1. All players must agree to adhere to the rules and regulations of Real Deal Poker Tour. All Tournament Officials’ Rulings are final!

2. Players must be at least 19 years of age and have valid photo identification at all events.

3. All players arriving prior to session start time start with an equal 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. Chips have NO CASH VALUE.

4. Late arriving players can join a tournament (up to a maximum of 20) and will have their blinds removed accordingly before they are seated. Please note that once a tournament has reached capacity there will be no further players seated.

5. The lowest denomination of chip will be colored up and removed from play when no longer needed in the blind structure (with the exception of the chips at the 500/1000 level which there is no color up). All lower denomination chips that are of sufficient quantity for a new chip will be colored up directly. All remaining odd chips will be rounded up to the next chip denomination.

6. In Real Deal Poker Tour tournament events, the Players will “ high-card” for the button (dealer position) immediately prior to the start of play. This means the player who draws the highest card will start with the deal. In the case two Players drawing the same high card, those players will re-draw to determine who starts with the deal.

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

8. Players are obligated to take their "Blinds". (A "blind" is a fixed amount of chips, determined by the size of the game that is automatically put into the pot in Hold’em tournaments prior to the hand being dealt to force action.)

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. (It is possible for a player to take two Big Blinds in a row, but only if the player is changing tables. (For example, if he just had the BB at his table, which just broke down and then was seated in the BB at his new table.)

10. If the player in the small blind is eliminated then the button moves to the empty position and the person behind the button deals for the phantom player. The other players post blinds as usual.

11. New players are dealt in immediately. 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. If a table is reseated and at least half of the players are new to the table, then the Players will “high-card” for the button immediately prior to resuming the session. At the start of the final table, players will “High Card” for the button.

13. 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 second after the flop.

14. An absent player is always dealt a hand, and will be put up for blinds.

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

16. 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.

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

18. 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.

19. If at any time a player’s cards touch the muck pile the cards are dead and must remain in the muck and the player loses all action on that hand.

20. If a player lacks sufficient chips for a blind or a forced bet, the player is entitled to get action on whatever amount of chips the player has. In this situation a side pot could occur for players with remaining chips.

21. Whenever a player is all-in and all betting action is complete, all hands in play will be turned face up.

22. When a Player loses all his/her chips, they are eliminated from play and must leave the table, all eliminated players are welcome to watch the tournament.

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

24. 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

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

26. All cards must remain above the table top, as well as remain visible, during play.

27. 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)

28. 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”

29. 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 bank multiple times.

30. 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. The dealer must state that the “Pot is right” and then all players should then push their chips into the center of the table (pot).

31. No short bets. If you state RAISE, your RAISE must be at least equal to the big blind.

Example, big blind = 200, 1st raise = 400, 2nd raise = 600

32. Dealer must shuffle cards at least three times, and must insure that cards are cut by the person to the right. At the final table the dealer cuts the deck.

33. Session play never stops. If you are seated at a table that has empty seats, you must notify the Tournament Official and continue playing until other players are seated or you are moved.

34. Poker etiquette is expected from all Players. Inappropriate behavior like throwing cards that go off the table may be punished with ejection from the Tournament. A severe infraction such as abusive or disruptive behavior may be punished by a ban from future Tournaments.

35. Sponsors / Account Managers and or Real Deal Poker Tour Tournament Officials retain the right to cancel any event, or alter it in a manner fair to the players.

36. All participants of any Real Deal Poker Tour sanctioned event are prohibited from placing any form of currency (other than Real Deal Poker Tour poker chips) on a session table, as Ontario law prohibits this. There will be no exceptions to this rule and violators will be asked to leave immediately and shall be disqualified from the tournament. Chips used in Real Deal Poker Tour Tournaments have absolutely no value as currency.

37. Absolutely NO CASH GAMBLING is permitted at the tournament. (No side bets, No cash bets…) Any member found violating this rule will be banned from Real Deal Poker Tour tournaments and shall be disqualified from the tournament.

38. The Sponsors / Account Managers and or Real Deal Poker Tour Tournament Directors decisions are final on all disputes.

Hand Rankings

Royal Flush : An Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten in the same suit.
In the event of a tie: Two or more Royal Flushes split the pot.

Straight Flush : Five cards in sequence, of the same suit.
In the event of a tie: Highest rank at the top of the sequence wins.

Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank, and one side card.
In the event of a tie: Highest four of a kind wins.

Full House : Three cards of the same rank, and two cards of a different, matching rank.
In the event of a tie: Highest three matching cards wins the pot.

Flush : Five cards of the same suit.
In the event of a tie: The player holding the highest ranked card wins. If necessary, the second-highest, third-highest, fourth-highest, and fifth-highest cards can be used to break the tie.

Straight: Five cards in sequence.
In the event of a tie: Highest ranking card at the top of the sequence wins. Note: The Ace may be used at the top or bottom of the sequence, and is the only card which can act in this manner.

Three of a kind : Three cards of the same rank, and two unrelated side cards.
In the event of a tie: Highest ranking three of a kind wins.

Two pair : Two cards of a matching rank, another two cards of a different matching rank, and one side card.
In the event of a tie: Highest pair wins. If players have the same highest pair, highest second pair wins. If both players have identical pairs, highest side card wins.

One pair : Two cards of a matching rank, and three unrelated side cards. In the event of a tie: Highest pair wins. If players have the same pair, the highest side card wins, and if necessary, the second-highest and third-highest side card can be used to break the tie.

High card : Any hand that does not qualify under a category listed above. In the event of a tie: Highest card wins, and if necessary, the second-highest, third-highest, fourth-highest and smallest card can be used to break the tie.