House Rules

The best interest of the game and fairness are top priorities in decision-making.

Unusual circumstances occasionally dictate that common-sense decisions in the interest of fairness take priority over technical rules. Floor decisions are final.

Desert Bluffs Poker Club follows TDA rules for poker tournaments.

We are using 2023 WSOP procedures for cash games.

Our player code is important to us. In general, we will keep our room full of the best players by ensuring that players either rise to the level of excellence in our room or find another room to play in.

Desert Bluffs House Rules:

  1. Floor Decisions are Final: Unusual circumstances occasionally mean that common-sense decisions in the interest of fairness take priority over technical rules. 
  2. Straddle: Optional “third blind” or “straddle” allowed from button or to the left of the big blind (under the gun).  Button takes priority and action always starts to the left of the big blind. Button gets last action unless there is a raise before the button.
  3. Absolutely No “Going South.”  Chips will remain in play while you are here. The exception is to order food and drinks from our bar and grill.
  4. No Charts or Solvers In The Gaming Area: These are considered cheating. This will result in an automatic penalty, even if you’re not in a hand. 
  5. Don’t Text Players Holding Cards At The Same Table: Anti collusion measure. 
  6. Full Stack Start: Alternates do not “post” blinds when they come in.
  7. You Can Run Any Runout Twice: Running it twice is always allowed in cash games.
  8. Balanced Tables: We balance to within one player all the time, next big blind moves to the next table and may assume the big blind.
  9. Final Tables: Final tables are 9-handed in most cases. When there is a wait for another tournament or cash game to start, or dealer shortage we may make the final table 10 handed.
  10. Full Ante: There is no reduction of ante in 5 or 6-handed situations.
  11. Blind First: In Big Blind Ante tournaments, players pay blinds first when they do not have enough to post their big blind and ante. Any remaining chips goes to the ante.
  12. BBA Tournaments: Most tournaments are big blind ante tournaments from the first or third level.
  13. Button Showdown Order: When all remaining players check the river, proximity to the button determines the order of the showdown. The first player in the hand to the left of the button (or worst position) would have to show first.
  14. No Violence: We have a zero-tolerance policy for violence or credible threats of violence.