Virginia Law

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Add-on" means a player's purchase of additional poker chips during a tournament at preannounced times before that player runs out of poker chips.

"Administer" means the conduct of activities by an operator that are associated with production of a poker tournament.

"Agent" means any person authorized by an operator, charitable gaming supplier, or landlord to act for or in place of such operator, supplier, or landlord.

"Charitable Gaming Law" means Article 1.1:1 (§ 18.2-340.15 et seq.) of Chapter 8 of Title 18.2 of the Code of Virginia.

"Charitable host representative" means a person who (i) is a bona fide member, as defined in § 18.2-340.16 of the Code of Virginia, of the qualified organization; (ii) meets all other requirements for bona fide members set forth in the Charitable Gaming Law and regulations adopted pursuant thereto; (iii) does not receive remuneration pursuant to § 18.2-340.33 of the Code of Virginia; and (iv) is responsible for the oversight of the written contract between the qualified organization and operator during the poker tournament.

"Conduct" means the actions by a qualified organization associated with the provision of a poker tournament during and immediately before or after the permitted activity, which may include (i) dealing playing cards; (ii) distributing poker chips; (iii) distributing prizes; and (iv) any other services provided by a charitable host representative, volunteer game worker, or volunteer dealer.

"Dealer" means a volunteer or volunteer member of a qualified organization or an employee, contractor, volunteer, or agent of an operator whose primary function is to distribute cards to players and manage the action at the poker table during a poker game.

"Department" means the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

"Fiscal year" means the 12-month period beginning January 1 and ending December 31 of any given year.

"Flush" means a hand consisting of five cards of the same suit.

"Four of a kind" means a hand consisting of four cards of the same rank, with four aces being the highest ranking four of a kind and four deuces being the lowest ranking four of a kind.

"Full house" means a hand consisting of three of a kind and a pair, with three aces and two kings being the highest ranking full house and three deuces and two threes being the lowest ranking full house.

"Game manager" means a person who (i) is a bona fide member, as defined in § 18.2-340.16 of the Code of Virginia, of the qualified organization that is managing, operating, and conducting the poker tournament; (ii) meets all other requirements for bona fide members set forth in the Charitable Gaming Law and this chapter; (iii) does not receive remuneration pursuant to § 18.2-340.33 of the Code of Virginia; and (iv) is responsible for the operation of the qualified organization's poker tournament.

"Hi/Lo" means a variation of Texas Hold'em poker in which the highest or lowest poker hands split the pot.

"Immediate family" means a person's spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandchild, grandparent, mother-in-law or father-in-law, or stepchild.

"IRS" means the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or its successor.

"Landlord" means any person who owns or leases any premises devoted in whole or in part for use to hold a poker tournament or such person's agent, firm, association, organization, partnership, corporation, employee, or immediate family member thereof or any person residing in the same household as a landlord.

"Manufacturer" means a person that assembles from raw materials or subparts a completed piece of charitable gaming equipment or supplies. "Manufacturer" also means a person who or an entity that modifies, converts, adds, or removes parts to or from charitable gaming equipment or supplies.

"Operator" means a person who has registered with the department in accordance with 11VAC20-30-50 to administer poker tournaments.

"Pair" means two cards of the same rank.

"Poker game" means a Texas Hold'em poker game as defined in § 18.2-340.16 of the Code of Virginia.

"Poker tournament" means a Texas Hold'em poker tournament as defined in § 18.2-340.16 of the Code of Virginia.

"Pot" means the total amount bet by players during a poker game.

"Rakes" or "cutting of pots" means the taking of a portion of the pot as a fee or other compensation for providing services during a poker game or tournament, including the services of a dealer.

"Remuneration" means payment in cash or the provision of anything of value for goods provided or services rendered.

"Re-buy" means a player's purchase of additional poker chips during a tournament after that player runs out of poker chips.

"Royal flush" means a hand consisting of an ace, king, queen, jack, and 10 of the same suit.

"Shuffler" means a device that randomizes playing cards.

"Straight" means a hand consisting of five cards of consecutive rank, regardless of suit, with an ace, king, queen, jack, and 10 being the highest ranking straight and an ace, two, three, four, and five being the lowest ranking straight ; provided, however, that an ace may not be combined with any other sequence of cards for purposes of determining a winning hand (e.g., queen, king, ace, deuce, three).

"Straight flush" means a hand consisting of five cards of the same suit in consecutive ranking with king, queen, jack, 10, and nine being the highest ranking straight flush and ace, deuce, three, four, and five being the lowest ranking straight flush ; provided, however, that an ace may not be combined with any other sequence of cards for purposes of determining a winning hand (e.g., queen, king, ace, deuce, three).

"Suit" means one of the four categories of cards: club, diamond, heart, or spade, with no suit being higher rank than another.

"Three of a kind" means a hand consisting of three cards of the same rank, with three aces being the highest ranking three of a kind and three deuces being the lowest ranking three of a kind.

"Two pairs" means a hand containing two pairs.

"Tournament chip" or "poker chip" means a token used for wagering in a poker tournament that has no cash value.

"Tournament manager" means a person who is employed or contracted by an operator to administer poker tournaments for a qualified organization.

"Use of proceeds" means the use of funds derived by a qualified organization from its charitable gaming activities for the organization's lawful religious, charitable, community, or educational purpose.