Win Your Way In rules are designed for our type of tournament play. While some rules are the same as you would find in a casino or the World Series of Poker, some may differ and in some ways, differ quite substantially. Our poker tournaments are number one, free. It is designed to allow people of all levels of play, to come together and have some fun.
Quite a few people are intimidated by casinos, this is an easy step to begin playing in a structured tournament. Playing in front of other people and learning how other people play is an integral part in learning how to play cards professionally. Why not take advantage of doing that for free?
When playing in a Win Your Way In Texas Holdem tournament, please keep in mind that all levels of players are participating, and are hoping to learn or play in a fun environment. Also try to remember that you have risked nothing, so why not have some fun!
If you play in a casino you should inquire about that casino’s rules. The same goes if you were to play cards at someone’s house, you should ask them what their rules are. Everywhere you go you will probably find at least one difference in the rules.
That being said enjoy and please feel free to give any suggestions or comments to any host or simply email phil@winyourwayin.com.
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Win Your Way In is a membership organization. Anyone wishing to play at a Win Your Way In function must be a registered member
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Player ID - Each player will have a unique player number assigned to them by WIN YOUR WAY IN, Inc.
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Sign in - Players must sign in, first and last name and Player ID, before playing. Players will be issued their chips at the time they sign in.
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Hosts – Hosts to consider the best interest of the game and fairness as the top priority in the decision-making process. Unusual circumstances can on occasion dictate that decisions in the interest of fairness take priority over the technical rules. The Host’s decision is final.
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Random Seats - Monthly and Quarterly tournament play seats will be randomly assigned. .
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Official Language - The English-only rule will be enforced in the United States during the play of hands. English will be used in international play along with the local or native language.
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Communication Devices - Cell Phone Rule: All cell phones and other voice-enabled and “ringing” electronic devices must be silenced during tournament play. A player who wants to use a cell phone must be at least one table length away from their assigned table or be subject to penalty. The hand of any player talking on a cell phone, texting, e-mailing or otherwise communicating electronically while in a hand with action pending will be declared dead. Any player using a cellular phone while in a hand with no action pending (player has gone all-in) will receive a missed hand penalty to be assessed on the next hand. Any player using a cell phone while at their seat even if not in a hand will receive a missed hand penalty. No cell phones or other electronic communication device can be placed on a poker table.
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Electronic Devices - Players are allowed to use as approved electronic devices iPods, MP3 and other music players or noise-reduction headsets during tournament play until they have reached the money in any tournament, so long as the approved electronic devices can not access the internet, send or receive SMS texts and are not equipped with any type of communication device. Therefore, iPhones, iTouch, Treos, Blackberrys, and other similar devices will not be allowed. Once players are in the money or final table in any tournament, all approved electronic devices must be removed. An announcement will be made to players once they have reached the money or final table to remove all such electronic devices. Failure to do so will results in a penalty up to and including disqualification.
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Deck Changes - Deck changes will be on the dealer push or level changes or as prescribed by the house. Players may not ask for deck changes except in the case of damaged cards.
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Bonus Chip - One Black chip will be given out to every player that arrives to a tournament on time. This chip will be issued with the regular chips when signing in. Any player arriving after the host starts the tournament will not receive a black chip.
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Late Players - The Win Your Way In late rule applies to all tournaments; (except to TOC Tier 2 Tournament-see rule 3 above) a player may enter the tournament at any time before the blinds are 100 and 200. As soon as the 100/200 blind is announced, no player will be allowed in. NOTE: This means if you arrive late. Being on the premises does not allow you any privileges.
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Dead Button - Monthly and Quarterly tournament plays will use a dead button.
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Card Cover / Cap - There will be no foreign objects on the table except for a maximum of one card cap. Card caps can be no larger than two (2) inches in diameter and no more than one-half (1/2) inch in depth.
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Behavior - Players behaving inappropriately will be subject to elimination from that event and possible elimination from future Win Your Way In, Inc. events. Fighting, Cheating, and Profane or Offensive language, are all examples of inappropriate behavior. No matter the situation, no mental or physical abuse will be tolerated. Inappropriate behavior will be subject to disqualification, and possible suspension.
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Etiquette Violations - Repeated etiquette violations will result in penalties. Examples include unnecessarily touching other players cards or chips, delay of the game, and excessive chatter. Players are required to act in turn.
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Penalties and Disqualification - A penalty MAY be invoked if a player exposes any card with action pending, throws a card off the table, violates the one-player-to-a-hand rule, or similar incidents take place. Penalties WILL be invoked in cases of soft play, abuse, or disruptive behavior.
Penalties available include verbal warnings, "missed hand" penalties and, depending on the severity of the offense, players may be removed, suspended or expelled from any future Win Your Way In functions.
A missed hand penalty will be assessed as follows: The offender will miss one hand for every player, including the offender, who is at the table when the penalty is given multiplied by the number of rounds specified in the penalty; for the period of the penalty the offender shall remain away from the table. Tournament staff can assess one-, two-, three-, or four-round penalties or disqualification. A player who is disqualified shall have his or her chips removed from play. Repeat infractions are subject to escalating penalties.
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At Your Seat - A player must be at his or her seat by the time all players have been dealt complete initial hands in order to have a live hand. Players must be at their seat to call time.
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Face Up - All cards will be turned face up once a player is all-in and all betting action is complete.
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Chips Visible - All chips must be visible at all times. Players may not cover, hold, or transport tournament chips in any manner that takes them out of view. A player who does so will forfeit the chips and will face disqualification. The forfeited chips will be taken out of play.
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Cards Visible - Players must keep their cards visible at all times. Players may not cover or hold a hand or the deck in any manner that takes them out of view. A player who does so will forfeit the chips and will face disqualification.
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Coloring Up - Coloring up may occur as necessary in order to keep the flow of the game consistent.
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Ethical Play - Poker is an individual game. Soft play will result in penalties, which may include forfeiture of chips and/or disqualification. Chip dumping will result in disqualification.
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Pot Size - Players are entitled to be informed of the pot size in pot-limit games only. Dealers will not count the pot in limit and no-limit games.
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Dealer - Players shall rotate dealership duties. The dealer will also play in the hand, and should deal himself in. Players, who are unable to perform the functions of a dealer, may request a player on either side of him or her to perform those functions.
To choose a dealer, the cards will be shuffled and spread over the table face down. Each player will draw one card. The highest card drawn will be the dealer. In the event of a tie, the players that tied will draw again with the highest card being the dealer. The dealer is the only person allowed to handle chips or cards that do not belong to a player (folded hands, chips in the pot). If there is a split pot due to a tie hand and the dealer is not able to split the pot, the host is to be called over.
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Misdeals - Exposure of one of the first two rounds of cards dealt is a misdeal. If any card dealt leaves the table, it is a misdeal.
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Calling for a Clock - A player will be given a maximum of one minute to make a decision. If action has not been taken before time expires, there will be a 10-second countdown. If a player has not acted by the time the countdown is over, the player’s hand will be dead.
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Action Pending - Players must remain at the table if they still have action pending on a hand.
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Raise Requirements - If a player puts in a raise of 50% or more of the previous bet but less than the minimum raise, he or she will be required to make a full raise. The raise will be exactly the minimum raise allowed. In no-limit and pot limit, an all-in bet of less than a full raise does not reopen the betting to a player who has already acted.
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Raises - There is no cap on the number of raises in no-limit games. A raise must be at least the size of the previous raise.
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Methods of Raising - In no-limit games a raise must be made by
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placing the full amount in the pot in one motion; or
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verbally declaring the full amount prior to the initial placement of chips into the pot; or
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verbally declaring "raise" prior to the placement of the amount to call into the pot and then completing the action with one additional motion.
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Oversized Chip - A single oversized chip will be considered a call if the player does not announce a raise. If a player puts an oversized chip into the pot and states raise but does not state the amount, the raise will be the maximum allowable up to the size of that chip. After the flop, an initial bet of a single oversized chip without comment will constitute the size of the bet. To make a raise with a single oversized chip a verbal declaration must be made before the chip hits the table surface.
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String Raises - Dealers will be responsible for calling string raises.
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No Disclosure / No Advice / One Player to a Hand - Players are obligated to protect the other players in the tournament at all times. Therefore, players, whether in the hand or not, may not:
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Disclose contents of live or folded hands; or
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Advise or criticize play before the action is completel or
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Read a hand that hasn’t been tabled
The one-player-to-a-hand rule will be enforced.
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Verbal Declarations of Content - Verbal declarations as to the content of a player’s hand are not binding; however, any player deliberately miscalling his or her hand may be penalized.
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Verbal Declarations of Action - Verbal declarations in turn are binding. Action out of turn may be binding and will be binding if the action to that player has not changed. A check, call, or fold is not considered action changing.
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Showdown - If, after the final round of betting after the river, there are two or more people left in the pot, all players must declare their hand and show their cards. The player who made the last aggressive action in that betting round must show first. If there was no bet the player to the left of the button shows first and so on clockwise. If at any time throughout any of the rounds of betting, all players fold leaving only one remaining, then the remaining player wins the pot and does not have to show his/her winning hand.
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Playing the Board - A player must show both cards when playing the board in order to get part of the pot.
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Odd Chips - Hands when there are two or more high hands or two or more low hands the odd chip(s) will go to the left of the button.
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Side Pots - Each side pot will be split separately
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Rabbit Hunting - In cases where hands are concluded prior to the last card being dealt; the next card(s) to be dealt will not be exposed under any circumstances. This prohibited practice is commonly referred to as “rabbit hunting.”
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Unprotected Hands - If a dealer kills an unprotected hand, the player will have no redress and will not be entitled to a refund of bets. However, if a player had raised and the raise had not yet been called, the raise will be returned to the player.
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Killing Winning Hand - Dealers cannot kill a winning hand that was tabled and was obviously the winning hand. Players are encouraged to assist in reading tabled hands if it appears that an error is about to be made.
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Exposing Cards - A player who exposes his cards with action pending may incur a penalty, but will not have a dead hand. The penalty will begin at the end of the hand.
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Button in Heads-up - When heads-up the small blind is on the button and acts first. When beginning heads-up play the button may need to be adjusted to ensure that, no player takes the big blind twice in a row.
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Dodging Blinds - A player who intentionally dodges (a) blind(s) when moving from a broken table will incur a penalty.
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Breaking Tables - Players going from a broken table to fill in seats assume the rights and responsibilities of the position. They can get the big blind, the small blind, or the button. The only place they cannot get a hand is between the small blind and the button.
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Balancing Tables - Play will halt on any table that is three or more players short. The table from which a player is moved will be as specified by a predetermined procedure. In stud games players will be moved by position, (the last seat to open up at the short table is the seat to be filled).
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New Limits - When time has elapsed in a round and a new level is announced by the host, the new level applies to the next hand. A hand begins with the first riffle.
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Players Having Gone Out - Once a player has been eliminated from the tournament, he/she shall leave the table but may continue to watch the tournament from behind the players. Eliminated players will not handle active players’ cards or chips. Doing so may be considered a form of cheating, the active player may be eliminated, and both players may be subject to disciplinary action.
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Final Table -At the final table, if two or more people are knocked out in the same hand each player will receive points for the higher place. IE: If 7 players are left, and 2 go out, each player will receive points for 6th place.
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Prizes - The host will give out prizes at each location in the way the location wishes. If the players at the table wish to split a cash prize; all players competing for the prize must agree on the terms of the split. If all players do not agree, then the prize will be given out the way the location desires.
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Bonus Points -Each game has a “bounty” player, (usually a winner from a previous game or a Win Your Way In employee) that when taken out by another player, is worth bonus points according to the WYWI Point Structure. The player “taking out” the bounty will then become the bounty. (This is called the Bouncing Bounty.) This may continue until the players reach the final table. At the final table, if the final bounty is relieved of his or her chips, the player “taking out” that bounty will get the final points but will not become another bounty. In the event that a player is designated the bounty at the beginning of a tournament, and remains so to the conclusion of the tournament (he or she is declared the winner), he or she will be awarded the bonus points.
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Sit-N-Go Tournaments - In between tournaments, players that have been knocked out of a tournament can get together 6-10 players and start a single table tournament. If the tournament started with less than 10 players, additional players may join until the table reaches a maximum of 10. Once the maximum players have been reached, no other players are allowed to get in. If the tournament started with less than 10 players and the blinds have reach 100/200, no other players are allowed to get in.
The blinds start at 25-50, and double each time a player (or players) is eliminated. The blinds will double according to WYWI structure until only one player remains. The winning player will receive bonus points according to the WYWI Point Structure. If the Sit-N-Go is not finished before the next tournament of the day, the player with the most chips will receive the bonus points. All other WYWI rules apply.
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Win Your Way In Blind Structure
25 / 50
50 / 100
100 / 200
200 / 400
500 / 1,000
1,000 / 2,000
2,000 / 4,000
5,000 / 10,000
10,000 / 20,000
20,000 / 40,000
50,000 / 100,000
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By participating in Win Your Way tournaments, players agree to the rules and regulations set by Win Your Way, Inc
Any and All Rules are subject to change without notice.
WYWI Rules 7/2008 (Rev. 1)
