~ House Rules ~

One of the nice things about owning our own club and controlling our own games is that we can do things you just can't do at the casino card rooms. Still, there are certain standards that will need to be decided and agreed upon in order to validate our “laws of contract“. But we don't want The Tilted Jack to become too rule-centric. We want to keep the game fun and enjoyable for all. Our house rules are designed to allow maximum flexibility while creating a foundation of understanding for all members.

All members are encouraged to actively participate in the evolution our House Rules. Our objective is to control our games within a framework of mutual understanding, while allowing flexibility in a variety of situational table options. Members all have equal voting rights in such matters. In our clubhouse, we, the members, control the game, which is one of the benefits of playing at our club. Our primary concern in stated rules is protecting the integrity and ethics of our games, the club, and our members. This is, after all, your club. If the rules are unclear or confusing, or you have a problem, misunderstanding or disagreement with any house rules, please talk to any staff member. If any rules are abused or not working as intended, we will revisit them at our next monthly meeting. All members are invited to attend our monthly general meetings. Monthly meetings are held on the second to last Saturday of the month at 11am at the clubhouse. We also hold regular club meetings after "Doors Open", thirty minutes before any scheduled event. Regular club meetings include new member orientations and the normal day-to-day business of the club.

FLOOR MANAGER RULINGS ARE FINAL. We will always attempt to make unbiased decisions, and in the interest of fairness for all players involved. If you disagree with any ruling, you are welcome to sit out from the game and discuss it with the floor manager.

TABLE STAKES. You can only win or lose the amount of chips you have on the table at the beginning of the hand. A member cannot be eliminated from a hand by not having enough chips to cover the bet. They are guaranteed action on their remaining chips. A side pot will be created for any wagers made by the remaining members.

BUTTON RULES. A “dead button” is used in tournaments, and a “moving button” in ring games. In tournaments, the button or small blind positions may be in empty seats to keep the rotation of blinds. In ring games, the button will always move to the next member, which may result in more members paying a blind than usual in the same hand until the buttons and blinds correct themselves. However, no member will have to pay more than one big and one small blind per orbit (provided they are not required to post a missed blind).

CARDS SPEAK. Verbal declarations are not binding, the value of a hand is the value of the cards in the hand itself, no matter what anyone declares. Do not make intentional, incorrect verbal declarations of your hand with the intent of getting the other member to muck or your hand may be ruled dead at the discretion of the floor manager.

TABLE TALK. Do not suggest other member’s hands when you are no longer in a hand. Do not "read the board". Do not react to the flop if your 2-6 off flopped a boat.

CHIPS AND CARDS must remain on the table at all times. Do not hide cards behind your chips or under your hands. Larger denomination chips shall not be placed behind smaller ones. Always keep your chip stacks “clean” so everyone can easily assess how much you have on the table at any given time.

CELL PHONES should be on silent or vibrate. Cell phone use at the table is allowed, provided that members do not slow the game down or start to annoy other members. Please do not talk on your phone at the table – fold your hand, roll back or step away if you must talk on the phone. Management reserves the right to ban specific individuals from using their cell phone at the table so the entire membership isn’t prohibited from use because of a few repeat abusers.

ENGLISH ONLY. The objective of this rule is to prevent players from communicating (and easily colluding) with each other by speaking a language not everyone at the table understands. In the spirit of friendliness and respect for the game, please try to refrain from speaking any language other than English while at the table, especially if any players are still in a hand.

THREATS, ARGUMENTS, INSULTS AND CURSING will not be tolerated. Take your losses and wins gracefully. Do not create a hostile environment for other members. In order to retain a positive environment for all members, please refrain from using excessive, “colorful” language. Do not insult another member’s game play decisions, directly or indirectly. Verbally threatening, insulting, or arguing with another member is cause for removal from the game and you may be asked to step outside or leave. We will not hesitate to call the police for assistance if we perceive a threat to our property or another member of the club.

STRADDLES are allowed in ring games and provided that nobody at the table objects. We will play whatever type of straddle the table agrees to use. No more than two live straddles per hand. Straddle bets (including Super and Mississippi straddles) entitle a player to act (in turn) after the rest of the table has had a chance to act.

CHOPPED POTS are not allowed, except blinds in ring games as SB/BB option. This rule may be temporarily overridden with the unanimous approval from all players at the table, but the decision to override this rule must be made between hands, not during a hand. Please do not abuse this privilege. Personal pot chopping policies should be equitable for all players at the table.

“RUNNING IT TWICE“ is not allowed. This rule may be temporarily overridden with unanimous approval from all players at the table, but the decision must be made between hands, not during a hand. Do not abuse this privilege by running it twice on small pots (<100) or running it more than three times.

RABBIT HUNTING is never allowed in tournament play. Provided nobody at the table in a ring game objects (in the hand or not), dealers may opt to show the cards for a $1 toke.

“GOING SOUTH”. No chips may be removed from play except for tips, button charges, and food/drink purchases unless you are cashing out. If you return to the same game within two hours, you must buy in for at least the same amount you cashed out for. You are not permitted to give chips to another member.

DON’T SLOW ROLL. The member who showed aggressive action at the end of the hand must show their hand first, but any member who believes they have the likely winner are encouraged to show their hand quickly so the next hand can begin. If everyone checks on the last round of betting, then the member first to act will start the showdown.

CALLING FOR A CLOCK. Any member at the table may call for a one-minute timer. The floor will count down one minute, adjusted conservatively for delay in getting the clock started. If the member does not make a decision by the countdown, their hand will be declared dead.

NO PHOTOGRAPHS OR VIDEOS are to be taken in The Tilted Jack without prior permission from floor manager.

ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES will not be tolerated. Members must abide by local laws.

TOBACCO USE. You must smoke outside. Do not smoke within 20 feet of the entrance of the club. Spit tobacco is not allowed, unless nobody objects.

Robert’s Rules Of Poker and the rules of the Tournament Directors Association apply. Copies are available for consultation at the clubhouse and online. These rules will be amended as needed. We will post amendments as soon as possible. Feel free to suggest if you notice something is missing from this list.