1 -
PROPER BEHAVIOR
2 -
HOUSE POLICIES
3 -
GENERAL RULES
OF POKER
4 -
BUTTON AND BLIND
USE
5 -
HOLD'EM
6 -
OMAHA
7 -
OMAHA HIGH-LOW
8 -
SEVEN-CARD STUD
9 -
RAZZ (SEVEN-CARD
STUD LOW)
10 -
SEVEN-CARD STUD
HIGH-LOW
11 -
LOWBALL
12 -
DRAW HIGH
13 -
KILL POTS
14 -
NO LIMIT AND
POT-LIMIT
15 -
TOURNAMENTS
16 -
EXPLANATIONS
“Robert's Rules Of Poker” is authored by Robert
Ciaffone, better known in the poker world as Bob Ciaffone,
a leading authority on cardroom rules. He is the person
who has selected which rules to use, and formatted, organized,
and worded the text. Nearly all these rules are substantively
in common use for poker, but many improved ideas for wording
and organization are employed throughout this work. A lot
of the rules are similar to those used in the rulebook of
cardrooms where he has acted as a rules consultant and rules
drafter. Ciaffone authored the rulebook for the Poker Players
Association (founded in 1984, now defunct), the first comprehensive
set of poker rules for the general public. He has done extensive
work on rules for the Las Vegas Hilton, The Mirage, and
Hollywood Park Casino, and assisted many other cardrooms.
Ciaffone is a regular columnist for Card Player magazine,
and can be reached through that publication. This rulebook
will be periodically revised, so suggestions are welcome.
Poker rules are widely used and freely copied, so it
is impossible to construct a rulebook without using many
rules that exist as part of a rule set of some cardroom.
If such a rule is used, no credit is given to the source
(which is unlikely to be the original one for the rule).
The goal of this rulebook is to produce the best set
of rules in existence, and make it generally available,
so any person or cardroom can use it who so desires. The
purpose is the betterment of poker.
The general philosophy used in this rulebook is to make
the rules sufficiently detailed so a decision-maker will
know what the proper ruling is in each situation. A rule
should do more than produce the right ruling. It should
be stated so the decision-maker can refer to specific
language in the rulebook, to have the ruling is accepted
as correct.
The author has strongly supported uniform poker rules,
and applauds the work done in this direction by the Tournament
Director's Association (TDA). Nearly all the rules herein
are compatible with the TDA rules, although there are
some slight differences in wording.
This rulebook may be copied or downloaded by anyone,
provided it is not sold for profit without written permission
from the author, and the name “Robert's Rules of
Poker” is used or credited. Excerpts of less than
a full chapter may be used without restriction or credit.
People are welcome to use these rules, and even put their
own business name on them, but this does not give a person
or business any rights other than to use the rules in
their own establishment, or to make copies available to
someone else with the same restrictions applied to the
recipient as stated here. Anyone may make copies of these
rules and distribute them at no charge to recipients as
a business promotion without obtaining permission.