4 Aces Poker League

Player Code of Conduct

In order to ensure that all players have an enjoyable time at our events, we ask that you please follow these basic guidelines. They amount to common courtesy and fairness in play. Determination of violations will be at the discretion of tournament directors and management. Constantly badgering or harassing 4 Aces staff because you do not agree with one or more determinations will, itself, be considered a violation once a verbal warning has been given.

PLEASE TIP YOUR DEALER ($3.00 to $5.00 per game is standard). Dealers work on tips, and they have to commit to a considerable amount of time and effort to do everything that has to be done for you to have a good time. Think about it: If you buy a drink, you probably tip the bartender at least $1.00 or $2.00 for the minute it took her to make your drink. Your dealer gives you many minutes' worth of attention over the course of a game, so please tip accordingly. Most dealers now accept cash app, venmo, etc. (Even though tipping your dealer is not a legal requirement, it is extremely rude not to.)
HAVE FUN, BUT DON'T BE RUDE
We all like to have a good time. You are welcome to eat, drink, and be crazy, so long as you are not offensive to other players.
Please do not make comments that are religious, political, or controversial in nature. If such a topic does come up, and you disagree with the belief of others at the table, please keep your thoughts to yourself.
Negative comments relating to race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, mental or physical disabilities, etc. will not be tolerated.
Any threat, express or implied, towards another player will result in immediate removal from the table and possible suspension/banning from the league.
Directly insulting another player in a way that is intended to hurt their feelings will not be tolerated.
Players are allowed to bet however they want. It is fine to make suggestions intended to coach others on improving their game, but it is not ok to attack someone because they didn't play what you consider to be "good poker."
WE ENCOURAGE: Complimenting other players, supportive and appreciative remarks, patience with others, and looking out for each other.
Please be well-groomed (showered, hair-combed, presentable clothes, no offensive odors etc.) before sitting down at a table. This applies to all events. If you go to the bathroom, please wash your hands before returning to the table.
Please keep your area organized in a way that is conducive to efficient and fair play;
Your chip stacks should be as close to the edge of the table as possible, and visible to all players. No dirty stacks. Do NOT cover your chips or your cards with your hands or anything else.
Your cards should be kept on the table at all times, clearly visible, and as close as possible to your chips. Keep them in front of you, even when you flip them at the end of the hand. It is ok to pick them up to look at them for a second, but if they are not on the table when the action comes to you, the dealer may skip you, in which case it is entirely your fault and you will have to deal with the consequences.
Any chips destined for the pot should be between your cards and the center of the table, as near to your cards as possible. Never push your chips to the center of the table. That is the dealer's job.
If you have the dealer button, it should be clearly visible to everyone, not on top of your cards, in your hands, or in your chips.
If you are out of the game, you may continue to sit at the table, but you may not have anything (chips, cards, buttons, etc.) on the table in front of you.
The dealer button should only be moved by the dealer. Players moving the button can create confusion as to blind levels and the order in which cards are dealt.
If you show your card(s) to one person, you must show everyone. Exceptions may be made, with permission, if you are teaching someone how to play and they are not in the hand.
Discussing the board while a hand is still in action is frowned upon. (For example, if you attract attention to the fact that there are 3 hearts on the table, it could cause a player who had not noticed this to suddenly realize they have a flush and to stay in when they otherwise would have folded.)
Do not act out of turn. When you act out of turn it may cause other players to alter their bets vs. if you had waited your turn. This is a form of cheating when done intentionally.
No string betting. If you do not verbalize the amount of your bet, then whatever chips you wish to bet must be moved forward in one single motion.
Check clearly. It is best to verbally say "check" if you wish to check. If you prefer to use a hand motion, please make it obvious. Conversely, if you tap your finger(s) on the table the dealer will assume you checked and move action to the next player. At that point, it is too late for you to bet, so please be clear in your intentions. If you think by tapping your fingers then be prepared to face the consequences when the dealer perceives that as a check.
One player per hand. No one else can play your cards for you. You may only consult with someone else if they are out of the hand and teaching you how to play, and then only with permission from the dealer. (Exceptions are not allowed during tournament play for any reason.)
TIME
Time can be declared when a player is taking too long to act.
Time can only be called by an active player (not by the dealer).
Time can not be called unless a player has taken more than 2 minutes to act.
Once time is called, the player has one minute to act, or their cards will be folded and they forfeit any chips in the pot.
While this policy is pretty liberal, we ask that you pay attention and be ready to make a decision when it is your turn. Continually taking a long time to make a decision degrades the experience for everyone. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL IT YOUR TURN TO LOOK AT YOUR CARDS. Pay attention to the game and know what you are going to do when the action comes to you. Holding up the game because you are not paying attention is extremely rude, and may result in the dealer forfeiting all of your chips.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR VENUES
Restaurants, bars, and other venues let us use their property to have a good time. In turn, we all have an obligation to support their business.
In a bar setting, please be sure to purchase a few beverages (non-alcoholic options are usually available on request), and tip your bartender. Please do not bring outside beverages into a bar.
In a restaurant setting, please consider eating at the restaurant rather than eating beforehand, and tip your server, of course. Please do not bring outside food into an establishment that serves food without prior permission. (We usually arrange to provide free food during our monthly tournaments, as an example, but that is generally the only exception and it is made with the establishment's prior approval.) If you have a question about this policy please send us a message and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.

There are 3 surefire ways to get permanently expelled from 4 Aces:

CHEATING: This includes all forms of intentional cheating, such as intentionally acting out of turn, vandalizing 4 Aces equipment (cutting cards or stealing chips), etc.
VIOLENCE: Making a threat of violence to another person, intentionally coming into contact with someone with enough force to cause injury.
BEING ANTI-COMPETITIVE: Any attempt to steer players away from 4 Aces to non-4 Aces poker events (a competitor) without advance express written permission will result in permanent expulsion from the league, forfeiture of all rewards, points, etc. This includes any post on social media reaching 4 Aces players and which is intended to cause those players to leave 4 Aces for a non-friendly competitor or a non-4 Aces venue. This applies whether 4 Aces is mentioned by name and regardless of whether 4 Aces is cast in a negative or positive light. (An exception may be made in the case of an honest stand-alone comment or review that not does not reference, inferred or otherwise, any competing venues or leagues. Just make sure you know the whole story before you talk publicly.) Also, to be fair, this works both ways. It is just as bad to attempt to poach another league's players to 4 Aces, so long as said league did nothing to provoke it. Whenever possible we try to work together with other leagues so long as they show us the same respect. In the end, this makes the poker "scene" in central florida better for everyone and everyone wins.
Why is this rule so strict? Due to the friendly nature of our league and good friendships that have formed as a result, everyone has access to almost everyone else, and we can not allow disgruntled players, venues, dealers, or others to use this as a weapon to attempt to harm our poker family or other poker families. That sort of negative energy has no place here.

All 3 of these rules can be simplified under our cardinal rule: Be nice and show others the same respect you would want to have shown to you.

Thank you for helping to make our events enjoyable for everyone. Players who continually violate our rules of conduct after verbal warnings may be temporarily suspended, and in extreme cases permanently banned, from the league. This is necessary to ensure the best possible experience for everyone.