Bluegate Poker Supplies
Based in Singapore
Poker Rules & Etiquette
- English only at the table (or the designated language).
- Keep your cards and chips on the table and in plain view. Keep your big chips in front.
- Only players involved in the hand are allowed to talk about the hand.
- Do not act out of turn.
- Do not splash the pot. Place your bet within arms reach of the dealer. The dealer will make any necessary change and move your chips into the pot at the end of betting.
- When betting or raising, it is best to announce your bet verbally before you move your chips. Otherwise, move and release your chips in one motion. You are not allowed to go back and forth from your stack to make a bet (called a “string” bet), unless you announce the amount of your bet beforehand. If you announce “raise,” you can go back and forth once and you are not required to say the amount beforehand. If you say “I call your 100 and raise you another 100,” that is only a call.
- A single chip pre-flop without a verbal announcement is considered only a call. Post-flop, it is the full value of the chip.
- One player to a hand (no help from another player or visitor).
- “Show one show all,” (if you show your hand to one person, you must show it to all).
- Players who are all-in must reveal their hands.
- The cards speak for themselves. A winning hand must be placed face up on the table.
- A hand is dead as soon as it is in motion, face down, towards the dealer or muck.
- Unless you suspect cheating, do not ask to view a hand that has been called.
- Do not “slow-roll.” Turn over your winning hand promptly. In a showdown, the “called” hand is supposed to show first. If there was no betting action on the last round (ie it was checked around), either the last person to initiate a called action should show first, or players should show in order from the button. In practice, as soon as someone thinks they have the winning hand, it should be shown quickly.
- Do not “soft play” (bring your A game, even against spouses or friends). This is especially important when more than 2 players are contesting a pot and at all times in tournaments.
Rules Specific to Tournaments
- No rabbit-hunting (seeing what the next cards would have been).
- No chopping (splitting) the blinds.
- If a third person is all-in, the remaining two players cannot verbally agree to check down the hand. This is often correct tournament strategy, but it cannot be signaled in advance.
- The “Dead button” rule will be used. If the person in the small blind busts out of the tournament, the button moves to that empty seat on the next hand and the blinds are posted normally. If the big blind busts out, the big blind is posted normally on the next hand and there is no small blind. Then, the next hand after that would have a dead button in the empty seat. If both blinds are eliminated on the same hand, the button moves to the first dead position, there is no small blind, and then the big blind is posted normally. On the next hand after that, the button moves to the second dead seat and blinds are posted normally.
- When the third to last player is eliminated and play becomes “heads up,” the big blind is posted as it would be normally by the player who was previously in the small blind and the other person becomes the dealer and small blind.
- For heads up play, the button is in the small blind and acts first before the flop and last after the flop. The first card is dealt to the big blind.
About Bluegate Poker Supplies. Bluegate Poker Supplies is run out of Singapore and primarily serves Asia (Shipping Info). We can also deliver to your hotel or office if you are traveling through Singapore. Our Singapore Warehouse is centrally located only a 5km taxi ride from the Central Business District and major hotels. Please Email Us with any comments or questions. We look forward to being your home poker products resource in Asia!
