Virginia Law

A. All persons participating as a player in a poker tournament shall be 18 years of age or older.

B. Prior to a poker tournament, a qualified organization must establish the fixed fee that a player must pay in order to enter the poker tournament. The qualified organization must post or advertise the fixed entry fee for the poker tournament and the number of tournament chips received for that entry fee.

C. The qualified organization shall ensure a poker game meets the definition of Texas Hold'em poker game as stated in § 18.2-340.16 of the Code of Virginia.

D. The game manager, charitable host representative, dealer, volunteer game workers, or operator's employees, independent contractors, volunteers, or agents shall not:

1. Allow any wagering in any manner not set forth in this chapter;

2. Accept any direct or indirect tip or gratuity; or

3. Consume alcoholic beverages during the tournament.

E. The dealer shall only be responsible for dealing playing cards and handling tournament chips at the poker table during the poker tournament. The dealer shall not be assigned any other duties or responsibilities not directly related to dealing playing cards or handling tournament chips.

F. The following resources shall be used during a poker tournament:

1. A live dealer;

2. Physical playing cards;

3. Physical tournament chips; and

4. Tables large enough to ensure that players may examine their cards without disclosing the card value to other players. No single table shall have more than 11 players.

G. Add-ons may be allowed at preannounced times within the first three hours of tournament play or until the first break (consolidation or balancing of tables) of the tournament, whichever occurs first. These add-ons must occur at established times that are posted in the tournament rules prior to the beginning of the tournament. An add-on must contain the predetermined number of poker chips established in the tournament rules. Add-ons may only occur before a player has lost all of his poker chips and may only bring the player up to the original amount of poker chips provided at the beginning of the tournament. A player who has lost all of his poker chips may not add-on and is eliminated from the tournament.

H. Re-buys are prohibited.

I. No individual who is participating in the management, operation, or conduct of a poker tournament shall provide any information or engage in any conduct that alters or is intended to alter the outcome of any poker tournament.

J. Tournament chips.

1.

All poker tournaments shall be conducted using tournament chips approved by the department. The tournament chips shall bear the following:

a. The name, logo, or other identification of the charitable organization or operator issuing the tournament chip;

b. The word "Tournament;"

c. The tournament value of the poker chip. No monetary word or symbol, such as dollars ($) or cents (¢), shall be used on any poker chip; and

d. The phrase "No Cash Value."

2. A qualified organization or its operator shall store tournament chips in a secure area.

3. A qualified organization or its operator shall conduct an inventory of all tournament chips and include on a poker tournament reconciliation form prescribed or approved by the department any discrepancy in the inventory and shall include the balance for each tournament value of the poker chip on hand at the beginning of each tournament and the balance on hand at the end of each tournament.

4. Tournament chips are to be used in the play of the poker tournament and shall not be redeemed for cash or any other thing of value. A qualified organization or its operator shall not accept tournament chips as payment for any goods or services and shall not use tournament chips in any other transaction.

5. No person is permitted to sell or exchange a tournament chip for currency with another player, the operator, the qualified organization, or any other person or entity.

K. Playing cards.

1.

The qualified organization or its operator shall conduct an inventory of all boxes containing decks of playing cards at the beginning of each tournament and at the end of each tournament to ensure that the boxes of cards are intact, unbroken, and free from alteration or tampering.

2. Decks of cards shall be stored in a secure location that minimizes alteration or tampering.

3. The dealer shall verify that all cards are present in the deck and visually inspect the backs of the cards for any defects that might compromise the integrity or fairness of the poker game and shall offer an opportunity for each player at the dealer's table to visually inspect the cards. The game manager or tournament manager shall remove any deck of cards that is missing a card or contains damaged or altered cards or other card flaws that would affect the integrity of the poker game. Any deck found to be defective or missing a card or to contain damaged or altered cards or other card flaws shall be made unplayable.

4. Unless the Poker Tournament Directors Association rules differ, the ranking of hands, from highest to lowest, shall be as follows:

a. Royal flush;

b. Straight flush;

c. Four of a kind;

d. Full house;

e. Flush;

f. Straight;

g. Three of a kind;

h. Two pairs;

i. One pair; and

j. High card.

L. The order of finish for a poker tournament shall be determined by one of the following methods only:

1. If play continues until all but one player is eliminated before the predetermined end time, the order of finish shall be the order of elimination from last to first. The last remaining player shall be declared the winner; or

2. If play stops at the predetermined end time, the order of finish shall be determined by the ranking value of the tournament chips held by each player at the end of play from highest to lowest. The player with the highest value of tournament chips shall be declared the winner.

M. The following restrictions apply to method of play:

1. Wild cards are prohibited;

2. Hi/Lo games are prohibited;

3. Rakes or cutting of pots is prohibited;

4. A player shall only bet on his hand in a poker game;

5. A player is prohibited from exchanging information concerning the player's hand;

6. A player who folds from the poker game of play shall not reveal the player's pocket cards; and

7. No player may play more than one hand during a poker game.

N. A qualified organization shall prominently display its charitable gaming permit during the poker tournament, and if the qualified organization uses an operator to administer its poker tournament, the qualified organization shall also prominently display the operator's registration.

O. The qualified organization shall prominently display the department's poster advising the public of a telephone number where complaints relating to the poker tournament may be made. Such posters shall be in a format prescribed by the department, as required by 11VAC20-20-610.

P. The qualified organization shall prominently display a poster that bears a toll-free telephone number for "Gamblers Anonymous" or another organization that provides assistance to compulsive gamblers.

Q. The qualified organization shall ensure all mechanical poker equipment is fully functional and maintains the integrity of the poker tournament prior to, during, and after the poker tournament. Any mechanical poker equipment that is not fully functional or that does not maintain the integrity of the poker tournament shall be removed immediately from the poker tournament by the qualified organization.

R.

Only a qualified organization or a permitted charitable gaming supplier shall advertise a poker tournament. Any printed advertisement is permitted, provided the name of the qualified organization shall be in a type size equal to or larger than the name of the premises used for the poker tournament, name of the operator, or any word referring to the poker tournament.

S. A game manager or, if a qualified organization uses an operator to administer its poker tournament, the charitable host representative shall ensure any tournament chips, playing cards, or mechanical poker equipment used to conduct the poker tournament are not counterfeit or tampered with or do not otherwise affect the integrity of the poker tournament prior to, during, and after the poker tournament. Any tournament chips, playing cards, or mechanical equipment found to be counterfeit or tampered with shall be removed immediately from the poker tournament. Such incidents shall be reported by the qualified organization or jointly by the qualified organization and operator to the department.

T. A person managing, operating, conducting, or administering a poker tournament at the premises at which another poker tournament is or will be conducted or administered within the same 24-hour period shall ensure that:

1. The start time of the poker tournament is at least two hours before or after the start time of the other poker tournament that is or will be conducted or administered at the premises;

2. The poker tournament has an entry fee that is separate from the entry fee for the other poker tournament that is or will be conducted or administered at the premises;

3. The tournament chips used for the poker tournament are visually distinct from the tournament chips used in the other poker tournament that is or will be conducted or administered at the premises;

4. Each table that is used in the poker tournament bears a sign that distinguishes it from those tables that are used in the other poker tournament that is or will be conducted or administered at the premises;

5. No player plays in more than one poker tournament that is conducted or administered at the premises at a time; and

6. No player plays at more than one table at a time.

U. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection T of this section, a person shall not at the same premises and in the same 24-hour period in which the start times of two poker tournaments have already occurred manage, operate, conduct, or administer a poker tournament at that premises. No owner of a premises at which a poker tournament is conducted or administered shall allow the management, operation, conduct, or administration of more than two poker tournaments at that premises in a 24-hour period. For the purpose of this subsection and subsection T of this section, a 24-hour period begins at the start time of the first of two poker tournaments conducted or administered at a premises.