Tournament Rules

Tournament Rules

The following rules apply to ALL tournaments in the Card Rooms unless otherwise stated for a specific promotional or special event tournament.

1. A 'Tournament' is a contest in which all players start with an equal amount of chips and continue to play until one player remains and accumulates all the chips. (blinds/antes are raised consistently throughout the tournament.)

2. All Tournaments are freeze-outs (no re-buys) unless otherwise specified.

3. Single Table Tournaments will begin within seconds after all Players are seated. Players choose their seat on a first-come, first-serve basis.

4. Multi-Table Tournaments have set starting times and players must register in advance to play. Registration opens as soon as the tournament is announced. Seating starts 1 minute prior to the start time. Some tournaments may offer more lead-time for Registration - Check the individual Tournament Lobby's for details. All seat assignments are randomly drawn prior to the start of the tournament. Tables will break down from the highest numbered table to the lowest numbered tables. When transferring players from one table to another (as a result of tables breaking down), the player’s position from the blinds is taken into consideration when assigning a new seat. The system will be as fair as possible to players, to maintain the same distance from the blinds after the transfer.

5. In Hold’em and Omaha games, the Players draw “high-card” for the button 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 spades. hearts, diamonds and clubs (highest to lowest) will determine who starts with the button.

6. Tournaments will continue until one Player wins all the chips.

7. When a Player loses all his/her chips, they are eliminated from play unless the tournament specifies a 're-buy' option.

8. In 'Limit Tournaments' (Limit tournaments are those which have a prescribed amount of betting at each level.), one bet and three raises are permitted for each betting round. When only two Players remain there is a maximum of five raises for a total of 6 bets per round. In Pot Limit and/or No Limit tournaments, there are no limits on the number of raises.

9. Players are obligated to take their 'Blinds'. A 'blind' is a fixed amount of money, determined by the size of the game that is automatically put into the pot in Hold'em and Omaha tournaments prior to the hand being dealt.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. There are no breaks during Single-Table Tournaments. In Multi-Table tournaments the details can be found in the tournament lobby.

13. In Single Table tournaments the Levels for these tournaments go up after every X number of hands. In Multi-table tournaments, levels are on a ‘time’ basis and the time may vary depending on the tournament. though is typically 10 minutes. Play continues until there is a winner.

14. The prize payoffs will be exactly according to the Payout Schedule (the 'Payoff Structure') and there are NO deals.

15. 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. If the eliminated players had the same amount of chips at the start of the hand, the players will tie for the position. If two players tie for 2nd place, the prize pool for second and third place are combined, each of the tied players receives 50% of the combined total.

16. There should be no soft playing during Tournaments. Soft playing is to not bet your hand to the fullest extent when playing against someone (usually friends and/or family). It goes against the spirit of the game and is considered cheating in some instances. Team play may result in being banned from future tournaments and the card room.

17. You must understand the accept risks of Internet disconnections. If you are not connected before a hand starts, you will be dealt cards and then folded automatically. If you are in position to post a blind and are not connected, the blind is posted automatically and your hand is folded. This continues until you re-establish a connection or have run out of chips.

18. Silver Sands Poker reserves the right to alter the rules and render final decisions on all matters herein at its sole discretion. Rule changes and relevant decisions will be communicated accordingly via the website, via electronic and/or written means.

19. Silver Sands Poker reserves the right cancel or reschedule Tournaments at any time for any reason, with or without notice.

20.1. Single Table Tournaments: If a Tournament is cancelled due to technical issues, any Player who was eliminated prior to this time will lose their buy-in and entry fee. The remaining Players will be refunded their Buy-ins and Entry fees and will divide up the Buy-in monies from the Players already eliminated according to their chip standing when the tournament has been halted.

20.2.1. Multi Table Tournaments: If a Tournament is cancelled prior to the published starting time, all entry and admin fees will be refunded back to the Players accounts. The tournament may be rescheduled at the discretion of Silver Sands Poker.

20.2.2. If a Tournament is cancelled due to technical issues while in progress and is not re-scheduled for a later date, prior to any prize monies having been paid out, the Players who were eliminated prior to the time of failure will lose their buy-in, entry fee, re-buys and add-on's. All remaining Players will be paid out an equal share of the sum of all buy-ins, entry fees, re-buys, add-on’s and admin fees collected. In the case of a tournament being re-scheduled all players will be refunded their buy-ins, rebuys, add-ons and admin fees.

20.2.3. If a Tournament is cancelled due to technical issues while in progress after any prize monies have been paid out, any Player who was eliminated prior to this time will lose their buy-in, entry fee, re-buys and add-on’s. The players that have already been paid will keep their winnings, all remaining Players who have placed in the money will receive the sum of all buy-ins, re-buys and add-on's, distributed equally. In the event of a guaranteed tournament, the players that are in the money will be awarded the sum of the buy-ins, re-buys and add-ons or the guaranteed prize amount, whichever is the greater, split equally.

21. The Poker Room does not support private deals between players in tournament, nor will the Poker Room assist in facilitating these deals or be liable in any way for broken deals or transactions not honoured by one of the parties.

22. Silver Sands Poker reserves the right to amend the Tournament Rules and Policies at any time without notice to Players. Such amendments will become effective immediately upon being listed under the “Tournament Rules” section of this website. It is the Players sole responsibility to review the Tournament Rules and Policies.