A good set of Home game house rules?

[Syntec87]

Im looking for some good home game rules for a regular poker game with a bunch of college kids like 18-25 playing .25/.50 and 1/1 NLHE.

Anybody able to find a good set of rules / made up their own.

I have been looking for a while and found it very hard to find surprisingly.

If this is the wrong forum Im sorry I didnt know the right one.

[Taso]

http://www.cardplayer.com/rules_of_poker/general_rules


I think that's generally a good set of rules. Add in some stuff about straddling, running it twice and you should be good. For my game we have a rule that you have to stay for at least 2 hours because our players are limited and if people do big hit and runs the game dies.

[Small Fry]

I pretty much follow Robert's Rules. Is there a specific area / topic that you might be looking to address. Being more specific might get you more responses.

[Syntec87]

Well basically Ive been put in a position to draw up a complete set of rules, which is why I havent been more specific.

[KampfHase]

Hi there,

click on howtoshuffle.com

There you find rules for cash games and tournaments from different sources. Just pick the one you like best.

I'd recommend Robert's Rules of Poker (Version 10): it provides rules for tournaments, cash games, and all kinds of game types (Omaha High/Low, Stud, Hold'em etc.).

Btw, Howtoshuffle.com is also a very good source for shuffling and dealing procedures.

In case you aren't familiar with this site, yet, also click on: homepokertourney.com

[OutOfCrown]

Here's what we use, the important thing (as already pointed out) being that we incorporate TDA Rules (for tournaments) and Robert's Rules. I have a printed out copy of both on hand.

The only House Rules we have explicitly incorporate those rules, repeat the all-important Spirit of the Game rule, and cover a few odd cases that are somewhat unique to home games. Here's what we use:

[Rule 1] : Rule Set. We follow our rules, then 2007 TDA rules, then Robert’s Rules.

[Rule 2] : Spirit of the Game. Floor people shall consider the best interest of the game and fairness as top priority in the decision-making process. Unusual circumstances can, on occasion, dictate that the technical interpretation of the rules be ignored. The Floor’s decision is final.

[Rule 3] : Speak Up. If a rule is violated and you care, say something. We don’t have dedicated dealers so rules don’t get enforced if no one speaks up. Your silence is your consent.

[Rule 4] : Floor Rulings. Any player, in the hand or not, may request a Floor Ruling. [yourname here] is usually the Floor, assuming he has not delegated the Floor to someone else. If the Floor is in the hand, the Floor MAY delegate the decision to another person but is not required to do so.

[Rule 5] : Do Not Splash The Pot. Regardless of how good your Russian accent is.

[Rule 6] : Making Change – Vegas Method. Do not make change by taking chips off someone else’s posted bet. DO NOT COALESCE THE SMALL AND BIG BLIND TO MAKE CHANGE. Make change with another player prior to making your bet, or allow the dealer to make it from the pot at the conclusion of that betting round (“change coming” Vegas method).

[Rule 7] : Blind Increases. Whether or not you were “posted” is not what determines whether or not increased blinds were due. Blinds go up on the next hand after the timer expires.

Note for 2p2: how you define when the next hand begins depends on how many decks you are using, etc., we use two decks and shuffle behind, so the "first riffle" rule doesn't work for us. I deleted the specific rule we use because you have to decide it for yourself based on how you handle the self-dealing

[Rule 8] : Penalties. The typical first penalty is 1 round, calculated as discussed in the TDA rules. However, Floor has complete discretion and is not limited to only round-based penalties. Chip fines, or any other creative penalties, are possible if the situation warrants.

[Rule 9] : Antes. In self-dealt tournaments with antes, the dealer shall pay any antes that are determined to be missing if it cannot be determined who did not ante. Dealer’s liability extends up until the point at which the first post-flop bet is made. After the first post-flop bet the pre-flop pot shall stand as valid even if it is then discovered to be incorrect. Dealers should use correct procedure when collecting antes to ensure that none are missed.

[Grasshopp3r]

It is important to have a copy of the rules available.

I like your "spirit of the game" rule. I have some others that cover expected conduct, don't be disruptive, etc.

[Keystoned]

We have had quite a bit or argument about showdown order at the river at my local bar / home game lately. The debate is that if there is no action on the river, is the showdown order based on position, or the last player to initiate aggressive action?

ie - 2 players in the pot on the turn, player 1 checks, player 2 bets, player 1 calls. On the river player 1 checks, player 2 checks. Does player 1 show his cards first because of his position, or because player 2 initiated the last aggressive action is he required to show first?

[Triantafylidis]

Player 1 must show first if the river is check/checked. Since player 2 did not innitiate any action on the river, player 1 must show, ive seen people just muck right away, which usually player 2 would have no problem with because he won the pot. However, if player 1 mucks and player 2 requests to see his hand, it may be flipped as long as it did not hit the mucked cards on the table. (bad etiquette, but it DOES happen)

[Small Fry]

[ QUOTE ]
We have had quite a bit or argument about showdown order at the river at my local bar / home game lately. The debate is that if there is no action on the river, is the showdown order based on position, or the last player to initiate aggressive action?

ie - 2 players in the pot on the turn, player 1 checks, player 2 bets, player 1 calls. On the river player 1 checks, player 2 checks. Does player 1 show his cards first because of his position, or because player 2 initiated the last aggressive action is he required to show first?

[/ QUOTE ]

Two different ways to do this. Go back to who initiated last action and show order is based on that. So P2 would show first. Other way is to go in order, so P1 would show first. Sounds like you guys just need to adopt a rule and put it in place.