Poker League Rules

    1. All players must agree to adhere to the rules and regulations of Amateur Poker Players League (Europe), Ltd.
    2. Players must be at least 18 years of age to participate in a stakes based prize as set forth in the "GAMBLING ACT" If asked for proof of age, players must provide a valid photo identification, otherwise they may not be able to play. Anyone wishing to play in a stakes tournament who, when asked, cannot produce an acceptable form of identification will be referred to the Supervisor at the venue for verification and approval.
    3. All players arriving prior to session start time start with an equal amount of chips and continue to play until one player remains and accumulates all the chips. Blinds are raised throughout the tournament according to the blind structure. At each blind level the raise is effective on the next live hand. The moment the cards are received by the new dealer starts the next live hand. Chips have NO CASH VALUE. As players are eliminated each table will play down to no less than four players. Tables will be consolidated at Venue Manager’s discretion.
    4. Late arriving players can join a tournament until the completion of the 200/400 blind. If the player arrives before the 3rd blind increase (100/200) they will be shorted 225 value in chips (to leave a total of 3775), or during the 3rd or 4th blind they will be shorted 600 value in chips (leaving total of 3400). Please note that once a tournament has reached capacity new players may only be seated to replace players who have busted out prior to the beginning of the 300/600 blind. (At the Venue manager's discretion, a phantom chip stack may be placed and played at a live table from the beginning of the session to determine the amount deducted from late arriving players chip stacks)
    5. The lowest denomination of chip will be coloured up and removed from play when no longer needed in the blind structure. All lower denomination chips that are of sufficient quantity for a new chip will be coloured up directly. All remaining odd chips will be rounded up to the next chip denomination.
    6. In APPL(E) tournament events, the Players “high-card” for the button (dealer position) immediately prior to the start of play. This means the player who draws the highest card will start with the button. In case two Players get the same high card, the suit preference of, in descending order, spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs will determine who starts with the button. Players will rotate dealer responsibilities in a clockwise rotation.
    7. Players are obligated to take their "Blinds". (A "blind" is a fixed amount of chips, determined by the size of the game that is automatically put into the pot in a Hold’Em tournaments prior to the hand being dealt to force action.)
    8. The Small Blind is the player immediately to the left of the dealer button and the Big Blind is the player to the immediate left of the Small Blind. (It is possible for a player to take two Big Blinds in a row, but only if the player is changing tables. For example, if he just had the BB at his table, which just broke down and then was seated in the BB at his new table.)
    9. If the player in the small blind is eliminated then the button moves to the empty position and the person behind the button deals for the phantom player. The other players post blinds as usual. If the player in the big blind is eliminated, the small blind position is dead and only the big blind is posted. The following hand blind structures will return to normal. This ensures every player is posting a big blind and there is forced action on every hand.
    10. New players are dealt in immediately unless they sit down in the small blind or button position. In these two cases, they must wait until the button passes. If a player is seated in the Big Blind position, the player must post the Big Blind and will be dealt into the hand.
    11. If a table is re-seated and 50% or more of the players are new to the table, then the Players “high-card” for the button immediately prior to resuming the session. At the start of the final table, players will draw for seat positions using Ace to 8 of the card deck, lowest stack will draw first. Thereafter players will draw for a seat in no particular order. Ace is the dealer, 3 is Small Blind, 2 is Big Blind, 4 follows 2 and so on..
    12. When two Players remain, the Player due to assume the Big Blind will do so, and the Small Blind will inherit the button. The Small Blind or button will act first prior to the flop and second after the flop.
    13. An absent player is always dealt a hand, and will be put up for blinds.
    14. If you are not present when it becomes your turn to act, your hand is mucked (folded) without regard for any chips which will be lost due to blinds postings or previous bets in the hand.
    15. If a player is accidentally dealt a card face up (or a card is seen by someone else at the table), the dealer continues to deal the hole cards to all players. The dealer then replaces the seen card with a new card and the seen card becomes the first burn card.  The affected player may chose to keep the exposed card only if they have NOT seen their other hole card. If during the course of a deal 2 cards need be replaced due to being exposed to other players, the hand is unrecoverable and must be re-dealt.
    16. The burn cards and muck pile must be kept separate until the hand is completed.
    17. The current dealer is the only player allowed to touch the muck pile. No player is allowed to turn over any cards in the muck pile. After completion of the hand, the current dealer will collect all cards and pass the deal and button.
    18. If at any time a player’s cards touch the muck pile (discard pile), the community cards or another player's cards, the cards are dead and the player loses all action on that hand.  If it was another player's cards which were touched by the cards, they also are mucked unless covered with a card protector.
    19. If a player lacks sufficient chips for a blind or a forced bet, the player is entitled to get action on whatever amount of chips the player has. In this situation a side pot could occur for players with remaining chips.
    20. Whenever a player is all-in and all betting action is complete, all hands in play will be turned face up.
    21. In order for a player that has been called to claim a pot, the winner must show both hole cards to all the players in the hand. (At showdown)
    22. In the case of a split pot that can not be divided equally the extra chip will be given to the first person to the left of the dealer involved in the split.
    23. When a Player loses all his/her chips, they are eliminated from play and must leave the table.
    24. Tournaments will continue until one Player wins all the chips.
    25. If two (or more) players are eliminated on the same hand, the player who started the hand with the most chips will be awarded the higher finishing position. Should the eliminated players have started the hand with the same value of chips the player with the better hand will be awarded the higher finishing position.  If they had the same value of chips at the start of the hand and identical poker hands then the player first left of the dealer will get the higher finishing position. 
    26. Players’ chips must remain on the table at all times, unless you are reassigned to another table.
    27. All cards must remain above the table top, as well as remain visible, during shuffle and play.
    28. One player per hand. You may not ask advice as to how to act during your action period. If you show your cards to a live player at the table, you must show all live players. (Show one—Show all)
    29. No splashing the pot. You are to place your chips calmly in front of you, and then push the chips to the centre after the dealer has stated that the “Pot is Good”
    30. No string bets. A player must state their intentions (Call, Check, Raise) before placing chips in front of them. If you do not state raise, any chips placed in front of you will be an assumed call. Any extra chips will be returned to your stack. If a player fails to fully state their intention prior to the placing of any chips they must place all chips required to satisfy their intentions in one motion. You may not go back into your bank multiple times.
    31. Only the dealer is allowed to touch the chips in the pot. You must make change from your neighbour first. If you can’t do that between hands, then you should state your action (Check, Call, Raise) then put down a chip which covers the full bet amount. The dealer will pull your change from the pot and give it to you after the action is completed by all players. The dealer must state that the “Pot is Good”; all players should then push their chips into the appropriate pot (side or main).
    32. No short bets. To raise you must state “RAISE”. Your RAISE must be at least equal to the previous RAISE or initial bet whichever is greater. Minimum initial incremental raise is the Big Blind value or initial bet whichever is greater.  All raises after must be at least equal to the previous raise (not bet). On all betting rounds subsequent to pre-flop, first to act must check or place a bet equal to or greater than the big blind, first raise must be equal to or greater than the initial bet, unless player is all in.
    33. Under-raises all-in---All live players have the obligation to call the under-raise if they wish to stay live in the hand.  Players have the option to raise further unless they have flat called the bet prior to the under-raise in which case they are limited to calling or folding.
    34. Dealer must shuffle cards at least three times, and must present the cards to the player to their left for cut.
    35. Session play never stops, except during break time. If you are seated at a table that has empty seats, you must notify the Venue Manager and continue playing until other players are seated or you are moved. 
    36. Poker etiquette is expected from all Players. Inappropriate behaviour like throwing cards that go off the table may be punished with a penalty such as being dealt out for a length of time. A severe infraction such as abusive or disruptive behaviour will be punished by eviction, disqualification from the tournament and likely a lifetime ban from any future APPL(E) events. In accordance with proper etiquette mobile phone use is restricted at the table. If mobile use becomes a distraction to the table or interrupts the game you will be asked to step away from the table.
    37. Under the "Gambling Act", Players arriving before completion of the 1st session to venues electing to participate may sign in and put up a stake not to exceed £5 toward a small stakes competition in the 2nd session. Prizes will be awarded to either the top 2 (less than 10 participants) or top 3 finishers (10 or more participants). If there are only 2 participants then the winner ‘takes all’. Stakes prizes are limited to £100 per day at each participating venue. The entire pot is always won and no ‘rake’ is taken by the Venue or APPL(E). The Venue Manager will announce the value of the prizes before the start of the game and award them on the night when the final outcome of the game is known.
    38. All participants of any APPL(E) sanctioned event are prohibited from placing any form of currency (other than APPL(E) poker chips) on a session table. There will be no exceptions to this rule and violators will be asked to leave immediately and shall be disqualified from the tournament. 
    39. Absolutely NO UNAUTHORIZED GAMBLING is permitted at the tournament. (No side bets, No cash bets separate from approved stakes…) Any member found violating this rule will be banned from APPL(E) forever and obviously disqualified from the tournament.
    40. Venue Sponsors / Venue Managers / Area Managers or the APPL(E) Senior Management retain the right to cancel any event, or alter it in a manner fair to the players.
    41. Venue Sponsors / Venue Managers / Area Managers or the APPL(E) Senior Management decisions are final on all disputes.
    Revised 19th May, 2009