It's poker at its most scintillating and every single day thousands of poker players try their luck against friends, family and strangers in both online and live Texas Hold'em tournaments. Want to learn the ins and outs of Texas Holdem Tournaments so you can play a few yourself? Read on below for a full walkthrough of all the most important Texas Holdem tournament rules!
What is a Texas Holdem Tournament?
The idea behind tournament poker is simple: Every player puts up a buy-in and gets a set number of tournament chips. Unlike a cash game, where players can buy in for different amounts and leave the table at any time, Texas Holdem tournaments have a set beginning and end.
Players can only buy-into the tournament in the first few levels up to the end of the "late registration period." And receive the same starting stack. All of the tournament buy-ins are collected into a total prize pool which is then paid out according to a finishing positions.
A single table tournament is called a "Sit-and-Go" (SnG) and begins when all the seats at a single table have been occupied. A Multi-Table Tournament (MTT) spreads tournament players over multiple tables and gradually narrows the field as players are eliminated. A Texas Holdem tournament is over when one player has acquired all of the tournament chips and is declared the winner.
Usually around 10-20% of the field "makes the money" in a tournament with a "min-cash" being the smallest amount a player who cashes can win. It's typically a little more than the original buy-in while the prizes for the players at the final table make up the majority of the payouts. The winner of a Texas Holdem tournament takes home the largest share of the prize pool. In most tournaments this is hundreds to thousands of dollars; in the bigger buy-in events the winner's share can be well into the millions!
Many online poker sites now also offer one- or two-week long online poker tournament series where they run multiple tournaments a day of all different varieties at at various buy-in levels. The series usually culminates in a Main Event (or multiple Main Events) with huge guaranteed prize pools.
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Texas Holdem Tournament Rules
When players sit down for a cash game they pick a table with a set blind level (eg $1/$2 or $2/$5). Those blind levels don't change as play goes on. For a change in blind levels, players have to get up and move to a different table with different limits.
In a Texas Holdem tournament, the blinds (required bets from two players before the start of each hand) increase at set intervals to both force the action and adjust for players accumulating chips by eliminating other players.
Play in a Texas Holdem poker tournament proceeds hand-by-hand with the blinds going up in small increments in regular intervals. Anywhere from minutes to hours. Players can't then just sit around and wait for big hands as they will run out of chips as they pay higher and higher blinds. When you've run out of chips, you're out of the tournament. Where you are eliminated is where you finish in the tournament and determines if you win money and how much.
In a standard Hold'em tournament, as mentioned, 10% to 20% of the field is paid out with most of the money reserved for the top spots. Because you can win so much more than your initial buy-in, big tournaments attract both pros and amateurs trying to make a big score. Each Texas Holdem tournament's rules vary slightly so it's always a good idea to brush up before the tournament starts.
Standard Texas Holdem Tournament Rules
Each poker tournament has its own set of rules that will govern play. Whether you're playing in your own local card room or stepping up to the World Series of Poker, the tournament rules will be prepared by the Tournament Director beforehand and posted/distributed for all to see.
It is VERY IMPORTANT before you sit down in a Texas Holdem tournament that you read the local rules beforehand. These will guide you to all the standard rules that will apply in the tournament.
While a lot of the rules will be consistent across venues and TDs, minor variations will always exist and it's important to know how rulings will be made.
Different types of tournaments - eg Bounty Tournaments, Heads-Up Tournaments, Freezeout Poker Tournaments - will all have different rules variations as well so it's critical to know exactly what type of tournament you're playing in.
Here are some of the most standard rules that will apply when paying most Texas Holdem tournaments.
- Entrance Fees - All entrance fees are usually paid before play begins. Generally the house takes a 5%-10% fee for providing the tables and dealers and administering the game. This is true both live and online. For example in a $200+$20 tournament, $200 goes to the prize pool and $20 would go to the house.
- Seat Assignment- Your seat will randomly be assigned to you. You will usually be given a card with your table and seat number on it. That is your seat until a tournament director tells you otherwise. Unlike in cash games, there are no seat changes until your table is "broken" as players are eliminated and the remaining players are consolidated.
- Starting Stacks- When you arrive at the table your starting stack will be at your seat.
- Tournament chips have no cash value and you cannot cash out at any point during the tournament.
- It's always a good idea to double check your chips against the posted starting stack to make sure you have the correct amount of chips.
- The total amount of your starting stack varies from tournament to tournament.
- Blind Levels - The way tournaments differ from cash games is that the blinds increase at regular intervals.
- This is to force play and get the action going. You can usually get a sheet from a floor person that tells you the schedule of blind increases and what the blinds will be.
- Online you can find this information in the tournament lobby.
- It's a good idea to get familiar with the blind structure before playing. If the blinds increase and your dealer has already cut the cards, the blinds will increase on the next hand.
- The Deal - The deal proceeds exactly as it does in a cash game. The two players to the left of the button are the small blind and the big blind. After each hand the button moves one seat to the left. The button is determined in the first hand completely randomly.
- Absent Players - All players must be dealt into the hand and their blinds/antes forced into the pot whether they are at the table or not. If the player is not present by the time his second card is dealt, his hand will be ruled dead.
- Breaking Tables - As players are eliminated the tournament director will start breaking tables in a pre-determined order. If your table breaks, you will be assigned randomly to an empty seat at one of the remaining tables.
- All-in Bets - A player who declares himself all in plays for all of the chips in front of him. If the other player has more he is only entitled to an amount equal to his own stack. The same goes for an all-in player that has less than his required blind. He is only entitled to what he put in.
- All-in confrontations - When two players are all in and the action is completed, both hands must be exposed face up before the rest of the board is run.
- Calling the Clock - A player can request the pit boss to force a player to choose an action in a set amount of time (typically 90 seconds). If the player fails to act in that time, his or her hand is folded. Only a player seated at the table at the time the current hand was dealt can call the clock.
- Multiple Busts - If two players go broke on the same hand the player with the greater amount of chips at the start of the hand finishes in the higher position.
- Showing Cards - Intentionally exposing a card is illegal in tournament play and a hand can be ruled dead as well as a time penalty issued.
- Inappropriate play- Inappropriate play such as swearing and or throwing cards is punishable by a penalty.
- Coloring up - The lowest chip denomination in play will be removed from the table when it is no longer needed in the blind or ante structure.
All lower-denomination chips that are of sufficient quantity for a new chip will be changed up directly. I.E if you have five $25 chips you would get one $100 chip and have one odd chip. The method for removal of odd chips is as follows:- Starting at seat 1, (if there is a professional dealer, this will be the player directly to the dealer's left) deal this player one card face up for every odd chip they hold. Continue clockwise around the table until all players have one card for each of their odd chips.
- Add the $ amount of all odd chips together. You want to replace the odd chips with chips of the next lowest denomination. For example: If there are eight $25 chips, you want to replace them with two $100 chips.
- If there are an odd number of odd chips on the table: If the amount of the final chips is equal to half, or more, of the value of the next lowest chip, these chips are replaced by the higher value chip. If the total value is less than half, the odd chips are simply removed from the table.
- Give the first replaced chip to the player with the highest value card by rank. With every player only eligible to receive one chip, continue giving a chip to the player with the highest value card until all chips are gone. This is known as a chip race.
- Hand-for-hand play - As play approaches the bubble (when the money starts) play may go hand for hand. This means that all tables will deal a hand and the next hand will not be dealt until all tables have completed their hand.
- Heads up - When two players are left you have reached heads up play. In this scenario the small blind is the button and acts first before the flop but last on all ensuing streets.
- Deal-making - In most circumstances players are allowed to make a deal to distribute the remaining prize money at any point. All players must be in agreement as to the altered payouts, which are usually distributed according to ICM or each player's remaining amount of chips. Tournament directors typically ask players to leave a small percentage of the prize pool aside to play for and to determine an ultimate champion of the tournament. Total payouts are divided entirely at the players' discretion so a player who finishes third or fourth can feasibly take home more money than the eventual tournament winner.
It is up to you to know the basic Texas Holdem Tournament Rules when playing in a tournament. Not properly educating yourself can cause you to unknowingly commit an infraction and get penalized or even disqualified!
Texas Hold'em Sit-and-Go (SnG) Tournament Rules
A Texas Holdem Sit & Go tournament (SnG) is a tournament that is typically played on a single table. Play begins when all seats at the table are full. Players pay a fixed buy-in and get the exact same amount of starting chips.
Play proceeds hand-for-hand with the blinds rising incrementally at set intervals. When a players loses all of his or her chips, he or she is out of the tournament. Play proceeds until one player is left with all the chips. The top 3 players are usually the only players paid with the winner getting the majority of the prize money.
Texas Holdem Jackpot SnG Rules
Texas Holdem Jackpot SnGs like PokerStars' Spin & Gos and 888poker's BLAST tournaments have become extremely popular over the last few years.
These are turbo (or hyper turbo) SnG tournaments with blind levels that increase very quickly. Most ore played with just 3 or 4 players per tournament.
Players pay a set buy-in and get the same amount of starting chips but the total prize pool - which is usually just the sum of all the buy-ins less the fees - is multiplied by a random multiplier before the tournament begins.
This can mean the prize pool is anywhere from 2x to 10,000x the total buy-ins. The largest ones on PokerStars, for example, pay out $1m to the 3 players with the winner taking $600,000 or more for just just a $5 or $10 buy-in.
Texas Holdem FAQs
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What are the top Texas Holdem Official Rules?
1. BUY-IN - In a cash game, there is a minimum buy-in to enter, but you can reload or buy more chips at any point outside a hand. In a tournament you buy-in once, with the possibility of re-entering. Your starting stack is typically 100 big blinds or more.
2. DEALER BUTTON - This represents the 'rotating' dealer which moves after each hand. To choose the first dealer, each player picks a face-down card from the deck and the one with the highest value card is the dealer.
3. BLINDS - There are two 'blind' players after the button (clockwise) - Small and Big Blind. The big blind is the call price of the round and small blind is half of that. These are forced bets that the players in question need to put out to build a pot, irrelevant of their hand.
4. DEALING - You need to deal clockwise around the table, starting from the small blind. Each player gets one card at a time for a total of two hole cards. After a round of betting here, you deal 3 cards for the flop followed by another betting round. Then one more card for the turn, more betting, then one more river card and final betting. Before dealing each round, the dealer must 'burn' the card at the top of the deck
5. ACTIONS - Every time cards are dealt or turned on the board, there is an action. Choose to check (do nothing), bet (add chips to the pot), call (match someone's bet), raise (add even more chips than the bettor), or fold (discard their hand and exit the round). A bet must be at least worth two big blinds. Or if you raise, it must be at least double the previous bet. Each round is only over when all players have acted - either placed their chips, folded or checked around.
6. BETTING / RAISING RULES - You need to declare your intent to raise or the amount before making an action. Or bring their chip raise amount into play at the same time. You can't place chips gradually - This is known as a string bet and would be considered a call.
7. SHOWDOWN - Unless everyone folds to one player, the best hand at showdown (showing cards after last betting round post-river) wins the pot. The player who bet on the river should reveal their hand first. The other/s can show or muck/fold their hand and give up the pot.
8. THE BEST HAND - Poker hand rankings are as follows, with the best ranging from top to bottom:
Royal Flush
Straight Flush
Quads
Full House
Flush
Straight
Three of a Kind
Two Pairs
One Pair
High Card -
How many Texas Holdem betting rounds are there?
There are FOUR Texas Holdem betting rounds:
- pre-flop
- post-flop
- after the turn
- after the river (showdown) -
How should the Texas Holdem layout be?
Note that the Texas Holdem layout includes three flop boxes, one turn box and one river card box on the felt table. You may also have a play section marked on the table where your bets are made, away from your stack -
How many players for Texas Holdem?
A Texas Holdem cash game is played on a single table with 2 to 10 players. The goal in a cash game is to win as many chips as you can. A multi-table tournament will have a number of players divided into multiple tables with 9-10 players on each table. As players run out of chips and are eliminated, the number of tables reduces until the final table (9-10 players). Play continues until heads up (2 players) and then the final prize winner. -
How do blinds work in Texas Holdem?
There are two 'blind' players after the button (clockwise) - Small and Big Blind. The big blind is the call price of the round and small blind is half of that. These are forced bets that the players in question need to put out to build a pot, irrelevant of their hand. This is to induce more action from these players because they have the worst position. Otherwise they'd never play! -
How many cards do you get in Texas Holdem?
Texas Hold'em combines your two hole cards with the five community cards. The player with the best 5-card hand (out of 7) including BOTH hole cards wins the pot for that round. -
What's the most common winning hand in Texas Holdem?
The hand rankings are placed in that order for a reason. The more valuable cards are the ones that are harder to get. So by default, since High cards and single pairs fall at the bottom, these are the most common hands to hit. Therefore, Ace or King high cards, or pairs - most likely a pair of face cards since they're played more. -
What's the worst starting hand in Texas Holdem?
72 off-suit is mathematically the worst starting hand you can have in Texas Holdem. In fact, many home or cash games on TV have a bonus for winning with this hand to induce action. -
Do you shuffle after EVERY Texas Holdem hand?
It's called the Shuffle and Cut - and it's done after every hand. When a round is over and the pot is won and distributed, the deck must be shuffled. Live card rooms will alternate decks between hands. The deck must also be cut with minimum four cards with the bottoms of the decks hidden from players. Only then can dealer deal the next hand.
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4 players are in the hand, bets in, then comes the flop little blind goes all in with less
than the big blind. next player calls, does he put in only what the little blind put in, to
cover the bet, 3rd player calls also. does he put only what the all in bet or does he and
the other player have to match the big ante.?
@Don – this depends really on house rules, but most common is that the player that gets called have to show his hand first while the caller can then choose if he wants to show or muck his hand. Many places in cash games you would always have to reveal your hand in all-in situations to avoid people potentially colluding.
After the river two players are heads up one goes all in the other calls the all in now does both hands have to be revealed…? Thanks
when a player in a tournament goes all in against a player with less chips and a player with more chips and then mucks his cards before the turn what happens?
Hey Michael, they will have to show cards at showdown regardless and their stack is already part of the pot.
Is there any rule in NLP that says a player with an unbeatable hand after the river MUST declare it by raising the bet last placed?
@Lou, this comes down to casino house rules. But in general: yes, a player who has the nuts on the river and the last action, has to either bet or raise. This is to prevent soft playing between to parties.
When a player is eliminated from play, causing an empty seat, wha thappens t0 the arrangement of the small blind and the big blind? For instance; a player is in the small blind
location, and is eliminated. Does the small blind position move to the next person (who would actually be in the big blind position?
Hey Milt,
Yes exactly, if small blind is eliminated, the big blind moves forward (as always – you can’t be BB twice)
So the new small blind would be the player who was big blind the last round.
The button moves to the vacated position in this case, so you’d have a dead button.
Now say the BB busts, then there would be a dead small blind next hand, and the previous SB player is now the button.
The hand after that, you would have a dead button, then next hand you have normal SB, BB and button positions again.
If the button busts, it makes no difference, because the blinds rotate clockwise, and we have another orbit before reaching the vacated seat.
1)what is meant by “open cards”?
2)in rules for showdown on wsop page, both players must show their cards before the remainder of the board can be dealt
3)player A may muck his cards at any time after revealing them.
Sorry this may sound stupid but had this situation last night and I would like to know the RULES.
Player A (p), B (w), and C (l) playing. A – check, B – all in, C – fold, A – call.
1) Who opens cards first if river still needs to be dealt. Dealer / A / B / Both Players
(My answer – Dealer)
2) MUST player A show his cards?
(My answer – No, his choice)
3) May player A muck his cards?
(My answer – Yes, his choice)
Question…..at any poker table is it legal or fair for a husband and wife to sit next to each other and give each other chips and split pots they win with each other????
Hello, in tournament play, can the blinds be chopped as in a cash game?
of course…I wouldn’t put it past such players signaling the cards they have…it gives them more info, but the advantage against other players is probably minimal…you still have to get good cards…bluffs eventually get called and do lose
whatever is 10 times that…stabbing a cocktail straw in his eye sounds about right
of course…most players are not looking…but there are scumbags who will try to get whatever edge they can…protecting against that is completely legal…also, lower your chair so you don’t have to lift the cards that high
it depends on the tournament. the tournament is usually closed after the 3rd, 4th or 5th round. It allows for bigger payouts. Joining late is similar to a rebuy. If a player busts and then rebuys, they are starting in the middle of the tournament with the starting stack. So if rebuys are allowed, why not an initial buy? Both are starting at the same level…
The player first in line to bet shows first. The player second in line who isn’t all-in can muck if he doesn’t beat it. The all-in player always shows.
You should split 4th and 3rd place as you share this position by all measures
Once the all-in was called both cards had to show. He won fairly, but all cards should have been showed once the betting was completed, before the river showed up.
Once the cards are thrown, gesturing a fold, the hand is folded for good.
Other players will still have to put in 800, even though the big blind couldnt afford it. The big blind player will be all-in and can play for a side pot equal to his current stack + the same amount for every caller.
The strength of a hand is determined by 5 cards. So if the flush on the table is
AJ975, then any held card higher than 5 improves the flush and so can beat lower held cards. If the held cards are 4,3 and 2, then those are irrelevant because the 5 cards on the board have higher strength. In this case it would be split pot.
Your thought is correct.
It is surely a violation of the rules. What the penalty to this violation is can differ from one tournament to the other.
I know that the minimum raise is either the big blind (so if you bet pre-flop you have to at least put 2x bb), or afterwards your raise has to be equal to or larger than the highest raise thus far. So let’s say, there is SB, BB and then someone bets 4BB, the minimum raise from thereon would be 4BB-BB = 3BB. So if the next person wants to raise, his minimum should be 4BB+3BB = 7BB. As this math quickly becomes quite complicated after many reraises, I can imagine that in live tournaments no such rules exist. I can’t tell for sure though.
Just remember that each player’s strength is decided by 5 cards. If you both have a pair of Q’s, the next 3 highest cards out of the 5 remaining will decide who wins. So AQ will beat Q6 in your example.
If, however, you play Q5 vs Q7, and the table shows AQ984, then both players would have QQ + AQ9 as their best 5 cards, so they would have the same strength. In this situation the 5 and 7 are irrelevant cards. This is also why there is no such thing as “3 pair” as only 5 cards make up the strength of a hand.
Correct, you can say what cards your opponent has, but not what card you have yourself.
the player with more chips at the start of the round.
In Texas Hold em tournament with last 3 players left: Player 1 goes all in 100, player 2 goes all inn 200, player 3 calls. Player 3 has the best hand and takes the whole pot. Player 1 has a better hand than player 2, but had less chips at start of round, who takes 2nd place?
sounds like you’re playing with some d-bags….
never heard that double rule.. you’re in for your blind whether you post it before you look or after
— they dont necessarily have to be all in im just using an example
say im in a hand with someone heads up and they go all in…. can i say as a rhetorical question “what do you have the ace?” or something along those lines?? i can guess what they have as long as i dont say what i have right??
Yep, each player can raise as they like. Or just match and stay in. You may ruffle some feathers in terms of unwritten rules, like betting 1x, 2x, 3x of the pot, but no official rule.
Nobody can show cards while players are still playing. If there was an all in, then a second all in, there should still be no cards shown until the last player enters and makes bet (would have to be equal to highest all in) or also goes all in.
Player with the 6, as they both have one pair of 3s, with each having a Q kicker, so you go to the second kicker, which is the highest next card (6)… Also, if there is a higher community card than the 6, there would be a split purse.
Yes, the Ace acts as a kicker causing the win. Just remember the kicker has to be higher than the highest community card, or the pot would be split as they would tie.
If your big blind and look at your hand before you post blind you must pay a penalty and post blind twice? It doesn’t matter what you do you still have to post blind???
A new hold’em rule, if one at all, was just brought to my attention by an opponent while playing in our regional community play group. As our play is generally scheduled at local pool halls we certainly don’t have use of casino type tables instead having the folding Texas Hold em table tops.This type of table top has no betting lines reflected on felt which would dictate whether a player has actually made a bet or not.
In my recent situation, my chips were about four inches from the edge of the table which would had been well short of the betting line on the table if there had been one. As I grabed my hole cards and slide them towards the edge so that I could discretely view them, I had. two opponents stated that “Since my hole cards were then located behind my chips that I had initiated an “All In” bet. Of course my response was What!!!”. I have never heard of such a rule.
I can’t even begin to think that if I went to ANY casino, and had my chips well short of the betting line, that the dealer would state “Your cards just went behind your cards to you have an all in bet, even though they aren’t even near a betting line.
Thoughts, Ideas, Etc……thanks
when everyone folds and you are the only left you win. but if you are playing for a high hand pot on the side. dose that hand also win the high hand. or is the hand dead after everyone fold.
If 2 people both have a queen in hand and a queen in the middle, so a pair of Queens one has an ace the other has a six does the player with an ace high win?
If two players have queens but 1 has queen and a 2 and the other has a queen and a 6 but theres two 3s in the middle who wins
One player goes all in and then a second player raises and goes all in as well. Can a third player call the second player’s all in after the third player has shown a player his both cards?
If the big blind is 2 chips and player 3 raises 6 chips to a total of 8 chips can player 4 re-raise to a total of 10 chips? In other words can player 4 match player 3’s bet of 8 and raise it just one bet of 2 chips to total 10 chips?
If playing in a tournament, a player goes all in pre-flop, someone asks their hand and they declare the correct hand, is the players hand then dead?
When your playing in a tournament is it possible for a player to join in the game once it starts or even 3 hrs into the game? I just played in a tournament where they let people join after almost 3 hrs. I was so pissed that if I had not put up money to play I would have walked out!
playing holdem after the flop one player goes all in 2nd player called, after the flop an river the 2nd play had 3 cards what the rule?
I am bothered by a local game that seems to have established the practice of allowing absent players to play a hand right up to a raise being made. This practice is not only unethical but constitutes a serious form of cheating that could cause significant loss of money in games to present players being forced to play against players abusing the temporary absence rule to suddenly rejoin just as betting approaches their seat. My bets in a nine-handed game may be significantly different than in a seven-handed game where both blinds are absent from the table following all starting cards being dealt. The odds change significantly in a table with two fewer players and this can encourage a present player to bet or stay in the hand based on the lower number if players at the table and improved odds.
This means clearly, I can gain an advantage by absenting myself right up till the betting hits my position at which time I can suddenly pop in and take advantage of the changed betting scenario.
This is cheating, and tournament directors or games allowing this are potentially cheating present players out of big pots. Roberts Rules of Poker and all reputable games instruct dealers in tournaments to kill all hands where players are not present once all starting cards have been dealt.
The practice of being “lenient” and allowing rejoining a hand after all starting cards have been dealt is both unethical and an abomination – even in friendly non-cash tournaments where players compete for points to earn a free entry to a cash tournament at seasons end.
It does not make the game more fun, enjoyable, or action conducive to allow absent players to rejoin a hand once all starting cards have been dealt. It is cheating plain and simple and teaches bad etiquette and encourages amoral players to exploit an opportunity that would never be allowed in a WSOP or other high-level tournament and could get you a serious beating for trying in a cash game off the grid.
Would you let a player sit down and take cards once a deal has started? Or do they have to wait?
3 players go allin in same amout of chips 10 8 wins AQ A4 players BOARD was K J 8 6 9 7 5 PLAYERS LEFT 10,8 WINS 3RD PLACE AQ AND A4 KICKED OUT WHOjQuery1110042207470047287643_1398622266416 TAKES DOWN 4TH PLACE AND 5TH
Tourney question 2 players get busted in an all in hand, who get second and who gets third?? I thought the person who had more chips going into hand gets the better ranking
Ok tourney question. 3 players left. All 3 players are all in and lose to chips leader. Who get second place and who gets third. I had more chips than player #3 bit they gave player #3 second place. The rules that I read state that if 2 players are busted on same hand the player with more chops going into hand get higher ranking. They told me that since his hand was better than mine he get second.
When u go all in
in tourament play where best hand for tourament gets prize but hand has to be completed to river My friend Rick and I have different out looks on the completed hand I say if after river is played and one player bets and others fold the hand is not complete Rick say it is because river card has been played Be nice to have the right ruling on this if anyone knows thanks
Is a allowed to cover his hole cards with his hands cupped over the cards? Cupping and covering the hole cards so that other players cannot tell that he has cards.
if a hand is declared dead do you still have to cover the bet
John / Basically once you say raise you are cemmittod to raise. Once you say call you are cemmittod to call and can only call and not raise. Never say the I see your line if you intend to raise as it will just be regarded as a call. You don’t really need to say anything if you put your chips in the middle in one continuous motion. If you string chips into the pot its a call. The one exception is if you put one big chip into the middle its treated as a call rather than a raise unless you say raise . So, if you want to raise without saying raise, make sure you at least use two chips to raise.
You don’t have to worry about being knocked out in cash games. And you don’t have to worry about bldnis going up. I would say no-limit cash games are more profitable given the time that you must invest in tournaments. In large, scheduled tournaments there are many variables and you can spend hours playing without even making it to the bubble. Plus you are out your buy-in and tournament fee. With cash games, you can spend a couple hours at a table and sit on a big stack and wait for cards. Of course, this will work if you have the patience and skill to play accordingly. In both games, I’d still recommend playing tight-aggressive. In the early rounds of a tournament, you want to play especially tight. Many bad players feel they need to play loosely because a) the bldnis are small and they can afford to play a lot of hands and b) they think that if they can build a big stack quickly, they have a better chance at playing and c) they’d rather take the chance of being knocked out early than wasting their time without making it to the bubble. In my experience, you’ll see a lot of bad beats in the early stages of tournaments because bad players play lots of bad cards, and you’ll see a lot of bad poker plays and suckouts. You can become the aggressor in the mid stages, when everyone is trying to make the bubble rather than go deep. This is the time you can buy a lot of pots. In cash games, it’s a similar strategy except for that like I mentioned before, there are no blind raises and you aren’t playing for 1st or 2nd. You are playing to eat chips. The best way I find to win at cash games is develop a tight table image and try to show down big hands early. This can take a while if you are not getting cards right away.
What’s the penalty for another player touching my cards
What’s the penalty for one player touching another’s cards
pre-arranged aggrement between two players b4 tournament play to never bet against each other when they are only two in a hand, THIS A FORM OF CHEATING , RIGHT ?
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A flush is on the table 2 players have a card of that suit but not higher than the card on the table. Does the player with the higher card win or is it a spilt pot?
when player is in the big blind position but has less than big blind such as small is 400 and big is 800 does the other players still have to pit in 800 or just the amount big blind has which is 400
Question – After the flop there are two players still active. One player bets and then the other one shows his card to another player. Is this considered a muck or not?
I was in a hand and I called an all-in. I mucked my cards and there was a player still in. Question… even if I mucked my cards can I still stay in even if there was another player besides the all-in
With 4 players left, all fold back to the little blind. He throws his cards to the center of the table but the cards don’t touch te muck cards. Can he retrive his cards and play them?
if a player acts out of turn and gose allin and a player reraises can the player take back his allin??
can anyone help i was at the casino playing poker pick up 10 9 and see a flop it comes down j.6.8. givivg me an open ender so i check he bets i call turn comes q giving me a run i check he bets i go all in he calls for all of hes chips i turn over he see’s i have a run and cucks hes hand face down towards the muck dealer then turns river and comes a king then player picks hes cards back up and shows.. ace 10 and i lose. when he chuked hes cards in should they have been dead cards thanks would like know
if small blind goes all in with less than double the blind is his raise capped or the rest of the players have to double the blind in a texsas holdem turny?
When playing live games and someone wins the hand and doen’t realise…. then walks away, then do I win the hand?
What is the ruling when dealer overturns accidently the first or any burnt card?
Hi , my question is, Should a poker diretor be allowed to play in a active tornament whilst directing that tornament. My second question is Should his sister be allowed to play?
4 players are left at the final table. Before the flob the player last to act decides to go all in. The first two players fold and as the last to act pushes his cards across the betting line to all in throws his cards to the muck pile. The last to act player then retrieves his cards from beyond the betting line before the dealer can grab them and calls the all in bet. Were his cards dead as a result of pushing them across the line? He did this because the all in players cards landed on the muck pile and were not retrievable. The last to act player took the pot in the result.. What should have been the floors ruling on this???
How do you determine Who gets third and fourth place when you and the other person who has also gone all in has the same chip count and the same hand, and a third person takes you both out. We are in a league and this was a arguement for the night, do you just split the third place winnings and points or do you go by who went all in first would get the 4th place and who went all in second would get third place? Remember same hand and same chip count and neither won. Please help!!
we had an interesting situation at our weekly hold’em game…
4 players remained… players 1 and 2 mucked after the flop, and players 3 and 4 stayed in to see the turn and river. player 3 mucked, leaving player 4 to win the hand with a pair of 9s. player 4 proceeded to collect his chips while the next dealer in line began collecting the cards in preparation for the next deal. when player 3 learned that a pair of 9s had won the hand, he declared that he had actually held a pair of 10s, then reached into the muck pile and retrieved his hand, and then proceeded to take the winnings from player 4. obviously this is bad etiquette at best and ‘illegal’ at worst. what should our recourse be against player 3 during our next game?
person dealing misplaces their cards during, actually placed them on the bottom of the deck, which they express the mistake and they have person that folded look at the 2 cards on the bottom of the deck and asks if they are the same…. which they are… they say those are their cards and proceeds to play…. shouldnt this be a mis deal or person dealing automatically folds?
Another question… person goes all in, no one calls them…. they lay down cards not exposing them… another player picks up cards, looks at them and shows another player…. shouldn’t this player be removed from table?
I had a tournament game. We did not go around the table with the first blindes (time set at 15min/9 players). My question is… Do you go around the table back to the first dealer or just go to the 2nd. blind. Thank you for the help.
do u have to show both cards togeather regardles of weather u are all in or not. Like if i go all in n someone calls me n they show both there cards can i put both cards ova on the table but with one on top of the other with only the bottom card showing
The button is all-in preflop. 2 or more players call the all-in. There was no side pot. No betting on the flop/turn/river. My question is the following, who is supposed to show first, and is every player required to show even after a better hand is turned over?
ive had 7 million chip,s taken of me and i bought most of them and it,s only zynga that could have taken them how do i get them back
ive had 7 million chip,s taken of me and i bought most of them and it,s only zynga that could have taken them how do i get them back
@mari allen
If two players go all-in when all five board cards are showing, only one of them HAS to show their cards. The player who was the last to call does not have to show his hand.
So for example, we’re on the river and I move all-in with the nuts. You call and see that I have the best hand. Since you called you do not have to show your cards.
Also, the term is “mucked” not “muffed”, 😉
@bob sims
Even though Player 4 is all-in for 200, the rest of the players still have to call the 400 big blind preflop.
200 from each player will be put aside as the “Main Pot” and the rest will go to the side pot. The all-in player can only win what is in the main pot, and any further betting done by remaining players goes into the side pot.
@Billie
Generally if a player is not in their seat when the last down-card is dealt, their hand is folded.
@Paul
Generally a raise must meet the minimum raise amount in order to re-open the betting. If the all-in is less than the minimum raise, players still to act can only call or fold.
@Bert
It is our understanding that this constitutes collusion and is against the rules. It’s fine for them to check it down but they cannot agree to soft-play each other as the hand is in progress.
The penalty would depend on the room and staff. The truth is, however, it’s extremely common for multiple players to call an all-in and check it down, especially on the bubble, so chances are it would happen anyway.
@Dan and Mike
Yes in some places there are rules about betting the nuts, but only on the river! We’re not sure about where this rule is enforced but we have heard you will get a penalty for checking the nuts if you’re last to act on the river, since it’s very likely you are soft-playing your opponent.
IF TWO PEOPLE GO ALL IN AND ALL FIVE CARDS HAVE BEEN SHOWN, DOES BOTH PLAYERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO SEE THE CARDS? OR CAN ONE PLAYER MUFF HIS KNOWN HE HAS BEEN BEAT? CAN THE OTHER PERSON STILL SEE THEM? THANKS
blinds are 200 and 400, after the flop players 1,2 and 3 check, player 4 goes all in with 200 chips, dealer calls all in of 200 and players 2,3 and four all call all in of 200. doesn’t the dealer and players 2,3 and four have to bet the big blind?
Question: I was in a game tonight. A player left the table before the hand started and was big blind. Her big blind was put in and the cards were dealt. She never returned to the table during the entire hand, her cards were not folded. The remaining players checked around until the river card was turned over. not one betted and they all flipped over their cards. then they turned her cards over, she won the pot. still had not returned to the table. should she have been allowed to stay in the hand, even though she was not there?
Question: if a player raises all in but the all in is an under raise i.e big blind is 6k but the all in is only 11k then can a player still to act raise again i.e go all in for 40k??
Hi.
Can u help me with this 1, last night i took part in a live rebuy tourmey at Casino only paying 3 places , when we were 4 players left i went all in , player 1 fold player 2 call my all in and player 3 ask player 2 {if i bet can we check it out}. so they did and aswell open there cards while they still had chips infront of them and player 3 won the hand . i just feel that was not leagal and player 3 asking the questions hand should have been declared dead, if i only played agains player 2 i would have won and if player 3 did ask him about the chech down after he commit his chips that would have been good but he ask this before he betted, can u pls. tell me what the rules say .
I would like to see the answer to Mike’s question about requiring, betting the nuts. re 201-08-28
Is there any tournement rule in no limit that you must bet the nuts?
Question,
Please someone settle a little debate at my league. Can you blind raise / straddle under the gun in a tournament? I can’t seem to find a rule stating different. Either side can you point me to some creditable site that has the rule.
I have a question. When we are playing can there be a situation where there is more than 1 small or big blind, and is there different rules about this concerning a cash or tournament game.
Hi there,
I had a sticky one at a very low stakes tournament I was running earlier tonight.
I had a player turn up before the game, register and pay for his seat/stack, earning him a little extra chips for being on time and then mention he would be back soon as he had some pressing engagement.
Game commenced and he still wasn’t back from wherever he’d taken off too. An hour passes and his stack remains active as he is a valid player, just not at the table.
Players have been raising around this stack and stealing blinds in the usual way without any issue. Quite some time in to this small low buy in game (12 players) the blinds go up to 1000/2000 and when the blind comes around to the missing player, he posts his remaining 1300 chips in the big blind position. Under the gun folds along with the next 3 players but then a player goes all in for about 5000. Action continues around the table with all players folding, including the small blind leaving the only two players in the game to be the 1300 all-in big blind and the player that shoved. Obviously the player that shoved his stack took everything except the 1300 that could be matched by the missing player’s all in move.
I flipped the big blinds cards over to reveal AT while the player that shoved showed KJ. No one hit the board and the AT holds. I have the player that had KJ go ballistic at me for 20 mins for awarding a pot to a player that was not present at the table with him continuously referring to him as a dead stack and not as I see it, a player missing from the table.
Did I do the right thing in awarding the pot to the stack that had the better hand based on the fact that he was all in for that hand and thus could not be folded or was it a mistake to award the pot to the player who was not at the table.
I understand it is a very rare situation and very circumstantial as it would not be too often that a player registers and then doesn’t play a single hand. I see it as a valid player’s stack based on the fact that he bought into the game and just chose not to play/didn’t make it back. Is this the way all pot for players that are not at the table should be played?
Thanks a bunch for your help.
Cheers,
Dan
Should second place be determined if in tournament play that pays the top two finishes only, where the last three players finish all-in resulting in one winner? If so, would it be determined by most chips prior to the start of the hand or by the better last hand between the second and third players?
It’s not allowed to show one card when your in a hand. But you may talk! So if that’s so may also tell what kind of hole cards you have or not. Because you may lie about your hand also.
Is this correct?
I play in a regular weekly game and pay $25 per night. $5 to charity, $5 to a final pot and $15 towards the pot that night. There is a point system to determine the final 8 players in the final table at the end of the season for the accumulated total of the weekly $5 per player. I had accumulated enough points for a seat, but I am away a the moment and the final table is coming up.
My question is:
Can someone sit in for me? Or does it go to the next player on the list?
Question, I am looking to join a holdem tournament in Vegas, and the buy in is 300+house. Now, is it usually only the last guy standing who wins money, or does the top 3 or 5 win?
Thanks 🙂
In a recent tournament, everyone had folded except 2 players at our table. On the turn, one player said why don’t we just split this pot without showing our cards. Would that be illegal, improper, or good play?
First to act has one and a half blinds and moves all in. Does the next player have to double the big blind to complete the bet? EX: Blinds are 8k and 16k, First to act goes all in for 12k, does the next player have to complete the bet of 16k or just call the 12k there is 5 people in the hand.
If two people bust at the same time and both have the same amount of chips who would be the higher ranked in the tourament. Is it determined by there hand or by position. If position, would it be the earlier position that would be renak higher?
who takes the pot on a hand where a low straight appears on the board and all players cards are either the same as in the flop, turn and/or river or face cards. since you only play with the five that make a straight does the winnings go to the highest card out of all or the highest card in relevance to the hand shown or does the pot get split between all who are in on the hand
Sean, I have remebered other questions, I was playing PKR the other night and somebody underraised everyone called the big blind of $10 until it got round to the button who raised to $17 all in. the action got to me on the small blind and because I hadnt acted I could raise and the minimum raise on there was to $27 and not $20? The rules seem to conflict so much, please I would like standard rule confirmation of this all no limit poker rules.
my final question is, I was on home poker tourney website where it gave an example of the underraise. Player A bet $100 and player B raised $100 more to $200 Player C goes all in for $240 and Player A calls meaning player B cannot raise as he has already acted thats fine. The confusing part is it says player A could of raised becuase player B raised, this does not make sense to me because I thought if you had already acted before the underraiser you were only allowed to call, please help me here!!!
Thanks
Hey Sean, Im confused in that in tournaments is it the same as in
cash games like when you bust out and want to buy in again, you
have to post an amount equal to the big blind or wait for the big blind. In a tournament do you have to post if you are switching tables when not in the big blind?
Second Question, lets say blinds are $5/10 minimum being 10 and UTG calls and the next player goes all in for $8, does this reopen the betting round for the UTG if nobody raises? Im confused because it isnt an underraise but a bet that is under the minimum, does this have an affect?
Thanks
hi sean,
i was playing in a tourney and was the big blind, when my hand was dealt to me i picked up my cards and put them behind my chips without looking( like i always do).
I started speaking to the person under the gun who had folded and when the action got round to me i realised that the dealer had mucked my cards without me seeing.
the tourney director told me that my hand was dead cos its my responsibility for my cards, i explained to him that my cards were put behind my chips as i had done all night but the dealer had mucked them with the rest of my cards,
i told him that i thought he was wrong, was i right?
Bob,
The person leaving the tourney with the considerable chip stack has killed his chips. If the player states that he is not coming back to the table and leaves his/her chips, they are then pulled and considered dead.
Hello. Let’s say we have a 10 player tourney paying out to 3rd. If a player with a nice chip stack has to leave the game, what happens to his chips? Isn’t it possible if you just take his blinds as the deals go around that he could end up in a money position without even playing, while the other players take each other out? Thanks alot for all the information here.
A question:
Is it compulsory to show your hand in showdown if your opponent has the winning hand.
If 1. he calls your raise and shows his hand, which is better than the hand you are holding, can I muck my cards or is it compulsory I show them.
Can I muck my cards at any time.
Hi Sean,
Just read through this entire article and though I would say thanks. Some good questions in here and your responses are very concise. Nice work fella.
Red,
The 50% rule typically only applies to Limit poker, in no Limit you must make the full raise, or it’s just a call.
As for the small blind, in that scenario it is a raise, the dealer will just have to ask the player what he intended. If the dealer tries to make him just call it’s a mistake, since the 100 chip is live.
Marshall,
There isn’t one that I know of. Sorry about that.
With regard to Mike’s one chip rule question… When the player tossed in (2) 1000 chips against a big blind of 1100, in most places that would be considered a minimum raise only. Because it was more than one chip the one chip rule does not apply. However, because he put in more than half of the required min raise amount, he is required to min raise only.
Now I have a question about the one chip rule. Lets say the blinds are 100 – 200. The small blind has (4) 25 chips out and it is folded around to him. he throws in a 500 chip (no announcement) and does not pull his small blind back, attempting to make it 600. Small blind has all sorts of chip denominations to have made the call with the exact amount if he wanted to just call. Does the 1 chip rule apply?
Sean,
Where can I find all the texas holdem rules in one place. There must be a bood or something.
Thanks
Darrell,
No, no they do not. I’m not sure why that would ever be the case. When it gets to heads up the two remaining players play for first and second place.
Or they can make a deal.
Hi in poker tourneys when it gets to heads up does the chip leader at this point get to decide what happens with the winnings
In tournament play, if 2 players are moved to another table and sit down at the dealer button and small blind are they allowed to be dealt in that hand or do they have to wait until the button passes them. Also if you sit at a table as small blind are you allowed to come in as the dealer after that hand is complete.
Mike,
If the player says nothing, it’s a call. Here’s the deal:
If you throw in one oversized chip (say a $500 chip for a $100 bet), it’s just a call if you say nothing. If you throw in two chips (two $500 chips to a $100 bet) it’s always a raise.
But in your case, his two chips were not enough to make a legal raise (a raise would need to be $2200), this means, because he said nothing, it’s simply a call.
If you don’t say anything, and it’s one chip, it’s always a call. If you don’t say anything and it’s two chips, it’s always a raise (assuming the value is at or above the value of a minimum raise), if the two chips are below the minimum raise, it’s always a call.
With the one chip rule in effect, a player bets $1100. next player does not say anything and throws in 2 $1000 chips. Is he forced to complete the raise or does his second $1000 chip constitute a call for the last $100 of the initial bet?
Fred,
If you say the word “call” you are bound to calling the current bet, in this case meaning the raise.
The only way you are not bound to this is if the player was not aware of the raise, had waited until the dealer indicated it was his turn to act AND the dealer failed to announce the raise.
If any of those are not true, the call stands. Verbal is binding in poker, no exceptions.
In a tourney, if a player moves all in & a player down the line says call not knowing some1 has raised. What happens?
Marshall,
If there is no betting on the river, the player in first position needs to show first. So in your example the big blind needs to show.
Sean,
Hey what up playa? I have been wondering some time about who is the player to show first. For example, I know if you bet and someone calls you show first. But say player 1 bets and you raise (post flop). The turn is checked and the river is checked, who shows first the last player to bet or the player first to act since action was checked. Say player 1 is the big blind and you are under tha gun.
Thanks again
peter,
When a table breaks the players are moved to fill holes in the other tables at random. This means you might end up paying the BB multiple times in a row, which is unfair, but no way around it.
If you’re being moved from one table by the director (or software) as a balance, not as a broken table, you are supposed to be moved to the same position relative to the blinds as you left from.
i was playing a tournement on the net and was on the bb for 500 was doing well waith 5000 chips next hand the table either broke or i was moved straight onto bb again on another table for another 500 that cost me a 5th of my stack after the small blind i was moved again to the centre of another table and put me on tilt this seemed very unfair can you tell me are there any rules regarding this thank you
Marshall,
You’re welcome for the answers. Once again, this tournament director is wrong.
If a player has less than the big blind, and thus is all in as the big blind, a player must call the full amount of the big blind to limp, regardless of the size of the actual all in.
On the flop that rule does not apply. If the blinds are 4k/8k and the player is all in for 2k, the bet is only 2k to call. The rules will never force a player to complete a bet.
The reason you must call the full big blind preflop is the bet is a forced bet, meaning that big blind is always required. On the flop there is no forced bet, so if a player only has 2k, that’s the only bet you need to call.
Hey thanks again Sean,
Those were my feelings as well but I’m not one to argue. I’ve recently been playin a lot of tourneys where the blinds eat most players up. Last week I was playin 4000/8000; 3 players to the flop. On the flop the first player went all in for 2000. The director forced me and the other player to call 8000 because the bet had to be at least the big blind. So this created a side pot between me and the other guy when we just wanted to call the 2000. Is the the correct play or can i just call the all in for 2000 and see the turn?
Thanks again Sean
Marshall
Marshall,
the tournament director clearly doesn’t understand the betting rules, or they didn’t understand that he was in the big blind.
If under the gun limped for 600, and the next player went all in for 800, then under the gun would not be allowed to raise when action got back around to them.
In your scenario the big blind hadn’t acted yet. Because of this, he had full option: fold, call or raise.
In a betting round every player must receive full option once, unless the betting is re-opened (in which case most players will have full option again). Print this out, and bring it to that tournament director, if he has an issue with this explanation he can come discuss it with me here.
Thanks Sean,
Hope you dont mind if I ask another. Playing recently in a No-limit tournament. The blinds were then 300/600 and the person under tha gun went all-in for 800. P1 calls, P2 calls, dealer calls, small blind calls, big blind tries to raise but the tournament director would not let him. He claims since the player that went all in did not have enough to complete a raise then once that bet was called the betting was closed. Is this the correct ruling?
Marshall
Marshall,
This is one of those “it depends” scenarios. Basically, showing your cards prematurely isn’t against the rules directly, but angling is (in most places). So if you’re showing your cards to angle, that will result in a dead hand.
If you show your cards as a mistake, then your hand should remain live. It’s not right to punish a person for an honest mistake, especially when the mistake benefits their opponents, not themselves.
It’s really at the dealer/floorman’s discretion. But if you want a firm ruling for a home game, I’d go with:
You can show your cards whenever you please, as long as you show one show all.
Sean,
I’m still wondering about the ruling where cards are shown prematurely. Reading the rules above: (showing cards) Intentionally exposing a card is illegal in tournament play and a hand can be ruled dead as well as a time penalty issued. This seems to be different than the player still playing the hand with the other players just knowing what they have as you said above. What up wit dat?
You’re welcome Brian.
There are a lot of rules articles on this site, but an all encompassing article is tricky, since there are so many unique situations and rules for this game.
I’m working on putting something like this together right now, but no idea of an ETA.
Thanks. Is there anywhere I can get a detailed list of poker rules like the one you have just explained?
Brian,
No, their hand is not dead. They are now forced to play the rest of the hand with their opponent having seen their cards that’s it.
The player will also get a warning, if they continue to do it, seemingly on purpose, then the dealer/pit can choose to rule their hand dead.
A player turnes over cards after the turn thinking the other player has no chips left, what is the rule? Is their hand dead?
David,
You’re welcome.
You never deal cards to an empty seat. Well, I should be more clear: You always deal to the stacks, never the players.
If there is a stack at a seat, they get a hand, regardless of there being a person present or not.
If there is no stack (like in your scenario) no cards are dealt to that seat.
Thanks for answering so quickly. But I have another question in the same scenario. If the dealer button sits at the empty seat, and the previous dealer deals again, do you deal cards to the empty seat and just count them dead?
David,
The dealer button will sit on the empty seat where the player should have been, and the blinds are just regular.
The next hand everything’s back to normal. Basically, the person who was the button when the SB got knocked out remains the button for the next hand.
what happens to the small blind if you knock out the person that would be dealer next? Does the small blind travel with the dealer button?
Bryan,
You are never required to answer a question from another player at the table. But you are required to clearly display your chips in a fashion which allows your opponents to accurately assess the size of your stack.
This means when they ask you can’t cover it, and all large value chips must be in front at all times. Also, your chips must be stacked, they can’t be in a random heap or pile.
If the player wants a true count, the dealer is allowed/required to cut down and count your chips, if you’re unwilling to do it.
i was just about a rule…. if anouther player asks you how many chips you have? do you have to tell them or can you just show them your chips?……because i know alot of player ask that question trying to get information
Yep – it helped a little. As i understand – i must call the blind limit not the player in BB to keep the integrity of the hand as intact as possible, so thats more fairly than just to call whatever the big blind goes all-in for. Ok, that makes some kind of sense.
Thank you very much for your answer..!
Vincent,
Really, we’re just dealing with the integrity of the hand. It is a firm rule that a player must call the full amount of the big blind (or any raises made on top of it) to stay in the hand.
Since the player in the big blind doesn’t have enough chips to cover that, they are forced as a short all-in.
Obviously we can’t give that player more chips, and it’s unfair to eliminate them while they have any chips. Also, we can’t let them skip the blinds, as that’s unfair to the other players at the table.
So we let them move all-in short. To keep the integrity of the hand as intact as possible, all players must still call the full amount of the big blind. If we allow you to just call the short all-in, you’re basically playing a hand at a blind limit lower than the current state of the tournament.
That’s the long answer, the short answer:
It’s the rule
Hopefully that helps.
I just don’t understand one thing – if player in BB position can’t cover a full regular big blind limit (let’s say that blinds are 100/200 but he have only 160), why am i forced to do that when i want to just call him? I mean, im not the one who is in big blind, i shouldn’t be forced to bet full big blind – i should be able to call him (that is the player who have made the bigest bet at the table at the time) like in every other situation. But how can i call him if im betting more – that’s more like a forced raise, but thats not a raise ’cause i called – so i dont even know what the hell that is!(?) lol
I posted this in 4 forums – the only answer was “blind limits are always determined by blind structure, thats why…” – well,is that supose to mean, that i must call the blind structure not that players bet(?) lol – i know life’s fun, but can somebody give me a reasonable answer for this..?
Thank You!
Katie,
When a player leaves his chips stay in play, blinded out. When the last chip is won by another player, the player who left is considered to have busted at that point, which can matter if the player leaves around the bubble (which has happened, even in the WSOP)
Player leaves tournament. Are chips removed from table or blinded in until depleated?????