FAQ/Rules

The purpose of B-Town Poker is to provide entertainment for Texas Hold-‘Em enthusiasts in an atmosphere where there is no cash wagering of any kind.

FREE poker means no entry fee of ANY kind!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE BREAKDOWN | CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RULES

FAQ’s

What is B-Town Poker?
B-Town Poker is a FREE Poker League, where players compete in live, nightly, Tournament Texas Hold’em Events at local bars, restaurants and other locations.

How Does it Work?
In each nightly tournament, the top 16 Players earn points, based on their finishing positions (25-1,200pts). Scores are posted online or review the Standings at any B-Town Poker Event. Start times vary per location. Points are combined to qualify you for the seasonal Tournament of Champions.

Do I Win Anything?
The First Place finisher, of a B-Town Poker nightly tournament, will receive a $50 cash prize.

What is Tournament of Champions?
At the end of each season (4 months) points are combined to qualify you for our Tournament of Champions. Where anywhere from $600-$800 in cash will be awarded along with trophies. A total of 1,500 Regular and 1,500 Bonus Points are needed to be qualified (amounts may vary depending on season length).

How Much Does it Cost?
It’s 100% FREE! There are NO fees, NO buy-ins, NO cover charges, NO drink minimums, or other costs of any kind… there is NO risk of losing anything, but plenty to gain. Gambling is strictly prohibited!

The B-Town Poker Tournament Already Started, Can I Still Play and Win?
Absolutely! You can join prior to our scheduled break. The B-Town Poker Points structure is designed to allow any player to catch up. Remember, it doesn’t take too many points to qualify for the Tournament of Champions.

Do I Have to Know How to Play Poker?
NO! Anyone can play, even if you have never played poker before. Just show up a half-hour before any game starts, and we will teach you to play Texas Hold’em…“It takes minutes to learn and a lifetime to master!”

Where Can I Play?
At any B-Town Poker Host location… B-Town Poker is constantly expanding its schedule of participating venues, with new locations added regularly. Please visit our website or contact us for updated schedule and promotional information.

How Often do I Have to Play?
You can play as much as you’d like, at any and all B-Town Poker locations. The more you play, the more points you can earn, which can increase your starting chip stack for the Tournament of Champions, giving you an advantage over the other Players.

How Do I Join B-TOWN POKER?
Simple, just show up to a nightly tournament.

How Old do I Have to Be to Play?
It depends on the host locations age restrictions. 18 minimum to play, some locations have 21 and up restrictions.

BREAKDOWN

PLAYING CHIPS:

All players start with 18,000 in playing chips.

CHIP VALUES:

White: 100
Red: 500
Black: 1,000
Green: 5,000
Yellow: 10,000
Orange: 20,000

REGULAR POINTS:

Players will accumulate points finishing 16th place and up, each session for a term of 14-16 weeks.

• 1st – 1200
• 2nd – 800
• 3rd – 700
• 4th – 600
• 5th – 500
• 6th – 400
• 7th – 300
• 8th – 200
• 9th – 100
• 10th – 50
• 11th – 50
• 12th – 50
• 13th – 50
• 14th – 25
• 15th – 25
• 16th – 25

Players will earn points by making the final 16 at any B-Town Poker Tournament. Points will be tracked and displayed on the B-Town Poker Leaderboard. Your points will be posted on a location specific leaderboard as well as an overall leaderboard. Therefore, if you play at more than one location, points will be combined and posted on the overall regional leaderboard.

BONUS POINTS:

Bonus points are accumulated throughout the 14-16 week term and then transferred to extra starting chips awarded at the Tournament of Champions for those that qualify. If you do not qualify, then bonus points will be transferred to regular points at a 50% value. If you then have enough points to qualify for the Tournament of Champions, you will NOT receive extra starting chips.

Bonus points are awarded for the following:

• Finishing in the top 3 of a regular nightly tournament (250/200/150)
• Winning a second chance table (250)
• Redeeming your food purchase receipts (Every $3 spent = 50 Bonus Points)
• Winning a hand with quads (100), Straight Flush (200) or Royal Flush (250). Hand must be played out.

Players that are the Overall Points Leader at more than one location will only receive a single double stack in the TOC.

**Points will be updated weekly**

RULES

1. ELIGIBILITY
Age restrictions apply with locations’ discretion. See individual location events for details.

2. SCORING SYSTEM (POINTS BASED)
Players accumulate points by finishing in approximately the top 16 of individual tournaments. Depending on the contest/promotion, bonus may be awarded to encourage participation

3. TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR
The tournament director will settle any disputes that arise during tournament play. Any questions regarding the director’s ruling will be addressed in written form.

4. PLAYER REGISTRATION
Players must sign-in for each event with the tournament director. The tournament director will assign a random seat assignment. Substitutes are not allowed, each person can only play for themselves.

5. LATE/RESERVE PLAYERS
No late or reserve players will be allowed after the first break (chip-up). Late players will be seated at a table that has an empty seat and chip stack or seated with a stack from the director that is chipped down according to the current blind levels.

**TOURNAMENT RULES**

1. NO SIDE BETS
All players are prohibited from placing any form of currency on the table. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule and violators will be asked to leave immediately. Anyone found to be placing side bets will be banned from the league indefinitely. Any bar allowing such activity will be removed from the league.

2. PROBLEM RESOLUTION
The tournament director’s decision is final on all disputes during tournament play. Tournament directors are to consider the best interest of the game and fairness as the top priority in the decision-making process. Unusual circumstances can on occasion dictate that decisions in the interest of fairness take priority over the technical rules. Please email the league to report problems. Please understand that the host’s decision is final once the next hand is played, even if that decision is technically incorrect.

3. TOURNAMENT STRUCTURE
Regular Blind schedule
100/200, 200/400, 300/600, 400/800, 500/1000, Break (chip-up), 1000/2000, 2000/4000, 3000/6000, 4000/8000, Break (chip-up), 5000/10000, 10000/20000, 20000/40000, 30000/60000…..
NOTE: In some rare cases, the tournament host may revise the structure in order to meet the needs of the location, otherwise the blind structure should not be changed.
Chip Up – During the breaks, unnecessary small chips will be chipped up. For example, at the end of Level V, 100’s & 500’s are no longer needed. Chips are rounded up to the nearest 1000. When time has elapsed in a round and a new level is announced by the tournament host, the new level applies to the next hand. A hand begins with the first shuffle.

4. DEALING PROCEDURE
A. DEALER BUTTON: To begin play at the start of the tournament, players will “high card” for the dealer button. This means the player who draws the highest card will start with the button. (The button determines who gets the first card, etc., and also determines the position of the “blinds”.) In case two players get the same card, suit preference is spades-hearts-diamonds-clubs (spades being highest).

B. BLINDS: The person immediately to the left of the button will post the SMALL BLIND. The person immediately left of the small blind will post the BIG BLIND. See blind schedule. League will use the “Dead Button” rule if a player is knocked out in the blinds. “Straddles” are not allowed.

C. SHUFFLE. Players take turns dealing. The player will shuffle the cards he or she just dealt. The new dealer will cut their own deck. As long as the player did not shuffle, he or she can cut (must cut at least 2 cards, cannot “tap” deck). The tournament host may allow a designated dealer at the final table ONLY.

D. THE DEAL. Starting with the small blind position, each player is dealt two cards, one at a time. Once betting action (see BETTING PROCEDURE) is over (pot is “right”), the dealer will then “burn” the top card on the deck, and turn up three consecutive cards (“Flop”). 2nd Betting Round. The dealer burns the next card before placing the 4th card (“Turn” or “4th Street”). 3rd Betting Round. The dealer burns the next card before placing the 5th card (“River” or “5th Street”). 4th & Final Betting Round.

E. HEADS UP. When only two players remain in the tournament, the player due to assume the Big Blind will do so, and the Small Blind will get the button. The Small Blind/Button will act first prior to the flop and last after the flop.

F. COMMON ERRORS
1. Dealer reveals burn card. Revealed card is shown to all players. Dealer then reveals the appropriate card.
2. Player (A) shows hand before player/s (B and/or C) has opportunity to act.
Player (A) must play the rest of the hand with his/her cards exposed but can still win the pot and place bets.
3. Player acts (bets, calls, raises, re-raises, folds) out of turn.
Player must wait until his/her turn. Action out of turn will be binding if action to that player has not changed. Checking, calling, and folding are not considered action changing.
4. Player shows hand, but fails to state his/her intention (call, fold) when it is his action at showdown. Player’s hand must be considered folded (mucked).
Example: Player A goes all-in, player B shows hand without stating their intention to call or fold.
5. Dealer reveals “turn” or “river” card before action is complete. The deal is considered a ‘Deal Deal’. All chips will be returned to the players who were involved in the hand (including the blinds) and the hand will start over.
6. Card is dealt face-up or exposed. The deal is considered a ‘Deal Deal’. All chips will be returned to the players who were involved in the hand (including the blinds) and the hand will start over.
7. Player is dealt 3 or more cards. The deal is considered a ‘Deal Deal’. All chips will be returned to the players who were involved in the hand (including the blinds) and the hand will start over.

G. BETTING PROCEDURE
In No-Limit Texas Hold-‘Em a player may bet any amount of his chip stack during the course of play.

Before the flop: The player to the immediate left of the Big Blind is first to act (call, raise, or fold). The minimum raise would be the amount of the big blind. However, a re-raise must be double to the previous raise. Example – Blinds are 100/200, raise to 400, re-raise to 800.

After the flop: The player to the left of the dealer button is first to act for remaining betting rounds. The minimum bet is the amount of the big blind. Any raise or re-raise must be at least equal to the previous action (bet or raise).

At the end of last round of betting, the player who made the last aggressive action in that betting round must show first. If there was no bet, the player to the left of the button shows first and so on clockwise. Remaining players form the best 5-card poker hand with the best hand winning the pot. Players must show both cards in order to have a valid hand and win the pot (unless there were no callers). CARDS READ THEMSELVES. If there is a “split pot” with 1 extra chip remaining, that chip is awarded to the remaining player closest to the left of the dealer button. Verbal declarations as to the content of a player’s hand are not binding; however, any player deliberately miscalling his or her hand may be penalized.
A single oversized chip will be considered a call if the player does not announce a raise. If a player puts an oversized chip into the pot and states raise but does not state the amount, the raise will be the maximum allowable up to the size of that chip. After the flop, an initial bet of a single oversized chip without comment will constitute the size of the bet. To make a raise with a single oversized chip a verbal declaration must be made before the chip hits the table surface.
If a player puts in a raise of 50% or more of the previous bet but less than the minimum raise, he or she will be required to make a full raise. The raise will be exactly the minimum raise allowed. An all-in bet of less than a full raise does not reopen the betting to a player who has already acted.

If a player folds their hand, the cards must be placed in the muck pile and remain there. Players are not allowed to fish through the mucked cards. Cards thrown into the muck may be ruled dead.

H. ALL IN / SIDE POTS
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 he has remaining. In this situation, a “side pot” could occur for players with remaining chips. The “All-in” player is only entitled to win the amount he has remaining from each player (even if one/both blinds are more than his all-in, the extra would be put in the “side pot”).

Whenever a player is ALL-IN and all betting action is complete, all hands in play will be turned face up. When a player loses all his/her chips, they are eliminated from play and must LEAVE the table. IN CASE OF A TIE: In the case where multiple players bust out on the same hand, the player with the most chips going into the hand will finish higher. In the RARE case that both players had the same amount of chips going into the hand, then the best poker hand will be the tiebreaker. In the EXTREMELY RARE case that both players had the same hand, the highest card in each player’s hand would be used (suit preference as final tiebreaker).

I. COMBINING TABLES/RESEATING
As the tournament progresses, players will be eliminated. To keep tables balanced with the same number of players, the tournament host will be required to reseat players.

New players (reseated/broken table) are dealt in immediately unless they sit down in the small blind or button position. In these two cases they must wait until the button passes. If a new player is seated in the Big Blind position, the player must post the Big Blind and will be dealt in the hand, regardless of their previous position on their former table.

If a table is reseated and 30% or more of the players are new to the table, then seats should re-drawn and a “high card” for the button immediately prior to resuming the session. The official time for the blind level should be paused during down time.

J. ENDING THE TOURNAMENT
Each tournament will simply continue until one player wins all the chips. In the interest of contractual time limits (4 hours), the Tournament Director will be required to stop all play, count each players’ chips, and award the first place points and prize money to the player with the most chips.

K. MISC RULES OF PLAY/POKER ETIQUETTE
Player’s cards & chips must remain on/above the table at all times, unless you are reassigned to another table. When moving to a new table, keep chips in plain view (not in pockets, etc.) Players must keep their higher denomination chips visible at all times.

One player per hand. You may NOT ask advice as to how to act during the action period. If you SHOW your cards to an ACTIVE player at the table, you must show all players immediately (Show one-show all). If you show your cards to a player that has already folded, you will be required to show your cards once the hand is completed. Any player at the table may request to see a hand that has been called (even if checked on river), even if the hand has been mucked. However, this is a privilege that may be revoked if abused. If the winning player asks to see a losing player’s hand, both hands are live, and the best hand wins.

No “splashing” the pot. Players are to place their chips in front of themselves so everyone knows exactly how much they are betting.

No “string bets”. A player must state their intentions (call, check or raise) before placing chips in front of them. Stating “Call and Raise” is considered a string bet. Remember, verbal action is always binding!

Please act in a timely fashion as the blind levels are only 15-18 minutes. Any player at the table can call for “time” on a player once a reasonable amount of time has passed. The tournament host would then give 30 seconds to act. If action has not been taken before time expires, there will be a 10-second countdown. If a player has not acted by the time the countdown is over, the player’s hand will be dead.

No “Table Talk” about a hand still in play. Players/dealers should NOT talk about their hand (even if folded) if others are still playing. AFTER the hand is played out, let the moaning & groaning begin.

L. CONDUCT/WARNINGS/PENALTIES
Players are expected to conduct themselves with POKER ETIQUETTE. Inappropriate behavior like throwing cards that go off the table or violating any league rule repeatedly may be penalized by the tournament host. Penalties will range from verbal warnings to “missed time” penalties. A severe infraction such as abusive or disruptive behavior or “chip dumping” may be punished by eviction from the tournament and possibly the league.

M. LEAVING EARLY/ABSENT PLAYERS
Absent players are always dealt in, if a player is not present for the hand when it is their turn to act, their hand is folded, even if they are in the big blind and there is not a raise.

1. Players must be physically present to take their seat and play at least one hand to be eligible for participation points. The league may disqualify players for participation points if it is clear they have no intention of playing (for example: checking in, then IMMEDIATELY leaving). Also, playing “all-in” for the sole purpose of busting out to leave early will be considered BAD ETIQUETTE.

2. Players may NOT post & fold for a period of MORE than (2) full blind levels (in addition to the current level). If a player leaves the tournament and does not return within this time frame, their chips shall be removed and their position in the tournament forfeited. See 3 & 4.

3. Any player who must withdraw from the tournament early should DECLARE they are leaving (alert the host to withdraw his/her chips).

4. Exception: Any player who withdraws from a tournament AFTER they have made it to the points round will be rewarded the place/rank they withdraw at. Posting & folding (leaving temporarily), and permanently leaving (withdrawing from) a tournament are two separate actions. Players must declare their INTENTION if they are posting & folding because if they do not return they will sacrifice their points EVEN IF they have made it to the points round!

N. SMOKING POLICY
There will be no smoking allowed at the tables.

O. FUN POLICY
Remember, this is a free poker tournament. If you cannot handle losing, you should not play. Have fun and good luck!