House Rules

Before you start your long, and hopefully prosperous, poker career with the Poker Room, we’ll ask you to agree to our Terms and Conditions when you first register. By agreeing to this you confirm amongst other things that you’re over 18 and you’re playing from a location in which online gaming is legal.

Like any card room, there are a few house rules. They’re nothing heavy; they’re to help you get the most out of your poker experience by providing a fair and honest environment in which to play. Covering a range of specific situations that may need addressing, from player behaviour, losing connectivity to policies against suspected collusion, they’re worth a quick read before you start. Pay attention, you may be tested!

Your nickname

Your screen name is the identity by which other players can get to know you. When registering, choose carefully as we only allow players to change their nicknames in very exceptional circumstances. No, we’re not just being difficult; there are two very good reasons for this. One, a large part of poker is learning how other players play under different conditions. Two, the Poker Room is a community, and as such we want everyone to be recognisable and able to develop their online persona.

No player may open more than one real money or play money account. Management will consider this a very serious issue and in its sole discretion may elect to suspend, terminate or freeze the funds in these accounts. No exceptions will be permitted.

Dealing with a lost connection

No matter where you live, or what kit you’re using, the occasional broken connection is a fact of internet life. There can be a number of causes, including a dropped modem connection, problems with your ISP, network congestion on the Internet or your PC hangs or crashes.

If it does happen, our software has been designed to quickly attempt to reconnect you. The game will wait a reasonable time so that your connection can be re-established, but if you can’t be reconnected in time then the poker software will treat you as all-in so that you won’t be penalised for connection problems if you’re holding a strong hand. The all-in works in exactly the way it would if you didn’t have enough chips to cover a bet. Once you’re treated as all-in, a side pot is created in which the all-in player participates.

This protection is only available for the first hand affected and only available on Limit, Pot Limit and No Limit tables. We do however offer tables with no disconnection protection if you prefer.

Sitting out and blinds

We allow players to sit out for 15 minutes without having to give up their seat at a table. If you do need to sit out for any reason, make sure that you return to your seat in a timely fashion, otherwise you’ll be picked up and removed from the table. If you’re picked up, your chips will automatically be returned to the cashier. In games where the position relative to the dealer can bring an advantage, we prevent players from entering and leaving (sitting out) games without having to post the equivalent of the blind. This makes sure that a player can’t gain a financial advantage by missing the rotation of the blinds. In a tournament if you chose to sit out from the game you will continue to post the blinds in turn. You will then be removed from the tournament when all your chips are gone.

Reducing

Following a nice little win you may have a larger stack than when you started. In which case, it can be tempting to leave the table and then come straight back but with fewer chips. Resist that temptation; it’s not allowed. It’s called ‘reducing’, and if you do wish to leave a table you’ll have to wait 60 minutes before returning with fewer chips. If you want to come back sooner, you’ll have to sit down with the same amount of chips that you left with.

Collusion

Collusion is when two or more players attempt to bet in a fashion that allows added gains. It isn’t something unique to the internet; it can be a problem in physical poker rooms as well where trained staff will be watching players for tell-tale signs. Here’s where we have an advantage, as we use sophisticated software to detect collusive behaviour by analysing who plays together, how they play and bet, and any irregular betting patterns. We’re not going to spill all the beans, but our collusion detection system is always watching.

You can also help us too. If you feel that you’ve been the victim of collusion, please get in touch either by email or by using the Manager chat feature and let us know the hand number that’s shown at the top of the screen. Our hosts will then be able to use this information to correlate with system generated alerts.

So don’t try anything underhand. Collusion is cheating and it won't be tolerated. Any one caught can say sayonara; they’ll be barred from playing at the Poker Room.

Chip Dumping

Players may not use the Software or Game play to affect any improper Player to Player transfer of funds. This will be considered as chip dumping which is an effort by two or more players to shift chips across accounts, and is usually associated with illegal behaviour. Our software monitors for dumping and we will fully cooperate with the proper authorities in the event that illegal behaviour is detected.

Etiquette

VC Poker is a community and as in any community there are rules about behaviour. These rules are intended to maximise everyone’s enjoyment and comfort. Please follow these rules; those that don’t will be contacted and risk suspension or banishment.

• Polite chat: The chat facility is there to help you talk to fellow players and get to know them. Abusive, offensive and racist language or other behaviour considered inappropriate by the Poker Room in the context of the product will not be tolerated. Bad behaviour or language identified by the Poker Room or brought to its attention will be dealt with swiftly, and may result in a suspension or loss of playing privileges or such other action as may be decided by the Poker Room. The most common language on the site is English and to prevent any misunderstanding or potential collusion amongst players, players must only communicate in English when using the chat feature.
• Timely play: Please make every effort not to slow down the game. If you are playing multiple tables at once, try using the advance action options to keep the game moving quickly. It’s more fun for everyone that way.
• All-in and purchasing additional chips: You may not buy additional chips for use in a game once the deal has started. If you do buy chips once a hand is underway, they won’t be delivered until the end of that hand. If you run out of chips, you’ll be treated as all-in.
• Kibitzing, Coffee Housing or Table Talk: Only players who are remaining in a hand should make comments on the current hand. Observers, including those who have folded, must not comment about the play, or style of any player, or the how the game is being played. Players are asked to refrain from "table talk" or "coffee-housing" or talking during a hand in a way that compromises an opponent's hand. This applies to players playing in the hand or watching the hand. Repeated abuse of this aspect of behaviour will result in suspension or permanent restriction of play.
• Private Deals: The Poker Room does not support private "deals" between players in tournaments, nor will the Poker Room assist in facilitating these "deals" or be liable in any way for broken "deals" or transactions not honoured by one of the parties.

Betting

Betting is at the heart of any poker game, and there are a few house rules covering various aspects that you should be aware of players must comply with "table stakes" rules as set out by the Poker Room from time to time. In particular, a Player is not permitted to make a wager in excess of the value of chips on the table at the beginning of a hand. Players are permitted to acquire additional chips only between hands. If a Player runs out of chips during a hand, they are considered all-in. Players may not remove money from the table during a playing session. Taking money out of the game and continuing to play is not allowed in a table stakes format.

• NL/PL – Min 20 times the BB Max 100 times the BB.
• Limit – Min 10 times BB and $5000 max cap.

Interrupted Tournaments Payout Policy

• Heads-Up Tournaments
  1. Both players receive a refund of buy-in + fee.
• ALL SNG Tournaments
  1. Eliminated players do not receive a refund.
  2. Remaining players receive refund made up as follows:
  3. Buy-in and Fee is returned.
  4. Each player receives and equal share of the buy-ins from the eliminated players.
• MTT Guaranteed Prize
  The settlement is dependant upon what stage the T is at when it is interrupted:
  Prize money stage not reached (if the tournament is still in the re-buy stage then the prize pool will be the total of the buy-ins + add-ons. Once the re-buy period has closed then the prize pool will be the advertised guaranteed prize).
  1. Eliminated players do not receive a refund
  2. Remaining players receive a refund made up as follows:
     1. Buy-in(s) and fee returned
     2. The balance of the prize fund is paid out as follows:
        1. 50% of the fund shared equally among the remaining players
        2. 50% distributed proportionally in line with the players chip counts
• Prize money stage has been reached
  1. Eliminated players do not receive a refund
  2. Remaining players receive a refund made up as follows:
     1. Buy-in(s) and fee returned
     2. Each player is awarded an amount equal to the prize that the next eliminated player would have received if the tournament was not interrupted.
     3. Of the remaining prize pool 50% is distributed equally among the players and 50% is distributed in proportion to their chip counts.
• MTT No Guaranteed Prize:
  1. Prize money stage not reached:
  2. Eliminated players do not receive a refund
  3. Remaining players receive a refund made up as follows:
     1. Buy-in(s) and fee returned
     2. The balance of the prize fund is paid out as follows:
        1. 50% of the fund shared equally among the remaining players
        2. 50% distributed proportionally in line with the players chip counts.
• Prize money stage reached:
  1. Eliminated players do not receive a refund
  2. Remaining players receive a refund made up as follows:
     1. Buy-in(s) and fee returned
     2. Each player is awarded an amount equal to the prize that the next eliminated player would have received if the tournament was not interrupted.
     3. Of the remaining prize pool 50% is distributed equally among the players and 50% is distributed in proportion to their chip counts.

Freerolls

• Prize money stage not reached:
  1. 50% of the fund shared equally among the remaining players
  2. 50% distributed proportionally in line with the players chip counts.
• Prize money stage reached:
  1. Each player is awarded an amount equal to the prize that the next eliminated player would have received if the tournament was not interrupted.
  2. Of the remaining prize pool 50% is distributed equally among the players and 50% is distributed in proportion to their chip counts.

NOTE: The poker room reserves the right to make manual adjustments to any payments in
order to ensure that all players have received a fair settlement.

Satellite Tournaments

By entering any satellite tournaments, each player agrees that if s/he wins a seat in an off-site tournament s/he will represent the poker room by wearing branded apparel including but not limited to shirts and hats during table play. Further, winners agree to participate in scheduled photo opportunities, press conferences, interviews and other publicity oriented activities such receptions, parties, etc, again while wearing branded apparel. This obligation extends for a period of 12 months from time of end of the off-site tournament. The poker room will be responsible for any costs associated in meeting these obligations.

Please note that if you win a seat in an ongoing tournament that you are unable to participate in there is no cash alternative.

Use of Multiple Skins

A player may use only one skin to access the Poker Room powered by Victor Chandler. Any account will be considered as 'inactive' if the player has not logged into the Poker Room as well as generated revenue at least once for a consecutive 120 days. At the discretion of the Poker Room, an inactive account may have its screen name recycled, and may forfeit any Action Points accrued. The Poker Room is not obliged to give any further justification for this action or notification to the player prior to the account being made inactive, although the Poker Room will attempt to give players 30 days notice. In instances where player accounts are funded solely by the Poker Room (e.g. Free Cash Offers), the Poker Room reserves the right to withdraw unused funds from dormant accounts subject to player notification of pending withdrawal. Further, the action points accrued under any skin that has not been used by the player for at least 120 consecutive days may be forfeited without further notice to the player.