Tournament Rules

The following rules will apply to all tournaments unless otherwise stated.

Registration

1. Single-table Sit & Gos start as soon as the required number of players takes a seat. Players choose their seats on a first-come-first-served basis.
2. Multi-table Sit & Gos start as soon as the required number of players has registered. Players will be randomly seated.
3. Multi-table tournaments start at predetermined times. Players will be randomly seated.
4. Late registration is available in selected multi-table tournaments. Registration is considered closed when any of the following occurs:
   1. The first level of the tournament is completed.
   2. One player is eliminated from the tournament.
   3. All available seats are filled.
   4. Maximum tournament capacity is reached.
5. Extended late registration: we also offer extended late registration at selected multi-table tournaments. Registration will remain open beyond level 1, which means it can be open until the end of level 2, level 3 or even further.
   
   The extended late registration period is considered closed under the following conditions:
   1. The level specified in the 'Tournament info' window in the Lobby is reached.
   2. All available seats are filled.
   3. The tournament's maximum capacity is reached.
   4. When tournament is less than N Ranks away from the last prize rank (N>1).
6. Players will be allowed to unregister from a Sit & Go tournament as long as not all the seats have been filled.
7. Players will be allowed to unregister from a multi-table tournament up to 5 minutes before the tournament start time. Players who register less than 5 minutes before the tournament start time will not be able to unregister.
8. Players can unregister from tournaments which allow late registrations until 5 minutes before play begins.

Rules

9. All players in tournaments will be forced to post all blinds and/or antes. Players who are not present and ready to play will be blinded/anted off.
10. There will be a five-minute break every hour in all scheduled tournaments, unless otherwise stated.
11. When tables become unbalanced in multi-table tournaments (i.e. one table has fewer players than another), the players will be balanced as follows:
    1. Three players if the number of running tables is greater than 100.
    2. Two players if the number of running tables is greater than 10, but less than or equal to 100.
    3. One player if the number of running tables is less than or equal to 10.
12. Players moved to a new table will be dealt in to the game as soon as possible.
13. In general, each player will post a small blind and a big blind every round. Collapsing tables and moving players mean it is possible that any of the following may occur at any time:
    1. A player may be forced to post the big blind more than once per round.
    2. A player may be positioned with the button for more than one hand.
    3. A player may skip one or both blinds in a round.
14. Since these are basically random occurrences, no player will receive any long-term advantage, and the rule is necessarily fair for all players.
15. In community card games (Texas Hold'em and Omaha), the players use the 'high card' to determine the starting position of the Dealer Button. If two players get the same high card, the suit preference of spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs will determine who starts with the button.
16. All tournaments other than time-based tournaments will continue until one player has won all of the chips. In rare exceptions (some qualifier tournaments), a tournament may stop with more than one player remaining.
17. Time-based tournaments (HellKat) end at a predetermined time. Payouts are determined by player chip counts. Fixed-length time-based tournaments will end after a specific period of time. Random-length tournaments have a maximum time and may end sooner than the max time. Random-length tournaments will never end with more than 10% of the maximum time remaining to play. All time-based tournaments will end after a complete hand has been played. No games will be stopped mid-hand.
18. In time-based tournaments, the top three players (based on chip counts) will split the prize pool according to our published payout structures. If a tie occurs, the players will split an appropriate prize. For example, if three players are left at the end of a tournament and two are tied for the chip lead, they would split the combined first and second place prizes. The third player would receive the third-place prize.
19. Similarly, if there were only two players left when the tournament ended, and there was no tie between the two remaining players, the remaining players would split the combined first and second place prize based on chip count and the player eliminated in third would receive the third place prize.
20. The time players have to act will be reduced during the last 10% of the time on the clock in time-based tournaments. This is to prevent stalling.
21. With the exception of rebuy tournaments, a player is eliminated when he loses all of his chips.
22. In limit tournaments (fixed betting), there will be one bet and three raises in each betting round. When only two players remain, there is no limit on the number of raises. In pot-limit and no-limit tournaments, there are no limits on the number of raises.
23. 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.
24. If two (or more) players from the same table are eliminated on the same hand, the player who started the hand with the most chips will be awarded the higher finishing position.
25. If two (or more) players from different tables are eliminated on the same hand, the prize money will be equally divided among all the players who finished with the same rank. They will each be assigned the lowest rank.
26. When tournament is running hand-for-hand, and two or more players are eliminated on the same hand (from the same table or from different tables), then the player who started the hand with the most chips will be awarded the higher finishing position.
27. Players are expected to follow established poker etiquette. Any players who abuse proper etiquette may be disqualified from the tournament.
28. Soft playing is not allowed in tournaments. Soft playing happens when a player does not bet his hand to its full potential with the expressed intent of helping another player advance further in the tournament.
29. Players who do not act on their hand in time ('time out') will be automatically folded.
30. Tournaments will, at pre-determined times, go into 'hand-for-hand' mode. This allows tables to play the exact same number of hands at critical times.

Cancellation policy

31. Single-table Sit & Go tournaments, multi-table Sit & Go tournaments & multi-table tournaments: if a tournament is cancelled for technical reasons, the following refund policy will take effect:

    (a) If the tournament has not yet started:

    1. All registered players will be refunded their buy-in and entry fee

    (b) If the tournament has started but registration for the tournament is still open (ie the tournament is still in the late registration period):

    1. Eliminated players at the time of cancellation will not be refunded their buy-in or entry fee
    2. Players still in the tournament will be refunded their buy-in and entry fee.
    3. Any buy-ins (excluding entry fees) collected from players who have been eliminated from the tournament will be distributed on a percentage basis to the remaining players according to each remaining player's chip count.
    4. The tournament will only pay out funds which have been collected in buy-ins. Any guaranteed prize pool amount from the tournament will not be a relevant factor in calculating payouts.

    (c) If the tournament has started and the registration period for the tournament has closed:

    1. Eliminated players at the time of cancellation will not be refunded their buy-in or entry fee
    2. Players still in the tournament will be refunded the amount that would have been awarded to the next player to be eliminated from the tournament. 50% of the remaining prize pool will be distributed equally between the remaining players, and 50% will be distributed on a percentage basis according to each player's chip count. The remaining players will also be refunded their entry fee.

    (d) In extraordinary circumstances where the quality of our service is severely degraded, such as may happen due to the occurrence of an Act of God, a terrorist attack, fire, or malicious DDoS attack, we reserve the right to cancel tournaments and refund players their buy-in and entry fee only for tournaments where the actual prize pools may be less than guaranteed prize pools. In such an event, we will refund all players their buy-in and entry fee, including those players who were eliminated at the time of cancellation.

32. Sit & Go Hero tournaments: if a tournament is cancelled for technical reasons, the following refund policy will take effect:
    1. If the tournament has not yet started:
       1. All players will be refunded their buy-in and entry fee
    2. If the tournament has started:
       1. Eliminated players at the time of cancellation will not be refunded their buy-in or entry fee
       2. Players still in the tournament will be refunded the amount that would have been awarded to the next player to be eliminated from the tournament. 50% of the remaining prize pool will be distributed equally between the remaining players, and 50% will be distributed on a percentage basis according to each player's chip count. The pre-determined bounty amount will form part of the total prizepool if this has not already been won. The remaining players will NOT be refunded their entry fee

A Sit & Go Hero tournament will be deemed as started only when the first card is dealt.

33. Play-money and Freeroll tournaments: cancelled tournaments without a real-money buy-in are considered to have not been played. This includes play-money tournaments, play-money Freerolls and real-money Freerolls. The prize pools for these tournaments will not be redistributed and no compensation will be awarded to players who are still in the tournament at the time of cancellation.
34. The tournament disconnect protection and cancellation policy applies to all tournaments.
35. A Sit & Go tournament will be cancelled if all players have been disconnected and 50 games have been played before they can be reconnected
36. We reserve the right to cancel or reschedule tournaments at any time, for any reason, with or without notice. We reserve the right to amend our poker tournament rules and policies at any time without notice. Such amendments will take effect as soon as they are listed in the 'Tournament Rules' section of the website. It is the player's sole responsibility to review the tournament rules and policies before entering a tournament.
37. The poker tournament rules and policies contained herein represent the complete understanding between the player and the site with respect to the player's activities at any tournament, except as otherwise specified in any poker tournament rules pertaining to a particular tournament, as posted on the website.
38. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, all use of the website by a player is governed by the Terms and Conditions of use. In the event of any dispute, these Terms and Conditions of use will apply.

Last modification date: 12/6/2023