§ 637a.18. Conduct of players; general operating rules for all types of Poker; irregularities.
(a) In all disputes in which a ruling, interpretation, clarification or intervention is required, the decision of the Poker shift supervisor is final.
(b) Each player in a Poker game shall play the game solely to improve the player’s chance of winning and may not take action to improve another player’s chance of winning. A player may not communicate any information to another player which could assist the other player in any manner respecting the outcome of a Poker game.
(c) A certificate holder who has reasonable cause to believe that a player has acted or is acting in violation of subsection (b) may require the player to leave the game and shall notify a casino compliance representative as expeditiously as possible.
(d) Each player shall keep all cards dealt to the player in full view of the dealer at all times. The dealer shall ensure compliance with this requirement.
(e) At a showdown, a winning hand must be clearly displayed in its entirety and properly identified. The player initiating the final bet shall be the first player to show his hand at the showdown. All other players who have not folded shall then reveal their hands in a clockwise rotation. Any player holding a losing hand may concede his rights to the pot and discard the hand without revealing the player’s cards unless the certificate holder, in its Rules Submission under § 601a.2 (relating to table games Rules Submissions), requires the disclosure of all discarded hands.
(f) It shall be the responsibility of each player in a showdown to ensure that the player’s hand has lost to the other hands at the table before discarding the hand.
(g) Cards that are misdealt shall be returned to the dealer for a reshuffle. The following errors shall be cause for a misdeal:
(1) Failure to shuffle and cut the cards in accordance with § 635a.5 (relating to shuffle and cut of the cards).
(2) Dealing to an incorrect starting position if the error has been detected prior to two players voluntarily placing bets into the pot.
(3) If more than one card is found face up in the deck.
(4) Failure to deal to an eligible seated player, if the error has been detected prior to two players voluntarily placing bets into the pot.
(h) If one or more cards are mistakenly dealt to an ineligible player, the cards dealt to that player shall be discarded and the round of play shall continue.
(i) If at any time during a round of play missing cards are discovered or additional cards are found, the round of play shall be voided, all value chips, tournament chips and plaques in the pot shall be returned to the appropriate player and the deck shall be replaced.
(j) A card found face up in the deck may not be used in that round of play and shall be placed with the pile of discarded cards.
(k) A player who fails to take reasonable means to protect his hand shall have no redress if his hand becomes a fouled hand or the dealer accidentally collects the hand provided that:
(1) Hole cards in a game of Stud Poker shall be considered protected for purposes of fouling a hand.
(2) If a protected hand comes into contact with discarded cards, every effort shall be made to reconstruct the hand and complete the round of play.
(3) A player who has a protected hand collected by the dealer or fouled by discarded cards shall be entitled to a refund from the pot of all moneys that the player put in the pot if the player has been a victim of and not a contributor to the error.
(4) A player who leaves the table without comment and has an unprotected hand shall be assumed to have no interest in the pot and his cards shall be collected and discarded.
(l) Verbal statements which are clearly audible by and directed to the dealer shall always have precedence over actions and gestures and are considered binding on the player whose turn it is to act.
(1) A player shall be deemed to have folded if, when faced with making or calling a bet, the player:
(i) Discards his hand face down towards the pile of discarded cards or the pot.
(ii) Turns his up cards in a game of Stud Poker face down.
(2) If a player is obligated to place a bet as a Blind Bet, Forced Bet or by virtue of a verbal statement, throwing away his cards does not relieve the player of that obligation.
(m) In Seven-card Stud, if a player’s first or second hole card is accidentally turned face up in the dealing process, the third card shall be dealt face down. If both hole cards are accidentally turned face up, the dealer shall collect the two cards, call the player’s hand void and return the player’s Ante bet, if applicable. If a player’s third hole card is accidentally turned face up in the dealing process, the player shall be afforded the option to either:
(1) End his obligation to make additional bets and contend only for that part of the pot formed prior to any additional betting.
(2) Continue to contend for the entire pot.
(n) In Five-card Stud, if a player’s hole card is accidentally turned face up in the dealing process, the second card shall be dealt face down.
(o) If a card is accidentally dealt off the table, the card may not be used in that round of play and shall be placed with the pile of discarded cards after a thorough examination of the card by the dealer.
(p) In the games of Hold’em and Omaha Poker, if any of the cards that are required to be dealt face down to a player are accidentally dealt face up, the dealer shall exchange the exposed card with a card from the top of the deck and place the exposed card face down with the pile of discarded cards.
(q) If an automated card shuffling device is being used and the device jams, stops shuffling during a shuffle or fails to complete a shuffle cycle, the cards shall be reshuffled.
(r) If an automated card shuffling device malfunctions and cannot be used, the device must be covered or have a sign indicating that the automated card shuffling device is out of order placed on the device before any other method of shuffling may be utilized at that table.
(s) A certificate holder may clarify and supplement the procedures related to irregularities in this section in the certificate holder’s Rules Submission under § 601a.2.
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