Texas Tournaments - Blackjack Cruise Rules 1. At the beginning of each round an entrant will receive $500 in "No Cash Value chips". 2. Betting limits in all rounds will be from $5 minimum to $200 maximum in increments of $5. If a bet is made with an amount not being a multiple of $5 and is not corrected prior to collecting a win or losing it, it will be rounded down to the first multiple of $5 and paid or collected accordingly. The only exceptions are an insurance bet and doubling down for less, which can be taken in $2.50 increments. 3. Each casino will make their best effort to have 6 players per table in each round and to keep the number of players per table even. The total number of entrants will determine the number of players per table, but there should be no less than four and no more than seven players per table. 4. Each round will consist of 24 hands. 5. The top two players with the highest chip totals at the table will advance to the next round. If in the situation occurs that only four players or less per table participate in the round then one or two players with the highest chip total at the table will advance to the next round based on need to have an equal amount of players for the next round. 6. Players will randomly draw for table number and table position. An option to choose playing times, but not the table number and table position, may be offered to players but is not guaranteed. 7. A die or dealing ranked cards to all players at the tables will be used to determine the starting position for the first hand dealt. The dealing order will be rotated clockwise after each hand. 8. A marker/button will be used to indicate which player acts as “first base.” Such a player initiates first actions followed by the other players continuing each action in a clockwise manner. The actions are: making bets, receiving cards, deciding on insurance bet, and playing hand. The marker will rotate clockwise from player to player after each and every round. If a player made a bet, even if it was placed out of betting order the bet cannot be changed. Numbered buttons should be used to designate the current hand to be played, and the first person to bet and act. Upon completion of the current hand, the dealer will place the next numbered button in front of the next player to bet and act first. After all bets are in place, the dealer will pick-up the button from the previous hand. The correct placement of the "Button" is both the dealer and players responsibility. If a hand is started with the button in the wrong position and more then three cards have been dealt, then the hand will be completed and the button will remain in it’s present order to finish the round. 9. There will be one chip counts in every round. The chip count will take place prior to commencing playing the last five hands of the planned number of hands. The count will be performed by either the Tournament Director (TD) or dealers and then verified by the TD or floor staff. Chip counts will be written down and made available for viewing to all players participating in the chip countdown. 10. If a player has less than the minimum bet remaining prior to determining advancing or placements on the final table the player or players will be automatically eliminated from the play. The round may also end prior to the finishing all scheduled hands if the number of players remaining in play equals or is smaller than the number of advancing players. 11. In the event of a Tie between two or more players at the conclusion of a round, or to determine advancing players, or to determine places at the final table -- 2 extra hands per each tied player will be played to decide the winner(s) from that table. Should there still be no winner(s) one hand at a time will be played until a winner(s) is determined. The betting order will be determined in such a way so the player who bet earliest on the last hand in the regular round will be betting last if all planned hands of the Tie playoff are played. 12. All players should be given a reasonable amount of time to make each action on their hand, and than if it is deemed excessive they would have up to 15 seconds to finish their action for the hand. For the final five hands, each player will have one minute of timed period to make their actions. If their bet or action has not been made within the limit a minimum bet and a stand playing decision will be made for that hand. 13. All chips must be stacked by denominations and remain in plain view of the other players. A reminder, then a warning will be given to any uncooperative player(s). Consequent failure to comply or intentional mixing, hiding, or removing of playing chips from the table will result in disqualification. 14. Dealer will stand on all 17. 15. Player’s blackjacks pay 3 to 2. 16. Splitting of the same value cards will be allowed up to three times creating up to total of four hands, except Aces can be split only once. Aces will only receive one additional card on each hand. 17. A player may double down on any two cards, for any amount from the table minimum up to the amount of their original wager. This includes doubling down after a split hand, with the exception of split Aces which are governed by the one card per Ace rule. 18. The official tournament language is English. Only officially designated translators can be permitted to converse and translate in other languages. Speaking foreign language may result in player disqualification. 19. Any spectators giving advice will be asked to leave the tournament area. Friendly conversation between the table players is permitted but coaching is not allowed. Players engaged in receiving or giving an advice will be warned and then they may be disqualified based on TD discretion. 20. Players should be at their tables five minutes before the starting time. Players arriving late for their assigned session will be penalized $100 chip deduction for each hand missed. After missing the start of the 5th hand of the session the player forfeits the round. The players must be in their seats before their first card of each hand is dealt, or the penalty or elimination will be enforced. *Note: only exception is should a session time be changed without the players being notifed. 21. Anyone caught cheating will be disqualified from the tournament and all winnings will be forfeited. 22. Players must be 18 years age to play in the cruise tournaments. 23. Surrender will be offered by using the “Surrender” card. Only late surrender is allowed – the dealer will check for blackjack before the surrender option can be exercise. Surrender is allowed as player’s action after receiving first two cards only in the amount of up to 1/2 of the player’s original wager. Surrender is not allowed after splitting. 24. Insurance is allowed when the dealer shows an ace as the up card and may be taken in increments of $2.50 for any amount from $2.50 up to half the original wager for the hand. Winning insurance wagers will pay 2 to 1. The insurance wager cannot be just announced, it must be made by using playing chips. Even money will not be allowed. 25. Taking or refusing insurance is a playing action performed like all other action starting with the button and going clockwise from player to player. 26. Every player must give an appropriate hand signal to hit, or stand. Doubling down, and splitting decisions must be communicated verbally. 27. No outside assistance, written, electrical, or mechanical aids will be allowed. This includes cell phones and blue tooth head sets. All decisions on how to play the hand must be that of the player. 28. No smoking allowed at the tables or in the conferance room. 29. Drinks are allowed will playing, but must be keep off the playing table. 30. Nothing other than chips maybe on the table in front of the players during tournament play. 31. The tournaments will be dealt from four deck shoes. Cards will be dealt face up. All double down card will be dealt face up. 32. If there is a misdeal called with no more than three cards face up the misdealt cards will be backed up and dealt to the proper hands to which they were intended. If misdealt cards are dealt to any player or the dealer as the third card of any hand, those cards will be considered dead cards and removed from play. The only exceptions to this rule will be: A) If a player asks for a hit and the card is placed on the wrong hand the card will be backed up. B) If placing of the first base button was discovered to be in wrong place. 33. Once play has begun a player may not leave the table. Any players doing so will be disqualified. In special cases TD can allow for an exception to this for safety or medical reason. 34. Any decision or arbitration regarding any playing rule or conflict shall be made by the TD or Texas Tournaments consultant and the decision shall remain final. 35. Players not adhering to the rules can be disqualified at the discretion of the TD and the Texas Tournaments consultant. 36. The Tournament may be revised at the option of TD and or the Texas Tournaments consultant. 37. The TD and Texas Tournaments consultant reserves the right to refuse entry to any potential player. This rule is if a player has violated rules or caused trouble at an earlier cruise events. 38. The TD has the final decision on what will be allowed and what procedures and penalties will be enforced, if necessary. The Texas Tournaments consultant will help with the TD decision. 39. Husband and wife rule: All players will draw for their table and seating assignments, however a husband and wife may ask to be on different tables for round one only. They must ask prior to drawing their table and seating assignments. In case this situation does come up the second person drawing will re-draw until they get on a different table. 40. Sea-sick rule: This rule was put in case a player win’s in round One and then becomes to sick to play in any of the further rounds. Should this happen I allow a replacement player to be drawn from the loser’s pool (only for players that didn’t advance from round one)? As long as that player agrees to play for the sick player they will be allowed to continue playing through out the tournament or until the sick player is well enough to return to play. Normally the sick player will compensate the replacement player should he or she makes any money in the tournament.
Rule 19 Im curious Tex, for the newer/weaker players it is a big disadvantage to have a mouth taunting us during play. How do you referee this kind of disrespectful startegy used by some upper level players? This is to say how will "friendly" be defined? << 19. Any spectators giving advice will be asked to leave the tournament area. Friendly conversation between the table players is permitted but coaching is not allowed. Players engaged in receiving or giving an advice will be warned and then they may be disqualified based on TD discretion. >>
Big value for newer/weaker players... Knock on wood, so far we haven't had any problems with players taunting one another. Now there has been some good natured ribbing, but that has been it. As far as warning's, should a player or players start using foul language towards each other is when I would step in or should a player call my attention to some other type of issue (whatever it maybe be). We have been lucky and have all been adults and had no such problems, hopefully the cruise's will continue to stay hassle free and enjoyable for all of us. Actually I HIGHLY reccommend the blackjack cruise for newer/weaker players because they can ask questions during the round (but only after the hand in questioned). As I have called it many times, it is like Tournament Blackjack 101. Over the past two cruise the quote newer/weaker players have been "Kicking the more experenced players behinds"...LOL I personally think newer/weaker players can learn more on our 5 day tournament cruise, then playing over several major land base events, where they can't talk or seek advise freely (and in most case's may not know or have anyone to ask advise from). Remember besides the two main events, we offer several Sit and Goes and mini-tournaments for small entry fees where they can gain a lot of tournament knowledge at very inexpensive price's. I actually believe the cruise tournaments may offer more value to the newer/weaker players than the seasoned tournament players, because of the knowledge they can pick up in such a short period of time.
