OFFICIAL PIRANA POKER RULES

Pirana Entertainment BC Inc. prides itself on being the best LEARNING Free Roll Tournament in the Province. Our goals are simple, provide a social respectable playing environment and guide Players in the proper etiquette and gaming rules for Texas Hold’em Poker Tournaments. This is a totally FREE tournament, no buy-in to the tournament is required, please note some sites do have a minimum purchase requirement for occupying a seat in their establishment. Play is geared towards collection of points, to go forward to the Regional Finals, Special Event Games and our promotional points contests

Pirana Entertainment BC Inc. will NOT in any way shape or form disrespect or purposely not abide by the BC Gaming laws as set out by the Gaming Commission of the Province of BC. We understand it would be great to play towards a World Series Poker Seat somewhere exotic, but it is ILLEGAL to offer such a prize award to a player. BC Gaming Laws clearly state NO MONETARY VALUE prizes can be awarded to the WINNER of a TOURNAMENT; you cannot be in a position to win a cash prize somewhere because you won a free game. Not only is this ILLEGAL it is also jeopardizing our Host Locations liquor license and reputation has being a respectable and law abiding business in their community. So this practice that is found blatantly open with other poker tours will never be found with a Pirana Entertainment BC Inc. sponsored event.

Please understand and respect our position, you are playing for the PRIDE of the thrill of the win, for the Trophy to sit on your mantle, to claim you are one of the best Pirana Player's of the season, and participate in our promotional points contests. You are playing with Pirana because you choose to play with the best, the honest and the friendliest Poker Tournament in town.

Pirana Entertainment BC Inc reserves the sole right to refuse entry into a Pirana Poker BC game to any player that has become belligerent, abusive to other players, who’s conduct at the tables is demeaning and insulting to another Player, who disrespects the Pirana Rules and/or Tournament Manager of the event. Everyone is playing to have fun or to learn, this is not high school. Gossip mongering will not be tolerated. If you have any complainants outside of the running of the game please direct them to the President/CEO at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Registration for Tournament: ONE hour before game, for any Player that comes within the first 1//2 hour of Registration will receive the Early Bird Bonus. Example: Game start 7:30pm —Registration open 6:30pm be there by 7:00 pm and receive the Early Bird Bonus.

Late Registration: Players have until the START of the first break to enter the tournament. The amount of the blinds that have been missed will be removed from their chip stack for each round. Example: Player arrives at 8:10pm, 475 chips will be removed for missing Round 1, 2 &3 and placed in the center of the table for the next hand. This rule does not apply to the Bar Final Tournament Players. 

Registration by Phone or through another Player: is accepted as notice the player maybe attending, but their chip stack CANNOT be placed at a table until they are physically at the table. Late Registration rules will apply. 

LATE PLAYERS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR ANY BONUS CHIPS. 

Game Start: All games will start precisely one hour after advertised Registration begins. 

Elimination from Regular Tournament: Players must inform TM when they are eliminated so the can be checked off the Attendance sheet and any Soul Chips that have been collected will be recorded. Soul Chips are NOT allowed to be given to another Player. 

Bar Final Tournaments: All Bar Final Tournaments will start ONE HOUR before the regular tournament begins. Players in attendance will be eligible to enter the Regular Tournament when eliminated from the Bar Final. The winner of the Bar Final will receive a token card protector and a seat in the yearly Regional game.

A Bar Final Player’s regular Tournament chips are to be placed at a table for them and chipped in till they are finished at the Bar Final Table; the Player is eligible for any Bonus chips on the Regular Table. NO BONUS CHIPS are allowed at the BAR FINAL table, each Player will start with exactly 4000 chips, and Soul chips do not count for any points. 

If a Player is in the Top 8 Point Leaders Bar Final they must be at the game prior to game start, there will only be a 15 min late window allowed if the player has called in and let the TM know they are running late. This game will start precisely on time and if an eligible Player is not in attendance at the start of the game their seat may be given to the Stand by Players in position 9 & 10. It is the Player’s responsibility to ensure they know if they qualify for any Pirana Poker BC Tournament. 

 Pirana Pitt Tournament: The first 6-8 players to be eliminated from the Regular Tournament will have the opportunity to join the PITT Table. The table will begin when 6-8 players have been assembled; these 6-8 Players will play a single 6-8 person tournament until a winner is declared. All points for the PITT will be tracked separately geared toward a Regional Seat placement. READ THE PITT TABLE SHEET FOR PITT TABLE RULES.

Once a Player has been eliminated from a PITT table the table is CLOSED and all chips stacks not belonging to a player are to be removed. NO other Player is allowed to sit in the game, NOR can an eliminated Player move over to an empty seat that still has a chip stack. The Tournament Manager may open another PITT Table.

PITT Tables will NOT be chipped up, they are a self run tournament, Pirana expects the Player’s to follow the rules accordingly, record a Player’s knockouts and souls correctly, missing information will NOT be hunted down, it will simply not qualify for points or for promotions such as Pirana Bucks. ANY illegal activity attempted on a PITT Table will result in ALL PLAYERS INVOLVED BEING BANNED FROM PIRANA FOR LIFE and a report sent to the local police department, there is a ZERO tolerance on such activity with Pirana Entertainment BC Inc

NO more PITT tables will be allowed after the FINAL table has started. IF a PITT table is still running when the Final Table has finished, there will be a 10 minute time window to wrap up the PITT table game. After the 10 minute window the game will end and the placement of players will be determined by their chip stacks.

Dealer: Time is ticking, please shuffle the cards minimum three times, the Dealer is responsible to ensure all blinds and antes are posted. The antes are to be placed in the center of the table, the blinds are to remain in front of the player until the big blind option has been called, and then the chips are to be gathered to the center of the table by the DEALER.  

The Dealer is responsible to place the mucked hands in the middle of the table. Players are to keep their cards in front of their chip tray protected by a card protector of some kind, (NO money of any kind can be used for a card protector). Player’s may not cover their cards with their hands or keep the cards in their hands, players and the dealer must always be aware of who is in play.  

When the Dealer deals the flop, place the burned cards neatly to the side of the flop so players know that the card has been burned correctly, throwing the burned cards into the muck pile just causes confusion. Spread the flopped cards neatly in the center of the table so all players can see the cards, announce what the cards are so player’s with blind spots from the lights and cannot see the cards clearly know. The pot is not to be handed to a player by anyone but the Dealer and it is the Dealer's responsibility to make sure all hands have been mucked or played prior to distribution of the pot. If a player is unsure of their hand, they may ask the Dealer to clarify what they have turned over or call over the Tournament Manager.  

The main problem that is arising, player's who know the game are quickly grabbing the pot assuming they have won, but the new players are not getting a chance to understand what hand won the game, or a hand is not called correctly and the pot grabbed before clarification is made. It is so very important in learning this game to fully comprehend what has happened during the game play. This is NOT speed poker, or a casual house game. It is a LEARNING environment, please respect this and those more experienced players follow the rulings and help the new players.  

Mucked Hands: If your cards cross the line and they are not protected with a card protector, they will be considered mucked, if they are way over the line and protected the Dealer will ask you to pull them back ONCE and then they may still be considered mucked.

When making a decision to muck a hand, once the cards are over the line and a Player’s fingers leave the cards they are considered mucked. If you touch another card in the muck pile even if your fingers have not left the cards they will be considered mucked.

The best way to avoid the muck issue is simple, a Player should keep their cards in front of their chip tray, behind the line and protected by a card cover, when a decision to muck is made gently push the cards into the center of the table so the dealer is aware of the mucked hand.

If a player keeps their cards to the SIDE of the chip tray and they are absently missed in the hand, they will be MUCKED out of the hand. It has become far too common of a practice to slide the cards to the side and declare "Hey I am in the hand you missed me". IF a DEALER cannot see the cards they cannot declare you in the pot. This rule is going to be enforced, make sure cards are in front of the Chip Tray during play.

Dead Dealer: When a player has been eliminated and they were next to deal, the dealer button remains in their seat and the player to the right deals the cards again. Cards are NOT dealt to the dead dealer position.

Dead Small Blind: When a player has been eliminated and they were next to be small blind, the small blind is considered dead, the big blind still remains in play. Cards are NOT dealt to the dead small blind player.  

Dead Big Blind: When a player has been eliminated and they were next to in line for the big blind, the big blind simply advances to the next player. A BIG BLIND is NEVER dead.  If two players are eliminated in side by side seats and they fall into one of the Dead conditions above, consider them as one player and follow the same rulings as above.  

Pirana Betting Rules for NO Limit Hold'em:

Players can bet any amount between the cost of the big blind and the amount of chips they have at the table on any betting round. When two amounts are used in reference to a no limit game (like "25/50 no limit"), the amounts are just the costs of the blinds and have no relationship to the amount that a player can bet, except that the minimum bet will be the big blind or larger for the first player to bet.

A second Player and following Player's to bet after an initial bet do NOT have to double the previous call or raise. This practice is done in Casino's to ensure the growth of the pot and the house rake to be larger, Pirana is here to teach the game not to rake the Pot. As long as the initial raise is the amount of the big blind or larger than the following bets only have to be larger than the initial.

ALL-IN: In an All-in situation other players can go all in, they can raise the bet as long as it is as much or more than the big blind if the All-in was lower than the big blind. Someone may choose to do what is called an Isolation Bet and over bet the pot to an extreme to cause other Player's to fold to the All-In hand, this is a very acceptable situation in Poker.

If the All-in player was the first bet to act and the amount is lower than the big blind the next person calling that bet must put in the min required of the big blind and then the rest of the players can go forth with raising. If there is no betting and only the last player to act calls the all-in they only have to match the all-in call as there is no more to work with.

Moving Tables: This is a tournament moving from table to table will happen to you. When a player has to be moved, the player behind (right side of the Dealer) the Dealer Button will be pulled from the table and placed behind the Dealer button on another table. Sometimes the placement on another table does not work to be behind the Dealer button; in that case the player will sit out of the game until the Dealer Button has passed them.  

To play the hand you need to be at minimum 4 positions past the Dealer Button (include the Dealer position in the count, which means they can play in the fifth position), anything less the player will sit out till the Dealer Button has passed them.  At times tables are collapsed and several players are moved at once. If a table receives half or more than the number of players currently at the table the Dealer button will be re-established by the first Ace dealt to a player. This may cause you to be in the blind structure again even if you were one of the blinds at the previous table. This is a hazard of Tournament play and the bad luck of the position you are in; it’s just a tough luck situation. 

Heads Up: When the game is down to the final two players, the Tournament Manager is to take over the Dealer Position (this may happen sooner if the Tournament Manager is in position to do so), the cards will be shuffled and the remaining two players will cut the cards, the player with the highest card from the cut will receive the dealer button, and become the small blind, and the first to act after the cards are dealt. After the flop the opposing player will be first to act.  

Independent Dealer: If there is room at the table and the entire table allows an eliminated player to deal, only that Dealer is allowed to have their hands in the pot, split pots etc. Please respect this at all times, players are here to learn and if spectators and/or players have their hands in the pot, mistakes are going to happen.  An independent dealer does not need to have a player cut the cards after a shuffle.  

Spectators: Spectators are to respect the players at the table, back up and give them room to breath. Spectators are not allowed to coach a player, put their hands in the pots, or reach over into the table to stack chips. If a decision has to be made call the TM over for clarification and back away from the table and please remain silent unless directed to explain something.  

Vulgar Language: This seems to be a joking issue with many players. But Pirana is very serious about this. Poker etiquette rules state very clearly. NO SWEARING, if this continues to be an issue, every time the "F" word is used the TM has the authority to fine a player 500 points, that's a pretty blue chip. Learn to say Fudge or Frigg, respect the players around you. If your language is a problem even after the fine, the TM has the authority to remove you from the Tournament and any point values you have earned will be forfeited. This will be reported to the President/CEO and a decision will be made as to whether you will be put on probation or banned from participating in any future games.

Game Conduct: There is nothing worse than playing with a poor looser or a gloating winner. If you loose a hand please be an adult and loose graciously. If you win a hand, please do not gloat in the opponents face, it is rude and very poor etiquette, simply shake their hand and state “Good Game”. Trust us they are kicking themselves enough for loosing the hand; they do not need you to remind them. And any poor etiquette will come back to bite you the next time you are in a loosing hand.

Donkey Play: This term is used widely in a tournament, especially when one looses a hand they thought for sure they had. IT HAPPENS get over it, new player’s are not sure of the rules and betting practices and they will have a tendency to chase down the community cards with such cards as an Ace / rag. Do NOT belittle the player for doing this, it is something they have to learn, everyone started out a beginner at sometime, you were not all born expert players. Even experienced players will have a tendency to play cards they maybe should not have played and they hit and take down the pot, IT HAPPENS get over it.

Rules are subject to change upon authorization of Pirana Entertainment BC Inc. only.