Tournament Poker Rule Number One: Beginners Are Welcome

This first rule is not necessarily a "rule," per se, but does influence tournament poker and make it special and different from your regular cash games. Namely, this "rule" is that beginners are welcome.

For the beginner or intermediate poker player, tournament poker allows you to see a lot of hands and experience a lot of poker for a fraction of the cost of a cash game. As a result, tournaments are a fantastic way to learn the game, or to further hone one's skills by trying new techniques without having to worry about losing your entire bankroll.

In essence, your loss is limited to your entry fee (plus any re-buys you purchase).

Meanwhile, more experienced players are obviously more than happy to have the entry fees of poker novices added to the big prize that they are eyeing.

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Tournament Rule Specifics: Inquire Ahead of Time

Poker tournaments come in many shapes and sizes, and may vary in terms of the type of poker game being played, the limits or lack thereof, and the pay-out structure to the winners, for example how many players can finish "in the money."

Some tournaments offer re-buys and add-ons (you can buy more chips if you run out), others limit the number of players, some are ultra-fast while some are very-slow.

The most important thing is to take a look at the rules of a particular tournament ahead of time, because the rules may change your strategy significantly.

For example, let's say that you are playing in a tournament that allows you two re-buys. In this case, you may be more aggressive about calling a loose maniac that you think is bluffing than if you have no re-buys and he can knock you out right now.

In tournaments with no re-buys, maniacs must be respected and if possible avoided.

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Tournament Expectations

So let's say you hear about a poker tournament that you are interested in attending. What can you expect when you walk into the casino?

Firstly, you can expect that the entry fee will be prominently displayed near the tournament entrance. The entry fee is almost always displayed as $100 + $15, meaning $100 goes to the prize pool and $15 goes to the event organizer, although the specific dollar amount will vary according to the tournament.

The tournament rules may not be as prominently displayed, but there will usually be a flyer somewhere nearby with exact details--as noted above, please review this piece of paper because it's important. If you are at all unclear about anything in the rules at the time of sign-up, ask the cashier before you hand over your hard-earned cash.

Now that all your inquiries have been answered, and you've paid your entry fee, you will be given a receipt, which will include your assigned table and seat.

There will be some indication that the tournament is about to begin. If you didn't hear the announcement over the P.A. system, perhaps you'll notice the mass migration of people heading towards the back of the casino.

As you enter the tournament room, make note of the flat-screens with the timer and blind levels. Take your seat, count your chips, and get ready to play some poker.

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Enforcement of Tournament Poker Rules

One nice thing about playing tournament poker is that it's not your responsibility to worry about enforcing the rules, as it sometimes can be in your typical home game.

The dealer is responsible for setting the dealer button, ensuring a proper game according to the rules of the tournament, and collecting the blinds and/or antes.

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Antes, Blinds, and Escalating Action

Generally, antes don't come into play until the later stages of a tournament.

Blinds however will be a constant, and they will escalate on a pre-defined schedule. The blinds will start out very small in proportion to your chip-stack.

However, as the tournament progresses, the blinds and antes will be proportionally larger to your chip-stack, making your decisions more crucial.

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As the Field Narrows

As the field gets smaller, the tournament organizer will have to adjust the number of people at each table to keep things even for everyone. The very last fish at your table may be asked to move, or you may be asked to move. This might be presented as a request, but it is not, it is an order, and you must go where you are told.

The same is true of breaks, they are not optional. At first, you might be so amped that you don't want to stop playing poker, you're open to pissing in your pants if that's what's necessary to not miss a hand.

Later on in a tournament though, you'll be glad there are short mandatory breaks every couple hours. Food is usually served table-side, but if it's not, or you've forgotten to eat, this would be a good time to grab a snack and recharge your batteries.

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Tournament Rules at the Final Table

After an exciting yet excruciating day, you did what you knew you'd do: you made it to the final table. You are ready to reap the rewards of your efforts.

However, before the final table action begins again, one final tournament rule steps front and center: you are asked to furnish an official ID Card. You are not being arrested, and you are not being run through an FBI database, and you are not being deported.

They are simply collecting your information for tax purposes.

And that, perhaps, is a fitting last rule of tournament poker: if you are skilled and/or fortunate enough to win a tournament, remember that you will receive a 1099 from the casino for the amount that you've won. By law, you must pay taxes on this amount.

But--and this is a big but--you are allowed to cancel out these winnings to the extent of your losses during the year. So make sure that anytime you win a tournament, you keep track of your gambling losses, too, so you don't overpay your income tax.

In this way, Uncle Sam's rules can become a rather large part of tournament poker rules.

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