The Poker Tournament Director’s Association is the official body of poker tournament personnel. The TDA is dedicated to advancing the poker tournament industry and adopting uniform global poker tournament rules. The TDA was founded in Las Vegas in 2001 by gaming professionals Matt Savage, Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher, and David Lamb. The TDA Founders recognized that poker rules were inconsistent from venue to venue, confusing both players and management. Uniform official poker tournament rules were needed and the TDA was born! Today the Association represents over 4,000 members in 65 countries.

The TDA Poker Rules include both traditional topics like seating players, dealing poker, poker betting, the showdown and etiquette as well as modern concepts like the BBA big blind ante format. 

TDA membership includes poker tournament directors, card room managers, directors of poker, poker dealers, veteran players, and gaming board personnel. TDA members manage the world’s largest casino poker rooms, poker tours, poker leagues, online tournament platforms, and independent poker tournament contractors. The Association meets every two years in Las Vegas at the TDA Summit to consider proposed new rules and amendments. Through the 2019 TDA Summit IX, a total of 71 rules and 14 recommended procedures have been adopted. The Official Poker Tournament Rules and Procedures are available here in downloadable and printable PDF and Word formats. Poker TDA Mobile Apps put the TDA Poker Tournament Rules in the palm of your hand. For more information on the rules-making process and a pictorial history of TDA Summits, click here.

Consider joining the Poker TDA. Membership is free and allows you to participate in poker rules legislation, attend Summits, and take the Poker TD Certification Exam. Members also have access to the TDA online discussion forum, the world’s largest library of discussions on poker tournament rules.

For questions about the TDA or the TDA Poker Rules and Procedures, please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you!