Here's my current top 20 list, built with help from many on the forum:
- This game is for fun, so only play with what you can afford to lose. Please no chip souvenirs!
- All chips must be purchased from the house. Cash games are table stakes. Rebuys are capped at the initial buy-in or half the big stack, whichever is greater. Amounts less than a dollar are rounded down at cash-out.
- In cash games, you may not remove any portion of your buy-in or winnings from the table.
- Higher denomination chips must be easily viewable by the entire table (i.e., in front/on top). Tournament chips must never be pocketed, else they will be forfeited from tournament play.
- Protect your hand at all times (e.g., use a card protector). This includes not folding your hand until the dealer reads all hands and awards the pot to a specific player at showdown.
- One player to a hand. No sharing live or folded hands, and don’t dig in the muck. Refrain from comments on a hand in play. You may discuss a hand with an opponent only if you are heads-up with only one player.
- Don’t splash the pot. Players should keep bets in front of them until the end of action for that round of betting. Change will be made at the end of action, then chips will be pushed into the pot.
- For split pot games, both players should confirm the split before chips are taken from any side pots or main pot. Put chips in the pot, then do the split(s), and avoid doing splitting math in your head. Resolve the last side pot first, and then work back to the main pot.
- If you throw a single chip into the pot without first announcing a raise, then you have called. Change should be made at the end of the action for any round of betting.
- Please act in turn, as Folding, Checking, or Betting out of turn can affect the other players in the hand. 4 bet max for Limit (i.e., Bet—Raise—ReRaise—Cap) unless players are heads-up prior to the beginning of a betting round, in which case the number of bets is uncapped. No cap on betting rounds for Pot Limit or No Limit.
- Verbal declarations are binding. No string betting: any verbal bet starting with “I see/call your bet, and XXX” is a call. If you want to raise, start with “Raise”. A single forward motion of chips in the pot is binding. Cut your chips before moving a stack toward the pot, else you are betting the stack.
- Out-of-turn action is binding, unless a player sitting before that action changes it with a bet or raise. A "call" or “raise” may be ruled not binding if it is obvious that the player grossly misunderstood the amount wagered (e.g., did not notice a raise, or mis-heard a raise amount). In a gross misunderstanding situation, the player may withdraw the wager and reconsider the action, provided that no one else has subsequently acted.
- Cards speak once all cards are tabled for all to see. The pot will be awarded to the best hand showing, even if a player misreads the hand. Players should not comment on any hand with all cards not tabled for all to see.
- If you show one person your cards, you must show all at end of play. This includes shown folds.
- Shuffle behind the button. Someone who didn’t shuffle the deck must always cut the deck with a single hand. Keep all cards on the table, and in view of all players at all times. If you notice a damaged or unusual card, call the house for replacement.
- Don’t pre-deal hands, as the burn cards protect the players. Don’t rearrange cards or announce possible hands. Keep the Flop, Turn, and River in order, so players can reconstruct the hand.
- The clock may be called on any player who has taken more than 2 minutes to make a decision. The host will give the player an additional 2 minutes to announce/make a decision, else their hand is folded. Please avoid slow play. Repeated delaying of the game is not allowed.
- If the house provides food/drink, throwing in a few bucks to help is appreciated. There is no rake.
- No smoking inside, take it outside and use a can for an ashtray.
- If any situation outside of these limited rules arises, Robert’s Rules of Poker will be used to make a decision. A copy is kept on site, and house interpretations / decisions / exceptions that are made to preserve the best interests of the game are final. If the house is involved in a dispute, a non-partisan person will be chosen to make a ruling (ideally announced in advance).
Please respect the players, the house, and the game. Failure to do so, or to follow these rules, may result in your ejection and exclusion from future events.