No Limit Tourney Rules Questions

[gutterkizmet]

I have been playing in many home and multi-table tournaments - outside of casino's. There seems to always be a different set of rules wherever I go. There is almost always an argument when one of these situations come up ... can anyone help me determine the 'official rules' on these 3 gameplay situations?:

1. All-In betting - During game play, if at the start of the hand a player does not have enough chips to cover the full blind amount (say from calling an all-in and losing) what happens? Most people play that he can only receive the amount of chips that he bets from all players who call. Some people play that he is eligible for the amount he bet from all callers, plus the full big and small blind, as they are not really bets. Still others play that if you can not at least make the blind bet, then you are out of the game - thus no "chip and a chair"

2. Skipped blinds - During game play, some-times a player goes all-in and is knocked out of a tournament the hand before he is scheduled to make a big or small blind bet, or the person who is scheduled to be the deal in the next game goes out. This causes some confusion on the placement of the blind bets, as some people may be lucky enough to skip a scheduled blind payment. Some people play the the dealer button may not move, and one player may deal 2 times in a row. Other people play that sometimes there may be more than one small or big blind, to make sure no one gets to skip a mandatory bet. We normally play that the dealer button always moves, and the left of the dealer is always the small blind, then the next player is always the big blind. Which is the correct way to play this?

3. Head's Up - When the game gets down to only 2 remaining players, who is the big blind, and who is the small blind? According to my question above, we have always played that the left of the dealer is always the small blind, and the next player is always the big blind. This would make the dealer always the big blind when heads-up. I have some people switch the order when the game gets to heads up, allowing the dealer to have the small blind. This allows him to act first, and fold or call, thus giving him a slight advantage. (I think the big-blind is the advantage, as you can see cards for no additional bets, and you can raise and take someone's money who called assuming you have nothing) - Is there an official ruling on this?

[parkerren]

Check out this site it has some good explanation on rules for a home game.
http://www.homepokertourney.com/ also check out Mike Caro’s list of rules at http://www.poker1.com/mcu/mculib_rules.asp

Here is a brief explanation concerning the rule question you raised.

1 All-betting-

A chip and a Chair plays. Big and Small Blinds are real bets. So a single chip (the size of the small blind) is played by a player and is now all-in. if there are 4 callers playing (this is not including the all-in bettor) The all-in player would be eligible to collect from the four callers the amount that the all-in player bet.


2 Skipped blinds
You have two choices

1) Dead Button Big blind is posted by the player due for it, and the small blind and button are positioned accordingly, even if this means the small blind or the button is placed in front of an empty seat, giving the same player the privilege of last action on consecutive hands.
2) Moving Button The button always moves forward to the next player and the blinds adjust accordingly. There may be more than one big blind.

Here is how I understand how the blinds would be adjusted.
The person two spots from the button will pay the big blind.
The person one spot from the button will pay the largest blind not yet paid. (so player may pay a big blind)
The button will pay all blinds not yet paid.
(if this means the button would pay BOTH the big AND small blind, the small blind is a dead beat and can be moved in to the center of the table. The big blind would be a live bet.)




3. Head's up:
1. When going from three to two players, determine which player would have been the next big blind if no player had been eliminated, that player is the big blind and the other player is the small blind and button.
2. The Player who does not have the button shall be dealt the first card.
3. The Small blind shall act first on the first betting round and last on all other rounds.

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