31. Betting in stud poker, (a) In each betting interval the player with the highest exposed combination (as defined by paragraph 32) has the privilege of betting first. In the first betting interval, this player must bet at least the minimum established for the game. In any subsequent betting interval, this player may check.

(b) If in any betting interval every active player checks, the betting interval ends. Another round of cards is dealt, or there is a showdown, as the case may be. If in any betting interval any player bets, each active player in turn after him must at least call the highest previous bet or drop.

(c) At the start of each betting interval the dealer must announce which player bets first, naming the combination that gives such player the high exposed holding at that point (for example, "Pair of eights bets" or "First ace bets"). The dealer should also announce, after the third and fourth face-up cards are dealt, any player's combination that, when combined with his hole card, may make a one-card draw to a flush or straight (announced by saying "Possible flush" or "Possible straight").

[Optional law. In the final betting interval, a player may not check or call unless his full hand, including his hole card, will beat the exposed cards of the highest combination showing. Such player may, however, bet or raise. This rule, which is not recommended, is designed to protect players against making pointless calls; at the same time, it eliminates some bluffing opportunities. Like other optional rules, it should not apply unless there has been prior agreement among the players in the game that it will.]

  32. Incomplete hands, (a) Four or fewer exposed cards, for the purpose of establishing the first bettor in any betting interval, rank from highest to lowest as follows:

(1) Four of a kind; as between two such hands, the four higher-ranking cards are high.

(2) Three of a kind; as between two such hands, the higher- ranking three of a kind are high.

(3) Two pair; as between two such hands, the highest pair determines the high hand, and if the highest pairs are the same, the higher of the two lower pairs.

(4) One pair; as between two such hands, the higher pair is high; if two hands have the identical pair, the highest unmatched card determines the high hand, and if they are identical the higher of the two other cards.

(5) The highest card; if two players tie for highest card, the next-highest card in their respective hands determines the high hand, and so on.

(b) As between two holdings that are identical card for card, the one nearest the dealer's left is high for purposes of betting (but has no superiority over the other in the showdown).

[Flush and straight combinations of four or fewer cards have no higher rank, for determining the first bettor, than any other holdings including no pair; except when a four flush is played to beat a pair, in which case a four flush showing bets ahead of a pair.]

(c) If through the dealer's or his own error a player has all his cards exposed, all are taken into consideration for establishing the first bettor; and if at the start of the final betting interval such player has a straight, flush, full house or straight flush showing, his hand outranks any combination of exposed cards that his hand would beat in a showdown.

33. Irregularities in dealing stud poker, (a) At any time before the dealer begins dealing the second round of cards, a player who has not looked at a card dealt face-down to him may call for a new shuffle, cut, and deal if it is ascertained that:

(1) the pack was not shuffled or cut;
(2) a card was exposed in cutting, or the cut left fewer than five cards in either packet;
(3) two or more cards are faced in the pack;
(4) the pack is incorrect or imperfect in any way;
(5) a player is dealing out of turn.

When there is a redeal, the same dealer deals again unless he was dealing out of turn, in which case the deal reverts to the proper player in turn.

(b) If the dealer deals too many hands, he shall determine which hand is dead, and that hand is discarded; but a player who has looked at the hole card of any hand must keep that hand.

(c) If the dealer deals too few hands, he must give his own hand to the first omitted player to his left.

(d) If the dealer gives a player two face-down cards instead of one on the first round of dealing, he omits that player on the second round of dealing and (unless the rules of the game require two hole cards, as in seven-card stud) he turns up one of the cards. The player who received the two cards may not look at them and then turn up one of them.

(e) If the dealer gives a player more than two cards on the first round of dealing, that player may require a redeal if he does so before the second round of dealing has begun. If the error is not noted until later, his hand is dead.

(f) If in dealing any round of face-up cards the dealer omits a player, he moves back the cards dealt later, so as to give each player the face-up card he would have had if no irregularity had occurred; except that if attention is not called to the irregularity before the first bet is made in the ensuing betting interval, the hand of the player who was omitted is dead.

34. Exposed card. If the dealer gives any player a hole card face up, the player must keep that card and instead receive his next card face down. The player has no redress, except to receive his next card face down, unless the dealer repeatedly fails to correct the error until the player has four cards; at which point, if the dealer has never given him a face-down card, the player may if he wishes drop out, withdrawing from the pot all chips he has put in. If the player instead stays for his fifth card, and receives it also face up, he may withdraw his chips from the pot; but the player may instead remain in the pot.

35. Dead cards. A card found faced in the pack during any round of dealing must be dealt to the player to whom it falls. A card at the top of the pack exposed during a better interval, either because it is faced in the pack or because it is prematurely dealt, is discarded. In dealing the next round of face-up cards, the dealer skips the player to whom such card would have fallen, and deals in rotation, ending with the last player who would have received the exposed card if it had not been exposed. In each subsequent round of cards, on demand of any player the dealer must begin the rotation with the player who would otherwise have received the top card.

36. Impossible call. If the player last to speak in the final betting interval calls a bet when his five cards, regardless of his hole card, cannot possibly beat the four showing cards of the player whose bet he calls, his call is void and the chips may be retracted provided any player calls attention to his error before the hole card of any other active player is shown.

37. If the dealer errs in calling the value of a hand or in designating the high hand, no player has any redress; but if the first bet is made by the player incorrectly designated by the dealer, it is not a bet out of turn.

38. The dealer does not have the option of dealing a player's first card up and his second card down intentionally. A player may not turn up his hole card and receive his next card face down; if he turns up his hole card, he must play throughout with all his cards exposed.

Betting Limits

39. Table stakes, (a) In any poker game except one with fixed limits, i.e., in any pot limit, doubling-up or no-limit game, a player who has not enough chips to call the preceding bets and who cannot obtain more chips may stay in for the showdown by betting all the chips he has left. If there are other players in the pot and they wish to continue betting, their bets above this amount go in a "side pot" in which the short player has no interest. Play continues normally until there is a showdown, when the player who was short competes on even terms for that part of the pot to which he contributed in full.

(b) A player in a table stakes game may obtain additional chips from the banker, and add them to his stack on the table, only in the period between a showdown and the beginning of the next deal. He may at no time reduce the number of chips he has in front of him, by cashing them in or by removing them from his stack, except when he leaves the game.

(c) A player who is tapped and calls remains in the pot until the showdown, drawing cards on even terms with the other players, without further contributions to the pot. If he has the best hand at the showdown, he takes the main pot. He has no interest in any side pots.

(d) A player who drops rather than call a bet in a side pot must discard his hand and relinquishes his interest in all pots.

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