Poker House Rules

It’s important for every place to have house rules, and when you play enough that it can be difficult to keep track of the rules, then it’s also important to have them written down.

I currently have 10 “house rules” for when I host poker games. They are as follows:

1. Pot limit on split pot games
2. Stud games have a limit based on the cards in front of you (e.g. if you have 5 cards, then it’s a $5 bet limit)
3. Everyone gets one show per night. If you guess correctly, then you get another show.
4. Small blind penalty for chips bet leaving the table.
5. No cock raises.
6. Fresh buys ins up to the 2nd place stack.
7. When there is no more betting, and cards still to come, then all players must show their cards.
8. If you are on your phone when it is your turn to act, then you either fold or check.
9. Omaha High Only is pot limit betting.
10. Players may top off to $20 after any hand.

Let’s dig into those rules a little bit more so that I can provide some additional explanation:

Pot Limit on Split Pot Games

Basically, any game where there is a split pot possibility (for example, Omaha Hi-Lo), then we have a pot limit on the betting. So, if there is $10 in the pot, then the most someone is allowed to bet is $10.

Stud Games have a Limit Based on the Cards in Front of You

We play 7-card stud quite a bit, and this game can really drain your chip stack, so we tried to put some limits on the betting to help contain the game. After three cards (two cards dealt down, one card dealt up), then you can bet $3. After the next card, you can bet $4. Once you get all of your cards, then you can bet $7 as the maximum.

Everyone Gets One Show per Night

After a hand, if you have folded, then you can make another player show their cards, but first you get to guess what they had. If you guess correctly, then you’re able to use another show later in the night. Think of it a little bit like an NFL challenge flag. To me, this is a fun rule that makes the game a little bit more social, which is part of the point of a home game.

Small Blind Penalty for Chips Bet Leaving the Table

This was originally known as the “Brian rule,” as he liked to occasionally bet in an especially splashy way. When I hosted games on my dining room table, I was also nervous about the amount of sound and the potential damage to my table. I also found it somewhat annoying. When I moved in 2019, I received a nice poker table as a Father’s Day gift, and it has rails along the edge, so this rule rarely comes into effect at my home games.

No Cock Raises

I’m not sure what the technical term is for this (if you do, please share in the comments), but I’m a big fan of this rule. Basically if someone raises on an all-in, but doesn’t have enough to raise legally (for example, if the bet is $5, and someone goes all-in with $9, thus a $4 raise), then other players can’t take this opportunity to raise further. If a player hasn’t had an opportunity to call or raise yet, then they could still raise.

Fresh Buys ins Up to the 2nd Place Stack

We usually start the night with $20 buy-ins. As the night goes on, then coming in with just $20 can be a disadvantage, so we allow players to buy-in for whatever the second biggest stack is. This can certainly be controversial, especially if there are two big stacks, and everyone else is noticeably behind. At times, I think the third place stack would be better, but for now, this is the rule.

When There is No More Betting, and Cards Still to Come, Then All Players Must Show Their Cards

This is one of my favorite house rules, and I firmly believe that it makes the game much more social. It allows all of the players to participate in the hand as spectators. I have some friends who believe that this should not be a house rule as it makes them give up unnecessary information, but for me, it makes the game much more fun.

If You Are on Your Phone When it is Your Turn to Act, then You Either Fold or Check

I don’t always enforce this rule. To me, this is just good manners. We’re here to play cards, and waiting for someone to act because they’re not paying attention for any reason can be pretty annoying.

Omaha High Only is Pot Limit Betting

We added this recently, just as another way to keep the game friendly and try to keep the stakes from getting too far out of hand.

Players May Top Off to $20 After Any Hand

Our previous rule was that players had to have $3 or less in order to buy back in. Unfortunately, this seemed to lead to bad play when players were short stacked. I personally would rather that players are able to stick to their game plan. The current rule allows players to get back to the buy-in minimum in order to keep the game more regular. Only Chris has utilized this rule so far in the few weeks that it has been in effect. I’m curious to see how this rule plays out over the next year or so.

What about you? Do you have any house rules that we should add? Any rules above that you may incorporate into your home game?