House rules and etiquette

No real money

Poker Rooms is a free social game. Chips only keep score: they can't be bought, sold or exchanged, and they're worth nothing outside the game. Don't play for money or anything else of value here, or use a game here to arrange that.

How we deal

No-Limit and Pot-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha follow the usual rules of poker, with these home-game choices:

• The button moves to the next player dealt in each hand. There's no dead button or dead small blind, so nobody posts a blind twice.
• Sitting out: you keep your seat and chips but aren't dealt in. That happens when you choose, when you run out of time on your turn, or when you're not connected as a hand is dealt.
• Coming back: wait for the big blind to reach you, or post one to play. If that would put you between the button and the small blind, you wait for the button to pass first.
• Standing up mid-hand lets the hand finish first. If the host removes a player, their hand folds unless they're already all in, and chips already in the pot stay there.
• Split pots: any odd chip goes to the winner nearest the left of the button. A board run more than once gives each run an equal share of every pot.
• Showing cards: after a hand, anyone dealt in can show one or both cards until the next deal.

Play fair

• One seat per person. Don't play more than one seat, or let someone else play yours.
• Don't team up with other players against the rest of the table, or share your cards with anyone still in the hand.
• The deal is fair, and you can check it. How fair dealing works.

Good table manners

• Act in good time. Take the time you need for a big decision, but don't make the table wait on every hand. Your time bank is there for the hard ones.
• Say "sitting out" when you step away, or tap Sit out, so the table isn't waiting for you.
• Keep the chat friendly. Table talk and a bit of needle are part of poker. Bullying, threats and abuse are not.
• Win well, lose well. No gloating, no lecturing someone on how they played.
• Let the host host. They set the game: if you'd like something changed, ask them.

When something goes wrong

Anyone can mute or block another player just for themselves, and the host can mute or remove someone from their table. To report something, tap the message in the chat, or open Players in the menu: a person on the Poker Rooms team reads every report. The rules and terms say everything that isn't allowed, and how to appeal.