Legal | House Rules
In order to promote integrity, fairness, and security, these House Rules
will govern game play on the WSOP.com website and mobile application
(“WSOP.com”), and all players will be required to adhere to the provisions
contained herein. Players must at all times comply with the WSOP.com Terms
of Service. In the event of any conflict between these House Rules
and the Terms of Service, the Terms of Service shall take precedence.
Age Limit and Physical Location Eligibility
In order to play for real money on WSOP.com, players must be at least 21
years of age, and physically located in the State of New Jersey. Players
may be required to upload verification documents to confirm their
eligibility.
Wagering Limits
Cash games
The wagering limits for each cash game table, including the size of the
blinds (forced initial bets), appear in the WSOP.com poker client lobby.
When players join a cash game, they may sit down with any amount that is
between the minimum and maximum buy-in designated for that table, with the
funds being deducted from their cashier balance. Players may leave cash
game tables at any time, with their remaining funds being transferred back
to their cashier balance. In Fixed Limit games, players
may only bet designated amounts in each betting round. In
No Limit
games, players can bet as many of their chips as they wish during any
betting round. In Pot Limit games, player may bet any
amount up to the size of the current pot. During game play, players may
only wager the chips they have in front of them at the beginning of a hand.
For example, if a player starts a hand with $15 in chips, while each of
his/her opponents have $100, the player may only wager up to the $15 with
which he/she began the hand. Accordingly, he/she is only eligible to win
$15 from each of his/her opponents during the hand.
Tournaments
In tournament poker, players pay a designated entry fee and receive
tournament chips, which have no cash value and cannot be removed from play.
The structure of each tournament – including the maximum number of
entrants, the rate of blind escalation, and the payout structure – is shown
in the tournament lobby. The tournament ends when one player has
accumulated all of the chips in play. When a player loses all of his/her
chips, he/she is knocked out of the tournament (unless the structure of the
tournament allows eliminated players to re-enter.) If two or more players
are eliminated in the same hand, the player(s) who began the hand with
fewer chips will be deemed to have been eliminated first, for the purpose of
calculating payouts.
Fees: Rake and Tournament Entry Fees
There are fees associated with participating in real-money poker games on
WSOP.com. The fee for participating in cash games is known
as the “rake”, and consists of a small percentage of each pot that is
retained by the house. The rake is determined by many factors including
the game stakes, the size of the pot, and the number of players who are
dealt into a hand. No rake is taken from a hand that ends during the first
round of betting (before the flop.) The rake schedule can be found here.
The fees for participating in tournaments on WSOP.com are fixed amounts
shown in the tournament lobby and buy-in screen of each tournament. The
total cost to enter a tournament is typically presented in the form of “$A
+ $B”, where $A is the entry fee that goes into the prize pool, and $B is
the fee that is retained by the house.
Tournament Play
In order to ensure that all players continuously participate in tournament
play and do not sit by while other players knock each other out of the
tournament, blinds and ante will be deducted from players who do not play
their hand which may result in a player being “blinded out”.
Split Pots
In the event of a tie between two or more players, the pot will be split
evenly among the winning players. In instances when the pot does not split
evenly, the odd chip amount will go to the winning player seated closest to
the dealer (clockwise). For example, if a pot of $50.25 is split between
two winning players, the player closest to the dealer will receive $25.13,
with the other player receiving $25.12.
Tournament Cancellation Policy
We reserve the right to cancel any tournament that is announced,
registering, or in a pending state.
Tournaments that are in progress that require cancellation due to a variety
of possible factors (server issues, widespread connection problems, power
outage, ISP network issues etc.) will be cancelled, and a player who has
been eliminated prior to the cancellation of such tournament will not be
refunded any amounts in relation to such tournament.
Players who were not eliminated at time of cancellation will: (i) be
refunded any Buy-in, knock out fees, rebuys and add-ons which they have
purchased in relation to the cancelled tournament; and (ii) share equally
(regardless of a player's chip count) the higher of (a) the Buy-ins,
applicable knock out fees, rebuys and add-ons purchased by those who have
been eliminated prior to the cancellation of the tournament; or (b) the
guaranteed prize pool less the amounts distributed in (i).
Notwithstanding the paragraph above, in the event that a tournament is
cancelled while still in progress, WSOP.com reserves the right at its sole
discretion to refund players who were not eliminated from the tournament at
its time of cancellation (including without limitation those players on a
Final Table who have reached an agreement to distribute the prize pool
between themselves as detailed below) using a formula based on: (i) a
player's chip count; (ii) the prize pool structure; and (iii) the prize
pool actually collected from players or the guaranteed prize pool.
For the avoidance of doubt, in the event that late registration is still
open after tournament has begun or the tournament has not materially
progressed and such tournament is cancelled, WSOP.com reserves the right
not to refund to players still in the tournament any shortfall between the
prize pool actually collected from players and the guaranteed prize pool.
In such circumstances, players who were not eliminated from the tournament
will be refunded within the next couple of days following the tournament's
cancellation.
Late Registration
The Late Registration feature permits a player to enter and start playing
in select poker tournaments after the first hand has been dealt and during
the late registration period set for such tournaments. This feature will
not be available once there are three players or less in an applicable
poker tournament, regardless of the late registration time period set for
the poker tournament.
Multi-Tabling
When playing on a Personal Computer, a player will be limited to playing a
maximum of ten (10) cash game tables at any time. There is no limit on the
number of tournaments in which a player can play concurrently.
When playing on a mobile device, a player will be limited to playing at one
table (cash game or tournament).
Please note that a player will only be able to occupy one seat on any table
(cash game or tournament).
Playing on multi tables is subject to your Personal Computer's and mobile
device's capabilities. In addition, playing on multi tables may affect your
Personal Computer and mobile device’s performance.
“Sit Out” Feature
The “Sit Out” feature is only intended for use in order to take short
breaks between extended periods of play during cash games. It is not
intended for use while no play is taking place at the table, or for waiting
on players to join or leave the table. WSOP.com reserves the right, at our
discretion, to take action against players using the "Sit Out" feature
excessively. Players who repeatedly abuse the "Sit Out" may have their
accounts terminated and WSOP.com may withhold any funds that are present in
such account subject to approval by the New Jersey Division of Gaming
Enforcement.
Log Off Features
If no keyboard key or touch screen is pressed by the player or the
mouse is not moved or clicked by the player for a period of 15 minutes,
the WSOP.com client will attempt to log-off such player and prompt such
player to enter their username and password. In such case, a warning
pop-up with a 60 seconds countdown will be displayed after 14 minutes
to allow the player to click the “I’m Back” button and avoid being
logged off by the WSOP.com client.
A player may also manually log off the WSOP.com client by accessing the
‘Log Off’ option which can be found under ‘My Profile’ in the WSOP.com
desktop application or under the dropdown menu in the WSOP.com mobile
application. If a player manually logs off of the WSOP.com client this will
close all of the player's active tables and such player will automatically
sit out any table game and will not be able to play whilst the WSOP.com
client is manually logged off.
Time Limits
To keep the pace of play at an enjoyable level, a time limit applies to
every player action.A warning will be given as the
player’s time runs down – if no action is taken before time expires, his/her
hand will be automatically folded, and he/she will forfeit any amount that
he/she has contributed to the pot. Certain tables may be designated as
“turbo” or “hyper-turbo” tables and will operate on shorter time limits to
accommodate players who enjoy a faster pace of play.
Time Bank
A “time bank” is an additional limited reservoir of time that can be
activated by the player for difficult decisions by clicking on the “Time
Bank” button. Players also have the option to have their time bank
automatically activated when their normal time to act expires via the game
settings. If a player has configured the time bank to be automatically
activated, it will only be used in hands where the player has voluntarily
invested money in the pot (this includes posting blinds out of turn).
Posting blinds when it is the player’s turn to post them will not be
considered a voluntary investment of money in the pot. Players who fail
to act before their time bank expires will have their hand automatically
folded.
All-In Players
A player who wagers all of his/her available chips is considered “all in.”
An all-in player is always eligible to win the “main pot”, which consists
of the amount wagered by the all-in player plus the amount of his/her
contribution that was matched by other players in a hand.
A “side pot” will be created for the players that continue to wager in the
hand after the all-in player is no longer able to make or match further
bets. Depending on the respective chip stacks of the players, a number of
side pots may be created in a single poker hand each time a subsequent
player is all-in.
For example, assume there are three players: A, B, and C, who have $100,
$120, and $200, respectively, at the beginning of the hand. Player A makes
an all-in bet for $100, Player B moves all-in as well for $120, and Player
C calls. The “main pot” will be $300 (consisting of $100 from each
player), and will be contested between all 3 players. A “side pot” of $40
($20 from Player B and $20 from Player C) will also be formed, but will
only be contested between Players B and C, because Player A was all-in for
$100 and did not contribute to the side pot. In other words, even if Player
A has the best hand among the three of them, only players B and C are
eligible to win the $40 side pot. If Player B or C has the best hand among
the three players, he/she would win both the main pot and the side pot
(because, unlike Player A, he/she had contributed to each).
Player Disconnection Policy
If a player is disconnected due to a reason specific to that player (for
example, server issues affecting only that player or some of the players,
disconnection resulting from the player’s hardware or telecommunication
services used by the player, or if the location verification service we
employ identifies the player as being located outside of the State of New
Jersey), the server may automatically attempt to reestablish connection to
the player.
If the connection cannot be reestablished in a suitable amount of time, for
cash games:
(i) if the player has not made a bet when it is
such player’s turn to act, he/she will automatically check;
(ii) if another player has made a bet, and a
call
is required when it is the player’s turn to act, his/her hand will be
automatically folded. A player’s hand will not be treated as
‘all-in’ due to a player connection problem. Before any automatic action is
taken, the player’s time bank (if any) will be activated.
If the connection cannot be reestablished in a suitable amount of time,
then for tournaments which are in progress, the player will continue to
play the blinds and such blinds will be deducted from the player until the
player is “blinded out.” In the event that server resumes connection before
the player is “blinded out”, the player will automatically be reconnected
to the tournament and can continue to play in such tournament.
Server Outage Policy
In the unlikely scenario that a WSOP.com server experiences an unexpected
outage and such outage affects all players playing a cash game or
tournament:
· Cash games will roll back to their status before the hand then
in progress (interrupted due to the outage) as though it was never dealt;
· Players who are disconnected in the middle of a cash game will
be automatically refunded the funds they contributed to the pot in the
interrupted hand, and their balance at the table will be returned to their
Cashier balance;
Tournaments that are in progress will be cancelled and the prize pool will
be divided evenly among all the players that are still in the tournament.
Players who busted from the tournament prior to the connectivity issue
would remain unaffected, and be ineligible for any prize.
Auto- Muck Losing Hand
If a player is participating in a showdown, and his/her hand is ranked
lower than an already revealed hand, the player can opt to not show his/her
losing hand to the other participants at the table. To enable this feature,
the player must check the “Auto-Muck Losing Hand” box. In a multi-way pot
at showdown, any player’s hand that wins any portion of the pot will
automatically be revealed to the other participants at the table. If a
player wins a hand by virtue of everyone else folding, he/she will have the
option to choose "Show Hand" or "Muck."
Collusion
Collusion occurs when two or more players at a poker table attempt to gain
an unfair advantage by sharing knowledge of their cards or other
information. Collusion is prohibited and we use a variety of methods to
detect play that appears questionable or suspicious. More information can
be found in WSOP.com’s Terms of Service:
https://www.wsop.com/legal/terms-conditions-nj/
.
Restrictions on Playing in the Same Location as Another Player
A player must not play from the same Physical Location as another player in
the same Multi Table tournament, Sit and Go tournament, or cash game. If
you are found to be playing from the same Physical Location as another
player in the same Multi Table tournament, Sit and Go tournament, or cash
game, we reserve the right to terminate your account immediately and we
will be under no obligation to refund you any funds that may be in your
account.
"Physical Location" is defined as a player being within 30 feet of another
person.
Exceptions to a player playing in the same Physical Location are at
Caesars Entertainment owned properties poker rooms or designated WSOP
tournament areas.
Restrictions on Sharing Devices
If you play using the same device as another player in the same Multi Table
tournament, Sit and Go tournament, or cash game, we reserve the right to
terminate your account immediately and we will be under no obligation to
refund you any funds that may be in your account.
Fair Play
WSOP.com reserves the right to terminate the account of any player it deems
to be violating these House Rules, the Terms of Service, New Jersey gaming
regulations, or any State or Federal law, and to take any action, as
specified in the Terms of Service and as permitted by law or regulation, to
address incidents requiring intervention.
Rat-Holing
WSOP.com considers it unethical for a player to leave a cash game table,
only to return to the table shortly thereafter with less than the amount
he/she had left with (known as “rat-holing”). If a player attempts to
join a table that he/she vacated less than 30 minutes prior, he/she will be
required to bring to the table an amount equal to or greater than what
he/she left with.
Table Etiquette
Slow Play
Maintaining a reasonable pace of play is the responsibility of all players.
Players should aim to play at the same pace as other players at the table.
In-turn Checkboxes
Players can expedite game play by using the in-turn checkboxes to choose
their action (e.g. check, fold, etc) before it is their turn to act. The
selected action will be automatically taken when it is the player’s turn.
Chat
We strive to create an enjoyable experience for all players and may censor
language we deem inappropriate. Players may not use offensive, abusive,
defamatory, insulting, harassing, inflammatory, sexually explicit, or
derogatory language, or language that includes expressions of bigotry,
racism, hatred or profanity. Use of such language may result in a player
having his/her chat privileges revoked.
In-Game Commentary
Players must refrain from using the chat feature to comment on hands,
either concluded or then-in-progress. This includes, but is not limited
to, providing strategy advice, sharing cards, or identifying potential
bluffs.
BLAST Tournament
Players participating in a BLAST Tournament must not discuss or reach any
type of agreement with regards to the distribution of the prize pool
between themselves.
If the prize pool displayed for a BLAST Tournament differs in the
tournament lobby, within the tournament table and the amount presented
following the prize pool draw, the prize pool displayed in the tournament
table shall govern.
Following the hand in which the countdown clock reaches zero, all
subsequent hand(s) will be played “all-in” by the players until there is a
single winner.
Prize Award Policy
Players will not receive fractions of a cent. In all instances where a
player's winnings include a fraction of a cent, WSOP.com will round down
such player's winnings to the nearest cent. So, for example if you win
$4.096, you will receive $4.09.
Good luck, and enjoy the tables!
Last updated: May 31, 2023