Stake Poker Card Room Rules

1.1. Card Room Rules

(i) The Stake Poker Card Room Rules ("Card Room Rules") must be read in conjunction with the Stake US Terms and Conditions, constituting an agreement with Sweepsteaks Limited.

(ii) The Terms & Conditions always take precedence to the extent of any inconsistency with these Card Room Rules. The Card Room Rules are applicable to all poker games (excluding casino games), collectively referred to as 'Games.' By participating in any Game, you agree to comply with the Card Room Rules, acknowledge that a breach may result in account consequences, and commit to following Stake Poker's final and binding decisions. (iii) Gameplay in Gold Coins and Stake Cash on all Poker related products and functions contribute towards VIP Progress and count towards the Playthrough requirement for Stake US redemptions.

1.2. Basic Game Rules

(i) Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all Games utilize a standard 52-card poker deck.

(ii) The poker hand rankings outlined here universally apply.

1.3. Connection and Server Issues

(i) Stake Poker disclaims liability for player losses due to internet disconnections during Games, regardless of server involvement.

(ii) Stake Poker may, at its sole discretion, reasonably compensate players affected by internet disconnections during Games, caused or contributed to by Stake Poker’s servers.

1.4. Unethical Behavior

(i) Unethical and unfair behavior ("Unacceptable Behavior") is strictly prohibited on the Stake Poker platform.

(ii) Unacceptable Behavior includes collusion, defined as players working together to gain an unfair advantage. All in-game decisions must be made solely by the player, without real-time advice or third-party software influence.

(iii) Any scheme or agreement to share, split, or contribute to another player’s Gold Coin purchases is strictly prohibited.

(iv) Stake Poker proactively implements measures to detect and prevent Unacceptable Behavior.

(v) If Stake Poker suspects a player of Unacceptable Behavior, it may take necessary actions, including penalties and account closure, prioritizing fairness.

(vi) When determining incidents of Unacceptable Behavior, Stake Poker considers fairness to affected players and its customers as a whole.

1.5. Third Party Software and Playing Tools

(i) Stake Poker prohibits the use of certain tools and services in conjunction with its Games.

(ii) This includes bots, tools that share hole card information, and any tool enabling real-time advice during a game.

(iii) Stake Poker may take action against players breaching these rules, including warnings, confiscation of assets, and account closure.

(iv) Stake Poker employs measures to detect and prevent cheating, including the examination of hand histories.

2. Ring Games

(i) Unless expressly stated otherwise, the rules in this section apply to Stake Poker ring games.

2.1. Minimum Amounts

(i) In No Limit and Pot Limit ring games, the minimum amount of Gold Coins or Stake Cash played equals the big blind.

2.2. Buying In

(i) All ring games are played ‘table stakes’ only. Only Gold Coins or Stake Cash brought to the table before a hand begins can be played in that hand.

(ii) Buy-in variations may occur by table, declared before joining, and players must be seated with the intent to play.

(iii) Seated players are expected to be dealt into hands more frequently than sitting out.

2.3. ‘Going South’

(i) If a player leaves a table with a chip stack greater than the maximum buy-in, rejoining with a lesser buy-in is restricted for at least 60 minutes

(ii) This restriction doesn't apply if the player’s departing stack is less than or equal to the maximum buy-in.

2.4. Connection and Server Issues

(i) In case of disconnection with chips in the pot, extra time to reconnect may be given.

(ii) If reconnection is not possible or practical, a disconnected player's hand will be folded when facing action.

3. Tournament Rules

(i) The rules in this section apply exclusively to tournament Games.

3.1. General Rules

(i) All tournaments start promptly at the scheduled time, and Stake Poker reserves the right to delay or cancel a tournament without prior notice.

(ii) Key tournament details are available by clicking on the respective tournament link in the lobby.

(iii) Stake Poker reserves the right to change tournament parameters without notice.

(iv) Seats are randomly assigned, and seat changes during tournaments are not permitted.

(v) Prizes are awarded as stated in the tournament lobby, and the final prize structure is determined after registration and the rebuy/add-on period.

(vi) To rebuy in a rebuy tournament, players must have sufficient Gold Coins or Stake Cash. Multiple accounts in a single tournament are prohibited.

(vii) Some tournaments allow unregistration until a few minutes before they start.

(viii) If a tournament is canceled, refunds follow Stake Poker’s Tournament Cancellation and Refund Policy.

4. Eliminations

(i) The tournament concludes when one player accumulates all chips.

(ii) Stake Poker's software "breaks" tables to fill empty seats as players are eliminated, ensuring fairness.

(iii) Occasionally, the software may balance tables, moving players individually to similar positions relative to the blinds.

4.1. Breaks

(i) The tournament break schedule is in the lobby, and players are encouraged to note break times.

4.2. Connection and Server Issues

(i) If a player times out during a hand, their hand is folded if facing action

(ii) Players not connected before a hand starts are dealt cards, with blinds/antes posted. The 'no agreement to sit out' rule applies.

4.3. Time Bank

(i) Each player is allocated a time bank for decisions, depleting as used

(ii) If a player fails to act in time under specific conditions, the time bank is automatically activated.

(iii) The time bank cannot be extended or replenished.

5. Bounty Tournament Rules

(i) The rules in this section apply exclusively to Bounty Tournaments.

5.1. General Rules for Bounty Tournaments

(i) Bounty Tournaments operate like regular tournaments with an added "Bounty" feature.

(ii) The Bounty Buy-In includes Gold Coins or Stake Cash for the standard prize pool, player bounties, and the entry fee.

(iii) Players win bounties for each opponent they eliminate, regardless of reaching the Prize Stage.

(iv) If multiple players eliminate a player with the same strength hand, the bounty is distributed equally.

(v) Eliminated players receive any bounties claimed before their elimination.

(vi) The winner of a Bounty Tournament is awarded their own Bounty.

(vii) Refunds for canceled Bounty Tournaments follow Stake Poker’s policy.

6. ‘ALL-IN’ TOURNAMENTS

(i) The rules in this section apply exclusively to ‘All-in,’ ‘Shootout,’ and ‘All-in Shootout’ tournaments.

(ii) These tournaments are only available in the ‘Texas Hold’em’ poker format.

6.1. ‘All-in’ Tournaments

(i) An ‘All-in’ tournament has every participant automatically going ‘all-in’ for every hand, and participants can only observe their progress after registering.

(ii) Prizes are awarded according to the information in the tournament lobby.

7. SIT ‘N’ GO TOURNAMENT RULES

7.1. General Rules

(i) Rules in this section apply to all Sit ‘N’ Go (SNG) tournaments.

(ii) SNG tournaments start with a preset number of players, without rebuys.

(iii) Players buy in using Stake Cash or Gold Coins.

(iv) No rake is taken, but an entry fee may apply.

(v) All participants start with an equal chip stack.

(vi) No limit to the number of SNG tournaments a player can join.

(vii) SNG tournament details are in the lobby.

(viii) Refunds for canceled SNG tournaments follow Stake Poker’s policy

(ix) In case of inconsistency, Stake Poker's Terms and Conditions take precedence.

8. Rake

(i) In poker ring games, the rake is calculated as a percentage of the pot winnings.

(ii) Rake is set at 5% of the total pot winnings, with a capped maximum amount based on blinds.

8.1. Gold Coins

8.2 Stake Cash