Club Rules

General

In order to ensure that Dusk Till Dawn remains a safe, friendly and regulated environment, all members must be aware of and abide by the following rules:

1. Members must be eighteen years or older.
2. Photographic identification must be shown before acceptance of membership is granted.
3. Members are issued with membership cards which they should use to gain entry to the club. Members should try to bring their membership cards on each visit. Replacements will be available at Reception should this get lost.
4. Any member who wishes to resign their membership must do so in writing, stating their reason for resignation.
5. All bills must be paid in full before leaving the club. No credit facilities will be made available.
6. We expect our members to be courteous and respectful towards our staff and other members at all times.
7. Details about the club and its members are strictly confidential and anything that passes between members within the club, intentionally or otherwise, must not be used for commercial or journalistic purposes.
8. Dusk Till Dawn accepts no responsibility for any loss or injury to members or their property sustained on the premises.
9. Dusk Till Dawn operates with a smart casual dress code, viewable here. Failure to abide by the club’s dress code may result in refusal of entry at Dusk Till Dawn’s discretion.
10. Members who are intoxicated on arrival will not be permitted entry. Members will be monitored through the night and if found to be acting in an unacceptable manner will be refused further alcoholic drinks.
11. Drug use will not be tolerated under any circumstances in Dusk Till Dawn. Members found to be under the influence of drugs will be suspended. Anyone found to be taking drugs or in possession of drugs on the premises will be barred and reported to the police.
12. All equipment within the Club remains the property of Dusk Till Dawn. Members are expected to treat all Dusk Till Dawn property with respect and care.
13. For rules relating to poker and casino games, please see our information pamphlets that are displayed in the relevant areas around the Casino. In all cases, the Supervisor’s decisions are final. In the event of a dispute, the matter must be referred to Management.
14. The use of members’ data will be in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.
15. Dusk Till Dawn operates in strict compliance with Gambling Commission Guidelines. Members are not permitted to ask any employee to knowingly breach these guidelines.
16. The Club’s Duty Managers have the right to exclude any member or guest whose behaviour they deem unacceptable.
17. Dusk Till Dawn reserve the right to cancel or amend a tournament, or prizepool, up to the start time of the event. In these cases, we will do our best to inform players of the changes both online and on arrival at the venue. Dusk Till Dawn will not accept any liabilities or losses of players as a result of changes or amendments.
18. In accordance with the gambling commissions operating licensing conditions number 4, you are advised that customer funds held on deposit are not protected in the case of insolvency.

Failure to adhere to these rules may lead to suspension of membership.

Code of Conduct

Management will attempt to maintain a pleasant environment for all our customers and employees, but is not responsible for the conduct of any player. We have established a code of conduct, and may deny the use of our cardroom to anyone who violates it. The following is not permitted:

1. Collusion with another player or any other form of cheating
2. Verbally or physically threatening, any customer or employee
3. Using profanity or obscene language
4. Creating a disturbance by arguing, shouting, or making excessive noise
5. Throwing, tearing, bending, or crumpling cards
6. Destroying or defacing property
7. Using an illegal substance
8. Carrying a weapon

Complaints

Members wishing to submit a complaint must do so either verbally or in writing to any of the Duty Managers. In all cases the matter will be thoroughly investigated and forwarded to the General Manager if necessary.

Members subject to a complaint by another member or member of staff may have their membership suspended or revoked by Management. All Management decisions are final.

Dusk Till Dawn reserves the right to dismiss the complaint, or to warn, suspend or expel members. Such decisions are made in the strictest confidence and no reason will be given for any decision. Dusk Till Dawn will inform an expelled member in writing.

Gaming Disputes

For poker or casino gaming disputes, please refer to the ‘Gaming Disputes Procedure’ pamphlets that are displayed around the Casino.

Dusk Till Dawn reserves the right to update and amend these rules at any time.

Poker Rules

Floor Decisions 

Tournament staff will always rule in the best interest and fairness of the game. The following rules set are in place, however specific circumstances may mean that the floor rule differently based on the intention to rule in the fairest manner.

Should a player ever wish to query a ruling with a senior member of the team, they have the right to do so following the hierarchy shown below:
   
Dealer
Supervisor
Tournament Director

Festival Director
General Manager

Dealers

1. Dealers control the progress of the game. Their role is to state the action and facilitate the progress of a fair game; as to the technical rules, dealers should act in a fair manner and must remain neutral to all.
2. Dealers must clearly announce the action in the tournament’s “official language”.
3. Dealers will be responsible to announce and show “exposed cards”.
4. Dealers should always count and announce the total amount of all bets when they occur (unless it is an all-in bet) in a neutral tone. This provides a much better service to the players as they do not have to go through the effort of asking every time the action gets to them. This will also speed up the game which is a must with the introduction of shotclock & timebank.
5. Dealers are responsible for reporting any violation by a player, or any discrepancy that occurs to the floor. If a discrepancy arises, players are responsible for calling the dealer’s attention to the situation. Dealers must immediately stop all action and call for a “Floor Person” or the “Tournament Director”.

 Player Responsibilities

1. Players are expected to verify registration data and seat assignments, protect their hands, make their intentions clear, follow the action, act in turn, defend their right to act, keep cards visible, keep chips visibly stacked, remain at the table with a live hand, speak up if they see a mistake being made, transfer tables promptly, follow one player to a hand, know and comply with the rules, follow proper etiquette, and generally contribute to an orderly tournament.
2. Players must be clearly identifiable whilst at the table.

Official Terminology and Gestures

1. Official betting terms are simple, unmistakable declarations such as: bet, raise, call, fold or all-in. In pot limit games players can also use the declaration of ‘pot’ to bet the maximum pot bet.
2. Players need to be very clear in questioning as sometimes they can be mistaken as declarations.
3. Players can also gesture to perform an action, e.g. tapping the table to check, or nodding to the dealer to check the action along. Should a dealer need to confirm they will do so.

Communication / Electronic Devices

1. Players are allowed to use electronic devices at the table, however when holding a live hand players shouldn’t not be using any communication applications and phones must be clearly visible to all if touched. Should a player not be using the device for anything other than gaming, the device should be turned face down and left alone whilst possessing a live hand.
2. Players are required to leave the table area if wanting to take part in a phone call.
3. Players are advised to keep volume levels on devices discreet to avoid the players at the table being distracted.

 Official Language

1. Players are expected to always use the English language only at the table. Should people wish to speak to others in a different language, they are expected to leave the table to do so.
2. This rule maybe relaxed during international festivals.

Etiquette

1. Tournament Directors and Floor People will issue penalties for the following etiquette violations. Repeated infractions are

subject to escalating penalties. To maintain the integrity and fairness of the tournament, and to provide a player friendly environment, the following actions are considered improper and unsportsmanlike behaviour:

• Acting out of turn, intentionally and/or repeatedly.
• Intentionally folding/mucking out of turn, including abandoning a hand.
• Miscalling a hand, intentionally and/or repeatedly.
• Exposing cards with action pending, intentionally and/or repeatedly.
• Needlessly stalling the action of a hand.
• Violating the “one player to a hand” rule, including coaching a player or talking about the hand to another person either at the table or on the rail, during a live hand.
• Showing the contents of any live or folded cards during a live hand.
• Any form of soft play, including verbally or mutually agreeing to check a hand down at all times.
• Incorrectly instructing or controlling the action or a player.
• Any form of “rabbit hunting.”
• Splashing chips directly into the pot, intentionally and/or repeatedly.
• Mucking a hand at the dealer, at a player, or in an abusive manner.
• Throwing or destroying card(s) intentionally.
• Abusive or disruptive behaviour.
• Unnecessarily touching another player’s cards or chips.
• Wearing any clothing or other materials that carry words or images that display derogatory, offensive, racist, illegal or aggressive messages.
• Verbally or physically attacking other competitors, members of the tournament staff, or spectators.
• Displaying signs of excessive alcohol intoxication, drunkenness or use of other substances that jeopardizes the smooth running of the tournament, or causes disrespect to other competitors, staff or spectators.
• Displaying unsocial conditions of hygiene, including excessive body odour or dirt that jeopardizes other players’ right to a pleasant and safe environment.
• Excessive chatter: Excessive chatter includes, but is not limited to, talking or having a conversation that disrupts participants who are in a hand.
• Any participant who displays any form of inappropriate behaviour may be subject to a penalty. 

2. Speech play. This is allowed in both multi-way and heads up pots, players are allowed to discuss the game so long as it is in a sportsmanlike manner and not considered offensive in any way.
3. Players are allowed to verbally give up information of their hole cards, whether the statement is true or false is immaterial, and the hand will remain live. Should there be any suspicion of collusion or soft play at any point from either players or dealers’ opinion, it will be investigated and punished if believed to be true by the Tournament Director.
4. Any speech play of which may be considered as soft play or collusion would result in further investigation and potentially penalties of disqualifications. 

Ethical Play

1. Poker is an individual game. Actions, statements and/or behaviours that compromise the fairness of the game, whether knowingly or unknowingly, are considered unethical play and unsportsmanlike behaviour. Dealers are obligated to report this immediately to the floor, who may then follow up with a penalty.
2. One player to a hand, no disclosure, no advice-

Players are expected to not expose any cards to players at the table during a live hand.

Players not holding a live hand should not discuss anything of which could be impact action when a hand is in progress.

Players should not advise each other during hands; however speech play is allowed by all holding a live hand.

3. Tournament Directors and Floor People will penalize any player who acts in an unethical manner. This shall include, but is not limited to;

Collusion in a group- this can also include soft play and chip dumping.

Cheating- this can include theft, marking of cards in order to gain a knowledge advantage.

4. The above should be expected to receive very harsh penalties as a minimal punishment.

Tournament Rules, Policies & Procedures

Tournament Formats

Freezeout [F/O] – This format allows 1 entry per player, no rebuys and no re-entries.

Re-Entry [+XRE/RE] – this is similar to that of a freezeout in that once a player has lost their chips the player is eliminated, however if eliminated during the late registration period the player will be allowed to re-enter for the amount of an original entry. The maximum number of re-entries can vary and will be advertised before the event has begun. Upon re-entry the Tournament Director will provide the player with a new randomly assigned seat away from their previous table, wherever possible.

Reload – These tournaments allow players the option of having a rebuy or two (as advertised) at the table no matter the size of the stack. There will be an advertised period of the tournament of which will allow the rebuy(s) to take place.

Unlimited Rebuy - This format of tournament allows players to rebuy as many times as they like, players will be allowed to rebuy if they have less than a specific amount of stack. The required stack for a rebuy and the maximum number of rebuys available can vary and will be advertised before the start of the event. The rebuy period will be completed with a last 3 hands at the end of the advertised level. At the last rebuy break players will have the option of an add-on (double in some cases) & further rebuys if eligible.

Whenever a player lost all of their chips, the player should decide before the start of the new hand to whether to rebuy or not. In case a player misses a hand, the player will be eliminated. A re-entry is not possible in rebuy formats. 

1. During a “re -buy” tournament, a player must always have chips on the table and must always be dealt a hand, as not to miss a hand due to a re-buy.
2. If a player runs out of chips during the “re-buy” period, the player must “re-buy” or declare a “re-buy” before the start of the “new deal.”
3. If a player announces the intent to “re-buy” before a “new deal” begins, that player is deemed to be playing with those chips and is obligated to make the “re-buy.”
4. If the player bets an amount to include chips from the intended “re-buy,” the player must present the funds before action can be completed.
5. If the tournament has an add-on option, players may only add on during the period as prescribed by the Tournament Director.
6. Whenever a player is eliminated in a re-entry tournament, he or she can make a re-entry during the re-entry period. The Tournament Director must communicate before the start of the tournament how long the re-entry period will be.
7. Whenever a player does a re-entry the Tournament Director will seat this player randomly. 

Warnings, Penalties & Disqualifications

1. Management and/or the Tournament Director or Tournament Staff may penalize any act that, in their sole and absolute discretion, is inconsistent with the official rules or best interests of the players and/or the event.
2. Penalties will be awarded with fairness to all parties considered, should they feel a player deserves a harsher than usual penalty even for a first offence, it will be awarded if the floor feel it in the best interests of the game.
3. Tournament Directors and Floor people may issue any of the following:

• Verbal Warnings
• 1 Round of the table penalty
• 2 Rounds of the table penalty
• Disqualification

4. In the event of a disqualification, the players stack will be removed from play, and they will not be entitled to any refund or prize.  

VERBAL WARNINGS A verbal warning may be issued to a violating player as a penalty. A repeated verbal warning will result in a “1 round of the table penalty” or “disqualification.”

ROUND OF THE TABLE PENALTY A round of the table penalty is defined as a penalty whereby the player needs to leave the tournament area for an orbit until the dealer button is back into the position in which it would be at the start of the following hand. For example: When the offence take place when the button is on seat 1, the offender will be able to return once the button has done the required number of table rotations and arrived back at seat 2. If seat 2 is an empty seat at that time the player may return when the button is at the first seat after seat 2. 

DISQUALIFICATION A player who is disqualified will have his or her chips removed from play. The player must immediately leave the tournament area. The Tournament Director’s decision to disqualify a player is final. A disqualified player cannot appeal the decision and will not be entitled to a refund. Disqualified players may not make any claim for monetary damages.

Seating from the initial seat draw or as late entry

1. All entries will receive a full starting stack, dealers will start the tournament dealing to live stacks only to ensure players arrive at to the full start stack.
2. All entries will receive a randomly assigned seat.
3. New entries can adopt any position at the table. The only place in which they cannot be dealt in is between the button and the small blind.
4. All re-entries will not be drawn on their most recent table wherever possible.
5. In re-entry events, players with the option of a re-entry available will be able to forfeit their stacks in order to get a new full stack and will be treated like a fresh entry the previous stack being taken out of