WSOP Rules

From the World Series of Poker tournament website, here are some of the rules for the event, some of which are ridiculous and/or not know and/or put into play at home games when they should not be, and some of which people still run over even at a home game when they shouldn’t:

4. Everyone must bet in proper order. Don’t fold out of turn. Also, if someone announces a raise, but not the amount of the raise it is not appropriate for you to fold even if you are the first player to act (i.e. left of the player announcing raise) until the player announces the amount of the raise.

5. No-Rabbit Hunting – Any player rabbit hunting will automatically receive a 10-minute penalty. No warning will be given. During penalty, the player’s blinds will be posted, and their hands will be mucked.

7. 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.

8. No soft playing, i.e. agreeing to check it down, etc.

10. Don’t show your cards, or talk about your hand, or the hand in play with other players until the hand is complete.

11. Do not look at folded cards or cards from hands which are having blinds posted for them.

12. When not in the hand, it is not acceptable to try to influence the play of another player. i.e. You cannot state things like; “You have to call”, “Come on gamble a little bit”, etc.

16. Only the player(s) playing in the hand has the right to ask to see any called hand. That being said, this may be considered poor etiquette.

20. A hand will be ruled dead if any cards are intentionally shown prior to show down. This rule includes heads-up situations.

23. Any player at the table, who is still in the tournament, regardless if the player is involved in the current hand, may call for the clock. After the clock has been called, the player will have 60 seconds to take action. A 30 second warning will be given, and a countdown will begin at 10 seconds. Failure to act before the end of the 60 seconds will result in the player’s hand being mucked. Continued abuse by a player, will result in successive clocks decreasing in time. Additionally, if a player calls clock too quickly, the Tournament Director may disallow it.

26. Higher denomination chips must be placed where they are easily visible to all other players at all times.

30. When heads-up, the small blind is on the button, and acts first. When beginning heads up play, the person who posted the big blind on the last hand prior to heads up will assume the button. This is to ensure no player takes the big blind twice in a row.

32. You must show both cards at showdown to claim pot.

33. Show one show all rule applies. That being said, if you win a hand, because everyone mucks, you have the right to show zero, one, or both of your cards. (** I don’t like this rule at all. Part of the strategy of the game is lying, and to take out lying at a crucial part of the hand such as after a pot is won, you shouldn’t have to be required to show both cards if you show one. An old rule that should be dismissed, IMO.)

34. All cards will be turned face up once a player is all-in and all betting action is complete. (** I personally think this rule is appropriate for tournaments only. In cash games a player should not be required to show their hole cards except to drag the pot.)

37. A player must show both cards when playing the board in order to get part of the pot.

39. Exposure of one of the first two cards dealt will be considered a misdeal. Players may be dealt two consecutive cards on the button. (** This rule is often mistaken in house games.)

40. At showdown, the player whose bet was called must show first. In the event there was not bet, the player left of the button shows first and so on clockwise around the table.

For complete rules, have a look at: this page.