THE BOOK OF RULES FOR THE MEN’S CLUB OF SUN CITY WEST, AZ
Approved revision – 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………….. 1
SECTION I – DUES AND FEES
A. Annual Dues………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2
B. Member Badges …………………………………………………………………………………………… 2
C. Daily Card Fee …………………………………………………………………………………………. 2.
D. Coffee Fee ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..2
E. Food and Beverages ………………………………………………………………………………………..3
SECTION II – CLUB RULES
A. Identification Badges ………………………………………………………………………………. 3
B. Conduct …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3
C. Sign-in and Wait-lists ………………………………………………………………………………. 3
D. Availability and Choice to Play ……………………………………………………………………… 4
E. Changing Tables and Game Break-up …………………………………………………………… 4
F. Changing Games at a Table ………………………………………………………………….. 4
G. Daily Card Fee ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
H. Absence from Table ………………………………………………………………………………. 5
SECTION III – THE RULES OF PLAY
A. Poker Table Capacity …………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
B. Eligible Players ………………………………………………………………………………………… 5
C. Chips Used in Game…………………………………………………………………………….. 6
D. Kibitzing and Conversations …………………………………………………………………….. 6
E. Cell Phones ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6
F. Starting a Game …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
G. Responsibilities of the Banker……………………………………………………………….. 6
H. The Responsibilities of the Dealer …………………………………………………………………. 7
I. Sitting out Hands …………………………………………………………………………………………… 8
J. Antes and Blinds ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
K. String Bets ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8
L. Called Hands …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
M. Miscalled Hands ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
N. Winning Hands …………………………………………………………………………………………… 9
O. Dead Hands ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 9
P. Accidentally Exposed Cards ………………………………………………………………………… 9
Q. Discards …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10
R. Card Ethics ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 10
INTRODUCTION
The Book of Rules is intended to compliment the Men’s Club Bylaws as a set of guidelines for general operating procedures, rules of play, and proper conduct by its members.
The Book of Rules can be modified by the Club Board of Directors and approved by the General Membership and does not require review and or approval of the Association unless any portion is in conflict with The Rules, Regulations & Procedures of the Association or may be found to be in violation of existing County, State or Federal laws and Regulations.
It is the inherent responsibility of all Club members to become familiar with the Book of Rules and to accept responsibility to ensure that each member complies with them. Club members are encouraged to submit to the Board of Directors suggestions to modify and or improve them for the benefit of the membership.
Section I – Dues and Fees
Annual Dues: The Board of Directors shall establish the amount of Dues for the Club. The amount of annual Dues and any Late Fees shall be based upon the projected Budget for the coming year & the financial standing of the current year. When a change in the amount of dues is proposed by the Board it shall be presented to the General Membership for ratification at the year-end General Membership meeting. A new member joining after November 1 will be issued a membership card good for the remainder of the year and the following calendar year. Annual dues shall be paid in January of the calendar year. Dues paid after 31 January will be subject to a late fee. A table of late fees will be published by the Board at the same time that a schedule of dues is determined by the Board.
Member Badges: At the time a new member joins the Club a name badge with an assigned member number will be ordered by the Club. The new member fee includes the cost of the badge. Should a member lose their badge, they must report its loss to the Steward who will coordinate with the Board member responsible for ordering badges. The member is responsible for the cost of a replacement badge which shall be at the current cost to the Club including mailing costs.
Daily Card Fee: Each player (this includes guests) shall be responsible for paying the daily card fee at the time they begin participation in a game or when a bank is established. The Banker or Tournament Director is responsible for collecting the fee and ensuring it is deposited in the Club Cash Box. The daily card fee is set by the Board of Directors. The Board shall advise the General Membership when it anticipates a change to the annual card fee is necessary.
Coffee Fee: The Club has established a practice of making coffee each day for the consumption by its members. The Board establishes the daily fee for coffee drinkers. Once a member pays the daily fee they may continue to consume coffee without additional charge. The member that pours the last cup in the pot (defined as leaving less than a full cup in the pot) is responsible for making a new pot of coffee. No new pots of coffee shall be brewed after 2:30 PM each day. Coffee drinking members should be mindful of the counter area where the coffee pots and condiments are maintained and clean up any spills and waste in the area. They should also clean any coffee machines and pots after the last cup is poured. Food and Beverages: There shall be no food or beverages placed on top of any poker tables unless the table has a protective cover placed on top of the table. Protective covers will be placed on card tables when meals are prepared for Club events or when a table is not in use to facilitate use by members who wish to consume food or beverages.
Section II – Club Rules
A. Identification Badges: Each member is to wear his name badge while using the Club facilities and equipment. Badges must be worn where they are visible.
B. Conduct: Each member of the Club is expected to conduct himself as a gentleman at all times. He is expected to refrain from using vile or abusive language and to be considerate of other members and guests at all times. Physical confrontations or abusive, threatening verbal confrontations will not be tolerated. Penalties for such acts will be in accordance with Article II, Section E-Discipline and Order, of the Club Bylaws. It is a Club members’ responsibility to make a Board Director aware of any such problem. The Club member may complete an Incident Report (blank copies are in the Bylaws slot at the Monitors desk), personally contact a Director, or present the complaint to the Board at the next scheduled Board Meeting. A member whose personal hygiene (or lack thereof) offends other members will be advised by a Board Member of the Club. Prompt improvement is expected, thus avoiding further disciplinary action as described in the Club Bylaws.
C. Sign-in and Wait-Lists: When a member enters the Club intending to play cards, he is to sign in first on the daily attendance sheet at the Monitor’s desk before placing his name on any wait- list. When an open seat occurs at a table, the member whose name appears first on the wait-list for that game may take the open seat. His name is to be removed from all other wait-lists before he takes the seat.
He may, however, leave his name on the wait-list of a game that has not yet begun. Similarly, if a player in one game wants to play in a different game that is not active, he may place his name on the wait-list board under that game. All he is doing is indicating a desire to play in that game, should it start. When a member brings a guest, the member shall have the guest sign in on the daily attendance sheet and use the members badge number followed by the word ‘guest’ to indicate who the guest is with.
D. Availability and Choice to Play: If an open seat occurs at a table and the man who is first on the wait-list is not in the immediate vicinity (i.e. in the card room or restroom) no further effort will be made to locate him. The seat will be taken by the second person on the wait-list. If the first player on the wait-list does not wish to play at the table where the open seat exists in the game of his choice, his name shall be taken off the list.
E. Changing Tables and Game Break-up: If a player decides to leave a table for play at another table and there are members waiting to play at the other table he must first cash in his chips before he signs up on the wait-list for the game to which he wants to move to. If a table has only five (5) players and one wants to leave for another table, this breaks up the game. In such a case, the banker gets first choice of any open seat, and the remaining four (4) players who wish to continue to play, must draw cards (high card to low card) for any remaining seats. Once all remaining seats are filled, remaining players names shall be placed on the wait-list in the order of their drawn cards. There shall be no trading of seats among players in different games if there are names on the wait-lists of either of the games in question.
F. Changing Games at a Table: If a group is playing Texas Hold’em, for example, and there are names on the wait list for Omaha, the players may not decide to change their game to Omaha unless it has openings for all members on the wait-list who signed up to play Omaha. An exception to this can occur when each member on the wait-list approves the change of game and is willing to wait his turn to play.
G. Daily Card Fee: Each player is required to pay the daily card fee at the first table he takes a seat at regardless of what game(s) he may play during the day. This fee is to be collected by the banker regardless of what time of day he commences to play. If a player has already paid his fee at one table, he is not required to pay again if he moves to another table at anytime during the same day.
H. Absence from Table:
1. A member may not leave the premises (defined as the Club building and the immediately adjoining parking lot) and retain a seat in a game. If he does leave the premises of the Club, his chips may be sold to the next man on the wait-list. Upon returning the absent player will be reimbursed the value of the chips that were left in his tray. His name will go to the bottom of the wait list if he desires to continue to play in that game.
2. Sometimes a player has to leave the table for a short time for personal reasons (restroom, coffee break, or a lunch break of no more than twenty (20) minutes). The total time that a player is absent from his seat at an established game shall not exceed twenty (20) minutes per day. But if a player too often or habitually stays away for long periods of time, he will be asked to relinquish his seat to a member who is waiting to play full time. In extreme cases of blatant absence from the table, the offending player’s chips will be sold to a member waiting to play who will take the absent player’s seat. The value of the chips sold will be reimbursed to the absent player when he does return. A player that is cashed out may rejoin the game by placing his name on the wait-list. The exception to this rule is for personal health reasons or when a Club Director or Monitor needs to excuse himself from the table to conduct Club business.
3. A player that wishes to take a break (see paragraph 2 above) from a game for lunch or personal reasons may ask a non-player to sit in for him.
Section III – The Rules of Play
A. Poker Table Capacity: As many as ten (10) players can participate in games of Omaha and Texas Hold’em. Other poker type games function with eight (8) players or fewer.
B. Eligible Players: Club members in good standing and their accompanied guests are eligible to use the Club Facilities. A guest must leave when his member sponsor leaves.
C. Chips Used in Games: At no time is currency or coins to be in evidence at any table. Only chips are used in games at the Club. Chip values are determined by the type game being played. Chips are not to be taken home. If this should happen by mistake, the chips are to be turned in the next day to one of the Club’s Directors. Under no circumstances are they to be used on any subsequent day in any game. A proven deliberate use of prior days’ chips at any table is sufficient cause for expulsion from the Club in accordance with the Bylaws. Chips taken from the Club and later returned have no value.
D. Kibitzing and Conversations: Visitors or members waiting for seats in table games are not to kibitz (make comments or offer unwanted advice or provide directions to a player) at any time. Visitors or members are not to carry on lengthy or loud conversations adjacent to games in progress that may cause players to be distracted from play. Should this occur disruptive talkers will be asked to refrain from talking or move the conversation to a remote location that does not impact any game.
E. Cell Phones: Players that need to use a cell phone (calling or answering calls) shall excuse themselves from the table until completing the call or conversation.
F. Starting a Game: At the beginning of play, as soon as a table has the maximum number of players, a banker must be selected. One card will be dealt, face up to each player. The player drawing the lowest card will serve as the banker. If the person designated as the banker is physically, psychologically, emotionally, or cognitively unable to perform the duties of the banker or is a guest or new member he is free to ask that someone else serve as the banker. A player may volunteer to be banker when a bank is to be established.
G. Responsibilities of the Banker:
1. The banker will collect the appropriate buy-in amount for the game from each player plus the Daily Card Fee. The Card Fee will be deposited by the banker in the daily card fee cash box.
2. At the end of the day’s play, the banker is responsible to pay-off all members in the game before he pays himself. The banker should carefully count the chips of each player being paid. If there are insufficient funds to cover the value of his own chips after paying the other players he is responsible for any shortage.
3. Each player is responsible to ensure that he has the correct amount of chips at the time he buys into a game or at the time the bank is established. At the start of play when a bank has been established with less than a full table, the banker shall ensure that the correct amount of chips are available for the unfilled seats. If the game starts with less than the maximum players and no banker has yet been selected, all the trays are to be checked for the correct number of chips before the first card is dealt. Any error must be corrected before play begins. No corrections will be made thereafter.
4. The banker is responsible for collecting the Daily Card Fee from new players who claim open seats (provided they have not played in another game that day) and ensuring it is deposited in the Daily Card Fee cash box.
5. The banker may not use the funds in the bank to finance his own personal play. A banker who uses bank funds for personal play and then is unable to pay the other players for their chips is subject to expulsion. He may appeal his expulsion in accordance with the procedures described in the Club Bylaws.
6. Should the assigned banker leave the game before the end of play, the bank is to be passed to the player immediately to his left. The “person on the left” rule applies even though the banker has changed seats since the start of play. This requirement may be waived if another player volunteers to take the bank.
7. The banker of a game that has broken up has first chance (ahead of all others from that game) to any seat that is open in another game that he wishes to play in as described in Section II-E above.
8. The banker is to ensure that no one at his table “plays light”. That is if the player has insufficient funds to call a bet he must borrow from another player or buy more chips or fold his hand. In Hold’em a player with insufficient funds may go “all-in” for less than the raise or bet.
H. The Responsibilities of the Dealer
1. The dealer is in complete charge of the game during the hand he is dealing.
2. When antes and blinds are required, the dealer is to make sure that each player pays his ante or blind, placing it in the pre-marked area on the table.
3. It is the dealer’s responsibility to see that all betting, calling, and raising are done in order. A player who bets, calls or raises out of turn is not permitted to take back his chips even if he wants to change his action when his proper turn comes.
4. The dealer must be sure that the cut is done properly. A typical cut is approximately half the deck. Extremely thin or deep cuts are to be avoided.
5. When a damaged card is discovered, the dealer should see to it that the card is replaced at the end of the hand.
I. Sitting out Hands
Players are not permitted to sit out some hands and play only selected hands or rounds. All players must ante or pay for the cards dealt while occupying a seat at the table.
J. Antes and Blinds
Where a game requires an ante, the entire ante shall be made before the hand is dealt. A blind is a mandatory bet made by one or two players sitting to the left of the dealer before the start of a hand in Hold’em.
K. String Bets
String bets are not allowed. A string bet occurs when a player puts in an amount to call a bet and then goes back to his stack to put more chips in to raise without originally having orally declared a raise. Another type of string bet occurs when a player states a bet and then changes his mind in favor of a higher bet.
L. Called Hands
At the end of a hand players still in the game are to turn all of their cards face up on the table. The first person to be if there are no raises or the last person to raise must turn his hand up first. The player to his left then turn up their cards in a clockwise order.
A player may not lay down half his cards while holding the rest in his hand when announcing his hand.
Any player who wants to throw in his hand must do so when it is his turn to act.
A player who throws in his hand or mixes his hand or any part of his hand with the discards before a winner is declared forfeits all rights to the pot.
M. Miscalled Hands
When a hand is miscalled, only players in the game may point this out. No visitor or club member waiting for a seat is to announce a miscalled hand. (See Kibitzing, Section III, D)
A player who intentionally or continually miscalls his hand, causing other players to discard better hands, is in violation of the Club rules. Persistent miscalling of hands by any player should be reported in writing to the Club Board of Directors. The offending player will then be duly warned. Continued miscalling by the warned player is sufficient cause for suspension from the Club in accordance with the Club Bylaws. (See Article II, Section E, Discipline and Order)
N. Winning Hands
At the end of play all calling hands are to be turned face up on the table or discarded. Each player still in the game is to call or announce his hand. The highest hand wins the pot. In case of identical hands, the pot is split.
In Hi-Low Stud and Omaha Hi-Low, the highest hand and the lowest hand split the pot. In the event of several identical hands the pot will be split proportionately. For example, if two players tie for high hand and two players tie for low hand each player will collect 25% of the pot.
O. Dead Hands
Each player is to make sure he has the correct number of cards. Any player, who does not have the correct number of cards at any time during the play, has a “dead hand”. This includes during the dealing process except in the case where the dealer can immediately correct the error.
A player with a dead hand is not permitted to remove any chips that he has already put in the pot.
If a player folds or throws in his hand prematurely, he may not try to recover his hand even if he had the best hand. This holds true even if the supposed winner miscalled his hand. Players who called the final bet and have turned their cards face up shall leave their cards on the table until all players still in the game concur with the finding of the high and low winning hands.
P. Accidentally Exposed Cards
There are no misdeals in regular poker games at the Club. There will be no burning of a card to correct an error made by the dealer. If a card is accidentally exposed by the dealer, the player whose turn it is to receive the card must take it (except in Texas Hold’em).
In dealing Texas Hold’em an accidentally exposed card must be burned. The burned card is to be replaced by the dealer after he has completed dealing down cards to all players.
In Omaha and Stud Poker, an accidentally exposed card must be kept by the player.
In Omaha and Texas Hold’em if the top card is accidentally exposed after all players have received their cards, the exposed card becomes the burn card.
Q. Discards
Players are not to show their discarded hands to other players while play is in process. Discards are to be kept face down or passed to the next dealer.
R. Card Ethics
Looking at another player’s hand and calling it before it is placed face down on the table is not permitted.
Even if the dealer himself has folded, he cannot “peek” at any undealt cards to see what the next card is.
A Player shall not expose his cards to any other player that is still in the game.
Revised in 2014 by the Bylaws Committee
Approved by the General Membership on: __13 October 2014________
Authorized by the Club President: _________/S/ on:_13 October 2014
Bob Ringhofer Date