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Poker Tournaments

TOURNAMENT RULES

Note: Rules 3, 6 and 7 are relevant only to Hold’em and Omaha tournaments.

  1. All tournaments will begin promptly at the scheduled time stated in the Tournament Lobby.
  2. Seats are assigned at random. Seat changes are not permitted.
  3. The button will be positioned at Seat 1 to start play.
  4. The tournament ends when one player accumulates all the chips in play. If the tournament is a satellite event, the tournament will end when all players have qualified for the target event (ie, if the tournament awards 5 seats, the tournament will end when there are 5 players left).
  5. If two or more players are eliminated on the same hand, the player with more chips at the beginning of the hand is placed higher. If players started the hands with an identical amount of chips, both players tie for that rank, and any prizes due to those players will be equally distributed between them. During hand-for-hand play (as described in rule #20 below), two players eliminated during a single "synchronized" hand are treated as having been eliminated on the same hand, even if they are at different tables.
  6. PokerStars uses a "forward moving button" rule in its tournaments. According to this rule, no player ever receives the button twice in a row; at the completion of every hand, the button is moved clockwise to the small blind. The implication of this rule is that when players are eliminated, there may be players who get a reprieve from one or both blinds. The forward moving button is common practice in online poker due to the technicalities involved in adjusting the blinds after players are eliminated. Since these are basically random occurrences, no player will receive any long-term advantage, and the rule is necessarily fair for all players.
  7. When two players remain, the button will post the small blind, and act first on the opening round.
  8. Disconnects:
    • By participating in a tournament, a player accepts the risk of Internet disconnection, due to the problems with the connection between their computer and the servers, lag or freeze or some other problem in the player's computer. PokerStars does not accept any responsibility for a player disconnect except in the case of a server crash.
    • While each user is responsible for his or her own Internet connection, PokerStars makes an effort to protect players who are disconnected during the final stages of a tournament (with a buy-in), by allowing extra time to reconnect. The rules for activating the Disconnect Extra Time (DET)
    • If a player times out during a hand, whether connected or disconnected, his or her hand will be folded if facing action, or may be checked if facing no action.
    • If a player is not connected before a hand starts, he or she will be dealt cards, and a blind and/or antes will be posted. There is no rule against choosing to sit out; a player doing so will continue to have blinds and antes posted and cards dealt.
  9. Poker is an individual (not a team) game. Any action intended to help another player is unethical and is prohibited. Unethical play, such as soft-play and chip dumping, may result in penalties, including seizure of funds from the offender's account and/or termination of the account.
  10. A bet and three raises are permitted in structured limit tournaments. There is no raise cap in pot-limit and no-limit tournaments.
  11. Time Bank:
    • Each player will be allocated a time bank which allows the player extra time to make a decision. The time bank depletes as it is used throughout the tournament. If a player elects to use his or her time bank, other players at the table will be notified.
    • If a player fails to act in time, the time bank will be activated automatically if the following conditions are met:
      • The player is connected to the system when his or her time expires
      • The player has money invested in the pot
  12. As players are eliminated from the tournament, the software may balance tables to ensure all tables have an equal number (or as close as possible) number of active players. The balancing of tables is done randomly and, although rare, may result in a player having to post several big blinds in a row. When nine players remain in a Hold’em or Omaha tournament or eight players remain in a Seven Card Stud tournament, all players are brought together at the “final table”.
  13. Prizes will be awarded as stated on the Tournament Lobby.
  14. In the event of a server crash, the hands in progress at every table will be restored by rolling back these hands. Each player’s chip count will be reset to the amount at the beginning of the hand. In special circumstances, when a tournament needs to be cancelled because of a crash or some other reason, players will be compensated according to PokerStars' tournament cancellation policy.
  15. Players and “railbirds” are expected to use the chat feature in a courteous manner.
  16. Players, whether in the hand or not, may not discuss the hands until the action is complete. Players are obligated to protect the other players in the tournament at all times. Discussing cards discarded or hand possibilities is not allowed. A penalty may be given for discussion of hands during the play.
  17. Deals:
    1. If all remaining players in a tournament agree to split the prize money according to a formula of their choosing, PokerStars will accept this agreement, transfer the funds upon completion of the event, and send transfer receipts to all parties to the agreement.
    2. If you wish to make a deal, please email support with the subject line: "URGENT Tournament # (insert tournament number) chop" and support will come to the table to ensure a smoothly arranged deal.
    3. PokerStars will not participate in the deal making process, but will ensure that everyone is in complete agreement before executing the transfers per the above conditions.
    4. PokerStars reserves the right to require that any deal leave some money "on the table" as the first place prize. This money will not be more than 5% of the total tournament prize pool, and ensures the integrity of the tournament's finish.
    5. It is the players' responsibility to determine total agreement. In the absence of oversight at the table by PokerStars support personnel, chat records alone will not necessarily validate an agreement. However, PokerStars may enforce the deal if it was clearly agreed to by all parties.
    6. Only players at the final table may deal for the money, and all deals must include all remaining players.
    7. Deals will only be enforced for real money tournaments.
    8. Dealing for Tournament Leader Board points is not allowed. Doing so may result in the revocation of all awarded Tournament Leader Board points for the deal-making players in the tournament.
  18. Late Registration: Late registration is usually available for 10 minutes after the tournament start. However, registration will terminate if all tables allocated at the time of seating are full, or once the first player is eliminated.
  19. Unregistration. In most tournaments a player can unregister up to 10 minutes before the start of a tournament. Players who have won their seats through a satellite can unregister; however, they will receive tournament dollars in exchange for their seat. Tournament dollars are credits available for use to buy in to any other PokerStars tournament.
  20. At stages of the tournament where the prize money jumps significantly with the next player eliminated, and when there is more than one table remaining, the tournament may be played “hand-for-hand”. This means that if one table finishes its hand before the other table(s), that table waits for the other table(s) to finish before the next hand is dealt. During this hand-for-hand period, all bustouts during a "synchronized" hand (even at different tables) are treated as having happened on the same hand, for purposes of determining finish order. Finishing order is then based on comparing stack sizes per rule #5, and not on who lost his chips earlier.
  21. With trivial exceptions, a player may play on only one account during a tournament. Violation of this rule may result in penalties ranging from a warning, to disqualification from the tournament (with partial or full forfeiture of winnings), to barring from PokerStars.

    Examples:
    1. You get a phone call during a PokerStars tournament. You ask your husband, who has already busted out of that tournament, to play your hands for you. You are on the phone for ten minutes and then resume play. This is permitted.
    2. You and a friend, who is a tournament pro, are playing in the same tournament. You agree that if he busts out before you do, he will take over playing your account. This is prohibited.
    3. Your husband is out of town for the weekend, but gives you his password. You log into both his account and yours and play both accounts in the same tournament. This is prohibited.

     
  22. In case of disputes, PokerStars management decision will be final.
 
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Chris Moneymaker, 2003 World Series of Poker champion, who won his seat into the main event by winning a $40 tournament on Pokerstars -- $40 into $2,500,000. The photo below  is 2004 World Series of Poker championPoker Star Chris Moneymaker