Poker is a card game played by two or more players. Each player has two cards, called hole cards, that are dealt face down, and then five community cards are dealt in three stages, known as the flop, the turn, and the river. The goal is to make the best possible 5-card hand. Depending on the game, a player can use one or both hole cards, and betting options include checking, calling, raising, and folding.

Like other games and sports, poker has official rules that govern play. A centralized organization manages these rules, called the Poker Tournament Directors Association (Poker TDA). The Poker TDA is made up of managers of major live and online poker rooms, circuits, and poker leagues, as well as some independent tournament directors. It meets every two years to review and implement changes to the rules of poker.

Any poker player, dealer, or floorperson who sees an error in the amount of chips being put into the pot, or that a mistake is about to be made in awarding a pot, has an obligation to point it out. This helps keep mistakes to a minimum and allows for fair play in all hands.

The rules in this book are based on the “Robert Rules of Poker” authored by Robert Ciaffone, better known in the poker world as Bob Ciaffone, who is a leading authority on cardroom rules. A great deal of improvement in format, organization, and wording has been brought to this work over time. It is intended that this set of rules will be widely used and adopted for the benefit of the game.