turn to act if they are not at the table.

14) If multiple players go broke on the same hand, the player starting the hand with the larger amount of chips finishes in the higher place for any points, prizes, or other awards. Players eliminated on the same deal who start their final hand with an equal amount of chips receive equal points, prizes, or awards, with the best hand on that deal receiving any non-divisible award.

15) If a player needs to leave a tournament they are in before it is over, their chips must be picked up and removed from play. They are entitled to sign out of the tournament as if they were eliminated at that time. Going All In with the intention of dumping chips to someone else at the table(whether a specific person or just anyone at that table) is considered cheating. This practice is NOT fair to the other players at other tables.

16) Players, whether in the hand or not, may not discuss the hands until the action is complete. Players are obligated to protect the other players in the tournament at all times. Discussing cards that have been discarded or hand possibilities is not allowed. A penalty may be given for discussion of hands during the play.

SEATING:

1) Initial seating is determined and assigned in a random manner by the tournament director.

2) The appropriate starting amount of chips will be placed on the table for each player at the beginning of the event.

3) Late players are allowed to enter a Regular tournament until the end of level 4. If a player is late to the event, they will be penalized an amount equal to three times the big blind. Special tournaments may or may not allow late entrance on a tournament to tournament basis.

4) The tournament director is not required to, but reserves the right to, seat specific players at different tables. This includes husband and wife, relatives, business partners, as well as others at the discretion of the tournament director. The obvious exception would be the final table.

5) When a tournament starts, and at the start of the final table, active players will draw a card for the button position. The button will be awarded to the highest card by suit. Suit order in highest to lowest is Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs.

6) In a new game, the player who arrives at the table the earliest gets first choice of remaining seats. The tournament director may reserve a certain seat for a player for a good reason, such as but not limited to assisting a person with a vision or other physical handicap. Special tournaments may assign seats as well as tables to start the tournament.

7) The number of players at each table will be kept reasonably balanced by the transfer of a player as needed. The tournament director may do so in 1 of 2 ways at the tournament director s discretion.

a) The tournament director will choose and move a player from a similar seat position in relation to the dealer and blinds from one table to another as to leave the player in as close to the same position on the new table.

b) The tournament director will instruct the dealer at a table to deal one card face up to each player. The lowest card will need to move to the new table and may choose their own seat from those available at the time. Once again the suit order in highest to lowest is Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs.

8) Players transferred to a new table and seated in the small blind or dealer position must sit out until the deal has passed them. All other positions would be dealt in immediately, including the big blind.

9) All players must leave their seat immediately after being eliminated from an event.

BETTING AND RAISING:

1) The number of raises in any betting round is unlimited.

2) The minimum bet size is the amount of the big blind, unless the player is going all-in. If the big blind does not have sufficient chips to post the required amount, anyone who enters the pot is still required to enter for the big blind (unless going all-in for a lesser amount themselves). The minimum bet remains the same amount on all betting rounds. If a player goes all-in for an amount that is less than the big blind, a player who wishes to raise must raise to at least the amount of double the big blind. (For example, if the big blind is 100, and a player goes all-in on the flop for 20, a raise must be to at least a total of 200.)

3) All raises must be equal to or greater than the size of the previous bet or raise on that betting round, except for an all-in wager. A player who has already acted and is not facing a full size wager may not subsequently raise an all-in bet that is less than the minimum bet (which is the amount of the minimum bring-in), or less than the full size of the last bet or raise.

4) A player who says "raise" must either use a verbal statement giving the amount of the raise or put the chips into the pot in a single motion, to avoid making a string-bet.

5) A wager is not binding until the chips are actually released into the pot, unless the player has made a verbal statement of action.

6) A verbal statement denotes your action and is binding. If in turn you verbally declare a fold, check, bet, call, or raise, you are forced to take that action.

7) If there is a discrepancy between a player's verbal statement and the amount put into the pot, the bet will be corrected to the verbal statement.

8) Deliberately acting out of turn will not be tolerated. An action or verbal declaration out of turn may be ruled binding if there is no bet, call, or raise by an intervening player acting after the infraction has been committed. A player who has called out of turn may not change his wager to a raise under any circumstances.

9) A player who bets or calls by releasing chips into the pot is bound by that action and must make the amount of the wager correct. (This also applies right before the showdown when putting chips into the pot causes the opponent to show the winning hand before the full amount needed to call has been put into the pot.) However, if you are unaware that the pot has been raised, you may withdraw those chips and reconsider your action, provided that no one else has acted after you.

10) String raises are not allowed. To protect your right to raise, you should either declare your intention verbally or place the proper amount of chips into the pot. Putting a full bet plus a half-bet or more into the pot is considered to be the same as announcing a raise, and the raise must be completed. (This does not apply in the use of a single chip of greater value.)

11) If you put a single chip in the pot that is larger than the bet, but do not announce a raise, you are assumed to have only called. Example: when a player bets 200 and the next player puts a 500 chip in the pot without saying anything, that player has merely called the 200 bet.

12) If a call is short due to a counting error, the amount must be corrected, even if the bettor has shown down a superior hand.

13) Because the amount of a wager has such a wide range, a player who has taken action based on a gross misunderstanding of the amount wagered needs some protection. A "call" may be ruled not binding if it is obvious that the player grossly misunderstood the amount wagered. A bettor should not show down a hand until the amount put into the pot for a call seems reasonably correct, or it is obvious that the caller understands the amount wagered. The tournament director is allowed considerable discretion in ruling on this type of situation. A possible rule-of-thumb is to disallow any claim of not understanding the amount wagered if the caller has put eighty percent or more of that amount into the pot.

Example: On the end, a player puts a 500 chip into the pot and says softly, Four hundred. The opponent puts a 100 chip into the pot and says, Call. The bettor immediately shows the hand. The dealer says, He bet four hundred. The caller says, Oh, I thought he bet a hundred. In this case, the recommended ruling normally is that the bettor had an obligation to not show the hand when the amount put into the pot was obviously short, and the call can be retracted. Note that the character of each player can be a factor. (Unfortunately, situations can arise that are not as clear-cut as this.)

14) A bet (not a call) of a single chip without comment is considered to be the full amount of the chip allowed. However, a player acting on a previous bet with a larger denomination chip is calling the previous bet unless this player makes a verbal declaration to raise the pot. (This includes acting on the forced bet of the big blind.)

15) If a player tries to bet or raise less than the legal minimum and has more chips, the wager must be increased to the proper size. (This does not apply to a player who has unintentionally put too much in to call.) The wager is brought up to the sufficient amount only, no greater size.

16) The tournament director has the right to place a maximum time limit for taking action on your hand. The clock may be put on someone by the tournament director, if a player requests it. If the clock is put on you when you are facing a bet, you will have an additional 30 seconds to act on your hand. You will have a ten-second warning, after which your hand is dead if you have not acted.

17) A player, before he acts, is entitled to request and receive information as to whether any opposing hand is alive or dead, or whether a wager is of sufficient size to reopen the betting.

BUTTON USE:

Except for the final table, players will take turn dealing at the table. As dealer , the player will shuffle the cards and provide the deck to the player on the right to cut. The cut card should be placed on the bottom of the deck after the cut as to hide the bottom card from view. The player who is dealing the hand should do their best to control the action in accordance with the rules. Remember, the tournament director is always available to help with any questions or decisions that need to be made.

At the final table the tournament director will deal and use a dealer button to indicate which player has the dealer position. The player with the button is last to receive cards on the initial deal and has the right of last action after the first betting round. The button moves clockwise after a deal ends to rotate the advantage of last action. Blinds are posted before the players look at their cards. Blinds are part of a player s bet. The small blind is posted by the first player clockwise from the button, and the big blind is posted by the player two positions clockwise from the button. The first player to act on the first betting round is the first player to the left of the blinds. On all subsequent betting rounds, the action begins with the first active player to the left of the button.

RULES FOR USING BLINDS:

1) The minimum wager is the amount of the big blind. This remains the same even when the player in the blind does not have enough chips to post the full amount.

2) Although chips posted by the blinds are considered a bet, the players posting the blinds have the option of raising the pot at the first turn to act.

3) In heads-up play with two blinds, the small blind is on the button.

4) A new player to a table cannot be dealt in as the small blind or the dealer positions. You must wait until the deal/dealer button passes.

5) A live straddle bet" is allowed but one player choosing to place a live straddle bet does not require others at the table to do the same on their turn. (A live straddle bet is a bet that is placed prior to the deal by the player to the left of the big blind and equal to twice the big blind.) The player placing the live straddle will not have an opportunity to raise pre-flop unless the betting has been opened by another player raising his bet.

6) An absent player is always dealt a hand. That players stack will also post chips for blinds.

7) Blinds are raised at regularly scheduled intervals. The blind amounts and time of each level may be revised in advance or during an event by the tournament director for any reason including time restraint or overall fairness to all involved.

8) The Ubetcha Poker Tour DVD announces the end of a betting level and the new limits will apply on the next deal. (The tournament director will verbally announce the change as well, but players should pay attention to the DVD to help create a fair playing field for all players.)

THE SHOWDOWN:

1) To win any part of a pot, a player must show all of his cards face up on the table, whether they were used in the final hand played or not. If a player only shows one card and mucks the other the entire hand will be considered mucked.

2) You must declare that you are playing the board before you throw your cards away. Otherwise, you relinquish all claims to the pot.

3) Cards speak (cards read for themselves). Anyone may assist in reading hands, but players are responsible for holding onto their cards until the winner is declared. Although verbal declarations as to the contents of a hand are not binding, deliberately miscalling a hand with the intent of causing another player to discard a winning hand is unethical and may result in forfeiture of the pot and possible disqualification in the tournament.

4) Any observer, player, dealer, or tournament director who sees an incorrect amount of chips put into the pot, or an error about to be made in awarding a pot, has an ethical obligation to point out the error. Please help keep mistakes of this nature to a minimum.

5) When all but one player with active cards are all in (therefore no additional wagering can occur), then ALL players must show their cards face up before any additional cards will be dealt.

6) Show one, show all. Players are entitled to receive equal access to information about the contents of another player s hand. After a deal, if cards are shown to another player, every player at the table has a right to see those cards. During a deal, cards that were shown to an active player who might have a further wagering decision on that betting round must immediately be shown to all the other players. If the player who saw the cards is not involved in the deal, or cannot use the information in wagering, the information should be withheld until the betting is over, so it does not affect the normal outcome of the deal. Cards shown to a person who has no more wagering decisions on that betting round, but might use the information on a later betting round, should be shown to the other players at the conclusion of that betting round. If only a portion of the hand has been shown, there is no requirement to show any of the unseen cards. The shown cards are treated as given in the preceding part of this rule.

7) If there is a side pot, the winner of that pot should be decided before the main pot is awarded. If there are multiple side pots, they are decided and awarded by having the pot with the players starting the deal with the greatest number of chips settled first, and so forth. If there are one or more side pots (because someone is all-in), players are asked to aid in determining the pot winner by not showing their cards until a pot they are in is being settled.

8) If everyone checks on the final betting round, the player who acted first is the first to show the hand. If there is wagering on the final betting round, the last player to take aggressive action by a bet or raise is the first to show the hand. In order to speed up the game, a player holding a probable winner is encouraged to show the hand without delay.

TIES:

1) When a pot is split due to the players having the same ranked hands, the chips will be evenly divided between the tied players. Any extra chip that can t be reduced and divided between the tied players will be left in the pot for the next hand (A.K.A. splashed pot)

2) All side pots and the main pot will be split as separate pots, not mixed together.

DEAD HANDS:

1) Your hand is declared dead if:

(a) You fold or announce that you are folding when facing a bet or a raise.

(b) You have the clock on you when facing a bet or raise and exceed the specified time limit.

(c) Cards thrown into the muck may be ruled dead. However, a hand that is clearly identifiable may be retrieved and ruled live at the tournament director s discretion if doing so is in the best interest of the game. We will make an extra effort to rule a hand retrievable if it was folded as a result of incorrect information given to the player.

2) You must protect your own hand at all times. Your cards may be protected with your hands, a chip, or other object placed on top of them. If you fail to protect your hand, you will have no redress if it becomes fouled or the dealer accidentally kills it.

Irregularities:

1) If the first or second holecard dealt is exposed, a misdeal results. The dealer will retrieve the card, reshuffle, and recut the cards. If any other holecard is exposed due to a dealer error, the deal continues. The exposed card may not be kept. After completing the hand, the dealer replaces the card with the top card on the deck, and the exposed card is then used for the burncard. If more than one holecard is exposed, this is a misdeal and there must be a redeal.

2) If the dealer mistakenly deals the first player an extra card (after all players have received their starting hands), the card will be returned to the deck and used for the burncard. If the dealer mistakenly deals more than one extra card, it is a misdeal.

FINAL WORDS:

Remember that your presence and participation in the Ubetcha Poker Tour means that you have agreed to abide by all of our rules and procedures and behave in a courteous manner.

Good Luck & Good Cards!