TDA Recommended Procedures

[MikeB]

Poker TDA Recommended Procedures to follow.

[MikeB]

2019 TDA Recommended Procedures Version 1.0, Released Sept. 17, 2019

TDA Recommended Procedures are policy suggestions to reduce errors and improve event management. They also may apply to situations with too many variations to address in one universal rule. The fairest ruling in these cases may require use of multiple rules, evaluation of all circumstances, and reliance on Rule 1 as a primary guide.

RP-1. All-In Buttons
All-in buttons clearly indicate a player is "all-in." The dealer should keep the buttons (not each player). When a player bets all-in, the dealer places an all-in button in front of the player, in full view of the rest of the table.
   
RP-2. Bringing in Bets is Discouraged
Routinely bringing in chips as betting and raising proceeds around the table is poor dealing practice. Reducing bet stacks can influence action, create confusion & increase errors. Only the player currently facing action may ask the dealer to bring-in bets.

RP-3. Personal Belongings
The table surface is vital for chip stack management, dealing, and betting. The table and nearby spaces (legroom & walkways) must not be cluttered by non-essential personal items. Each cardroom should clearly display its policy on items allowed in the tournament area.

RP-4. Disordered Stub
When cards remain to be dealt on a hand and the stub is accidentally dropped and appears to be disordered: 1) first try to reconstruct the stub in its original order if possible; 2) If not possible, create a new stub using only the stub cards (not the muck & prior burns). These should be scrambled, shuffled, cut, & play proceeds with the new stub; 3) If when dropped the stub is mixed in with the muck and/or burns, then scramble the mixed cards together, shuffle, and cut. Play proceeds with the new stub.

RP-5. Prematurely Dealt Cards
Board and burn cards are sometimes dealt prematurely, before action on the preceding round is finished. The general procedures for these situations are:

A: Premature flop, leave the flop burn card as the burn. Return the premature board cards to the deck stub and reshuffle the entire stub. Re-deal the flop (without another burn) from the newly shuffled stub.

B: A premature turn card is put to the side. Another card is burned, and the normal river card is used as the new turn card. After action on the turn, the premature turn card is placed back in the stub, the stub is reshuffled, and a river card is dealt without another burn.

C: A premature river card is placed back into the remaining stub, and the premature river burn card is left as the river burn. Once action on the turn is completed, reshuffle the stub and deal the river without a new burn card.

D: For a premature card in stud, additional cards are dealt and placed to the side along with the premature card(s) to represent an entire round of cards for the remaining live players. Once action on the round is complete, burn and deal the next street as normal. On the final street the premature and additional cards set aside are placed back into the stub. Re-shuffle the stub and deal the final street.

RP-6. Efficient Movement of Players
Moving players for breaking and balancing should be expeditious so as not to unduly miss blinds or otherwise delay the game. If possible, players should have racks for chip transport and sufficient color-ups should be done so players do not carry unusually large numbers of chips (see Rules 10, 11 & 63).

RP-7. Timing of Dealer Pushes
The TDA recommends that dealers hold up the push 90 seconds prior to a scheduled break or a level change. This avoids having time expire in crucial stages of the game.

RP-8: Hand for Hand Procedures
A: Payoff eligibility starts at the announcement: "finish the current hand you're on then hold up, we are going hand for hand". If enough players bust on the current hand to break into the money, the busting players will be eligible for a share of the place(s) paid on the current hand. Example: NLHE tournament paying 50 players. 52 players remain when the announcement is made and during the current hand 3 players bust. All 3 players will share in the 50th place payout.

B: During H4H play, each hand will run the same pre-determined amount of time off the clock regardless of how long the hand actually takes. The TDA standard is 2-minutes per hand. The 2-minute run-off starts with the current hand at time of announcement. Example: 17:30 remains in the current level when "finish the current hand..." is announced. At the start of the next hand the clock is set to 15:30. At the start of the following hand it is set to 13:30 and so on.

C: So that players can most clearly know the timing of level changes, whenever possible the clock should be reduced by 2-minutes each hand not after "batches" of multiple hands.

D: Blinds continue to increase as time elapses off the clock at the rate of 2 minutes per hand and new levels are reached.

E: Players are encouraged but not required to remain seated during H4H play.

F: In the event of an all-in and call during H4H, the cards of all players in the hand should remain face down. Dealers should not deal additional cards until instructed.

RP-9:  Number of Players at Final Table
9 and 8-handed events will combine from two tables of five players each to a 9-handed final table. 7 and 6-handed events will combine from two tables of four players each to a 7-handed final table.

RP-10: Tournament Stud Dealing Procedures
A: A downcard exposed on the initial deal will be the player's upcard and 3rd street will be dealt down to that player. The player can be the bring-in.

B: A card exposed by the dealer on 7th street will be replaced if betting action remains on the hand. 7th street should be dealt down even if no betting action remains on the hand and in all-in situations the player(s) not at risk expose first.

C: Cards of a player not at his or her seat (See Rule 30) for the deal will be killed. No cards will be dealt to a hand on 4th street that is not live.

D: If there are two or more matching high hands showing in Stud (or Stud-8) or low hands in Razz, betting starts on the hand with the high card by suit in both games.

E: If the player dealt the low card by suit is all-in for the ante, betting starts to his or her left. Players with chips must bet at least the bring-in or fold.

F: Bets will not be doubled on 4th street for a pair showing.

G: For premature cards dealt in stud see RP-5-D.

H: 7th street short stub procedure. If before dealing 7th street the number of cards in the current stub is less than the "required number" (# remaining players + burn card + undealt last card) proceed as follows: A) if the required number can be reached by adding the 3 prior burn cards (for 4th, 5th, and 6th street) the current stub will be scrambled with the prior burns to create a new stub. The new stub will be cut, a card burned, and one card dealt to each player. B) if there are at least 3 cards in the current stub but adding the prior burns would not reach the required number, the dealer will burn the top card of the current stub and deal the next card as a community card in the center of the table. C) if the current stub has less than 3 cards, it will be scrambled with the 3 prior burns for a new stub which will then be cut, a card burned, and the next card dealt as a community card. D) If a community card is in play, the first player who would act on 6th street will be first to act on 7th street.

RP-11: Ante Formats. No Ante Reduction
For single-payer systems, the big blind ante format (BBA) with the ante-first calculation is recommended. Antes should not be reduced (including at the final table) as play progresses in the event.

RP-12: Dealers Should Announce Bets & Raises
Dealers should routinely announce non-all-in bet values as betting proceeds around the table. All-in bets will be counted only on request of the player currently facing action. Accepted action continues to apply (Rule 49). Scheduled and discretionary color-ups improve bet countability.

RP-13: Dealers Should Stack Chips in Split-Pot Games
Where possible, dealers should periodically stack pot chips in split-pot games. Stacking chips should not obscure players' view or otherwise disrupt the game.

RP-14: Randomness May be Applied to Special Situations
For error remedies not otherwise covered in the TDA Rules and Procedures, TDs may use the concept of randomness to design a solution.