House Rules for Poker
To read the Game Rules for each poker game, click the info
icon
in the game lobby. It is the responsibility of each player
to
verify their understanding of the rules of their chosen game
prior to placing bets.
Below explains the specific rules and policies that apply to
our
poker games.
Multi-Hand Policy
APR allows players to play at multiple tables or in multiple
games simultaneously; the maximum number of tables that a
player
can participate in or games that a player can participate in
is
limited by the APR software they are using (such as
desktop-based, mobile device-based, internet browser-based,
etc.).
Cash Table Posting Fee Policy
A player joining a APR cash table is usually required to pay
an initial fee, equal to that table's lower limit stake or
small
blind. This initial fee follows the same rules as the blind
bets
(initial mandatory bets, typically placed in the pot by the
first two players to the left of the dealer in games of
Hold'em
and Omaha poker) and allows the new player to sit-in at the
table and join the game.
Players sometimes have the option of "sitting-out" and
waiting
for the big blind before beginning to play.
Posting an initial fee ensures fairness to all players, by
preventing players from gaining an undue advantage over
others
by entering a poker game in a "Late Position" in order to
avoid
placing blind bets.
Missed Blind Bets Policy
A player may choose to temporarily sit-out from a poker
table; if
the table is a cash game table (as opposed to a tournament
table, at which the player typically will have paid a set
buy-in
amount in order to join), the player may need to post
additional
fees in order to rejoin the action:
- If, while sitting-out, the player misses their turn to
place
the small blind, upon re-sitting that player will be
required to post a set amount. This post is considered a
"live (active) bet" and is equal to the big blind.
- If, while sitting-out, the player misses their turn to
place
both the small blind and the big blind, upon re-sitting
that
player will be required to post a set amount. This post
consists of a live bet, equal to the big blind, plus an
additional "dead (non-active) bet", equal to the small
blind, which is added directly to the pot.
Tie Hands Policy
In the event that two or more active players reach showdown
at a
poker table holding equal ranking hands, the winner is
determined by card value (i.e. a pair of aces beats a pair
of
kings).
Should the poker hands remain tied (i.e. a pair of kings vs.
a
pair of kings), the highest ranked card, not held in common
("the "kicker"), determines the hand's winner.
In the event of exact ties in poker hand ranking, between two
or
more active players, the pot (the accumulated amount of
chips in
the centre of the table, being contested by the active
players)
will be split evenly between those players holding tied
poker
hands.
Play Time Limit Policy
To ensure a fair and enjoyable playing experience, APR
players must act within a reasonable time limit that varies
per
table, per game variant and/or per game stage (i.e. the
length
of time that has elapsed in a given tournament, etc..).
APR's time limits are enforced in an effort to maintain a
reasonable speed of game play. Players who fail to act
within
the set time limit will have their hand automatically folded
and
will forfeit any amounts that he/she has previously wagered
during that hand.
Time Bank Policy
In many APR poker games, if a player requires extra time to
make a decision, a 'time bank' will be accessed if a
decision is
not made in time.
Depending on the software used, the time bank will be
visually
displayed and will 'count down' while being accessed. The
time
bank gives players extra time to complete their actions, and
those who fail to act before the time bank is exhausted will
automatically fold their hand.
Leave Table Policy
In order to ensure the best possible gaming experience for
all,
players may be penalized for sitting at cash game tables,
playing one hand and subsequently leaving without playing at
least 10 hands. The system will consider such an action as
the
player refusing the play at that table.
If a player refuses to play at multiple tables, they will be
automatically penalized by being blocked from joining tables
of
the same blind level for some time. The length of this
automatic
block depends on the number of times within any 12-hour
period
that the player has refused to play at tables of that blind
level:
- 1st Refusal: No Penalty
- 2nd Refusal: 5 Minute Block
- 3rd Refusal: 15 Minute Block
- 4th Refusal: 30 Minute Block
- 5th Refusal: 60 Minute Block
If a player leaves a table at which all other players at the
table are sitting out, or if they are the only player seated
at
that table, the action will not be considered a refusal to
play
and no penalty will be applied.
The policy applies to all cash game variants and tables,
excepting Rush & Cash.
Poker Rake and Fees Policy
As game host, APR applies a commission charge (often known
as "rake") to each pot at cash game tables. To find out more
details on the rake collected at APR, please visit the Our
Games section of the APR website and review each game
variant's page.
In tournaments, APR does not levy rake, but typically
collects a tournament fee instead. The amount is often a set
percentage of the tournament buy-in, and will be detailed in
the
tournament lobby for each event (e.g. as of April 2019, the
total amount a player pays to participate in a $1 Omaholic
tournament is $1, made up of a $0.92 buy-in and a $0.08
tournament fee).
Table Etiquette
The normal courtesies extended at live poker tables are also
expected at APR. Please see the list below for APR's
etiquette guidelines:
- Intimidation or harassment of other players at the table
will not be tolerated;
- Do not spam emojis or engage in "shouting matches" with
other players at the table;
- Lagging is a natural occurrence in an internet age. As
it is
unavoidable, please be polite when notifying a player
who is
lagging.
Tournament Policy
All tournaments will begin promptly at the scheduled time
stated
in the tournament lobby. APR reserves the right to delay or
cancel any tournament without prior notice.
Seats are assigned to players at random. Prizes are awarded
as
stated in the tournament lobby, except when a deal is made
or
the tournament is cancelled. The prize structure used in any
given tournament depends on several factors including the
number
of entrants and the number of players per table. The prizes
awarded in any given tournament are not finalized until
registration has closed and the rebuy and/or add-on period
is
over.
In order to be eligible to re-enter, rebuy or add-on in a
re-entry or rebuy tournament, you must have the funds
available
in your account.
Late registration is available in most tournaments. The
length of
the late registration period varies but will always be shown
in
the tournament lobby. Late registration will close early if
enough players are eliminated to begin payouts or the
tournament
has reached the maximum number of players allowed.
Most APR tournaments allow players to un-register until a
few minutes before the event begins. The exact time at which
un-registration closes may vary from event to event.
Registration and un-registration times may vary between
tournaments of different types. Not all tournaments allow
un-registration, and some tournaments do not allow players
to
un-register if they won their way in via satellite or
giveaway
tournaments. APR reserves the right to alter registration
and un-registration times without prior notice.
If a tournament that features late registration proceeds to a
point at which the next eliminated player will receive a
prize
(also known as 'in the money'), late registration may be
closed,
regardless of the late registration period detailed in the
tournament lobby. No additional players will be able to
enter.
Furthermore, in such a situation the tournament prize pool
will
be solely determined by the amount collected via player
registration, rather than any advertised guaranteed prize
amount.
Tournament Elimination Policy
Most tournaments end when a single player accumulates all of
the
chips in play, and in some tournaments, when all remaining
players will receive the same prize (for example, if a
satellite
tournament awards five (5) identical prizes, the tournament
may
end when there are five (5) players left).
If two or more players are eliminated on the same hand, the
player with more chips at the start of that hand finishes
ahead
of the player(s) with fewer chips. If all players started
the
hand with an identical number of chips, the finishing rank
is
determined by table location, with the first eliminated
player
seated to the left of the button finishing ahead of the
player(s) seated further away.
As players are eliminated from APR tournaments, the software
will "break" tables to fill available empty seats. Players
are
re-seated randomly and may result in a player having to post
multiple big blinds in a row. On occasion, the APR software
may balance tables to ensure all tables have an equal (or as
close to equal as possible) number of active players.
Players
moved to balance tables will, whenever possible, be moved to
similar positions relative to the blinds.
Tournament Break Policy
Details about each tournament's breaks are listed in that
tournament's lobby, with the amount of time remaining to the
next break listed if the tournament is running.
Many tournaments feature synchronised breaks but not all do
so,
therefore APR encourages players to make themselves aware
of the break times of each tournament they are playing in to
better ensure a comfortable playing environment.
Tournament Disconnects and Sitting Out Policy
By participating in a tournament, APR players accept the
risk of internet disconnection, due to problems with the
connection between their device(s) and the servers, lag or
freeze or some other problem in the player's device(s) or
how
that device accesses the internet.
APR does not accept any responsibility for a player
disconnect except in the case of a server crash. While each
user
is responsible for his or her own internet connection, we
make
an effort to protect players who are disconnected during the
final stages of a real-money tournament, by allowing extra
time
to reconnect.
If a player times out during a hand, whether connected or
disconnected, his or her hand will be folded if facing
action or
may be checked if facing no action.
If a player is not connected before a hand starts, he or she
will
be dealt cards, and a blind and/or ante will be posted.
There is
no rule against a single player choosing to sit out; the
player
doing so will continue to have blinds and antes posted and
cards
dealt. Two or more players may not make any agreement to sit
out
simultaneously, whether at the same table or different
tables;
such actions may fall under APR's collusion policy.
Poker Rules
You are not permitted to make a bet in excess of the value of
chips on the table at the beginning of a hand. You are
permitted
to acquire additional chips only between hands. If you run
out
of chips during a hand, you are considered "all- in". you
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 bets format.
Players must refrain from "table talk" or "coffee-housing" or
talking during a hand in a way that compromises an
opponent's
hand. This applies if you are playing in the hand or
watching
the hand. Repeated abuse of this aspect of player behaviour
will
result in suspension or permanent restriction of play.
Abusive or offensive language or other behaviour considered
inappropriate by us in the context of the Game will not be
tolerated. Bad behaviour or offensive language identified by
us
or brought to our attention will be dealt with swiftly and
may
result in a suspension or loss of playing privileges or such
other action as may be deemed necessary by us at our sole
discretion.
You fully accept and agree that the random number generator
software will determine all outcomes of casino Games.
You acknowledge and agree that you shall not interfere,
interrupt, and attempt to interrupt, or attempt to
manipulate
the operations of the Website or the normal play of any of
the
Games in APR. Failure to comply with the preceding may lead
to your exclusion from the Website and to criminal and civil
investigations.
Chat Policy
The Company gives its customers the ability to participate in
chats where they are able to communicate with other
registered
players within the site. We reserve the right to set the
chat
policy and change it at any time with or without notice.
The chat function is intended to be used for fostering a
positive
gaming experience, and basic communication for the players.
We
reserve the right to restrict an individual's ability to
participate in any chat based on the behaviour exhibited by
the
individual.
The Company gives its customers the ability to record and
broadcast video content via the SnapCam feature, accessible
within the APR software. Broadcasting contents deemed
offensive by The Company is not permitted, nor is the use of
SnapCam feature to harass other customers. Customers found
misusing SnapCam will lose access to the feature, and The
Company may take further measures if necessary, including
but
not limited to account suspension and banning. We also
reserve
the right to report any questionable content to the relevant
authorities.
All users must refrain from any communication which:
- Are defamatory in nature;
- Are illegal, or the user has no legal right to disclose;
- Contain anything that is racist, vulgar, hateful,
obscene,
profane, threatening, insulting, offensive, or
discriminatory;
- Are intended to impersonate another person or entity;
- Are posted for the purpose of advertising
- Contain a link to any virus, corrupted files,
keyloggers, or
any other malicious code or material that could cause
harm
to the computer, data or financial security of any
party;
- Are intended to take advantage of or collude
with/against
other players using our site;
- Are associated with criminal activities;
- Are intentionally false or misleading;
- Are intended to solicit personal information such as
contact
information and/or real name;
- Are protected by any form of intellectual property
whether
registered or unregistered or any contractual, statutory
or
equitable obligation of confidence;
- Are considered to be 'spamming' other players
Our chat rooms are moderated, and all conversations that
occur
therein are logged and recorded. We reserve the right to
retrospectively investigate any comments made by users and
impose appropriate measures including but not limited to a
temporary ban, permanent ban, or account closure. We also
reserve the right to report any suspicious chats or comments
to
the relevant authorities.
Policy on hands-in-play
Intentionally or inadvertently influencing the progression of
a
hand that is in play or the action of its participants by
way of
discussion, use of emoji, or utilization of SnapCam are
strictly
prohibited and may result in temporary or permanent
suspension
of all communication functions.
Tournament Deal Making Policy
Deal making is allowed in many tournaments. If all remaining
players in a tournament agree to making a deal, they should
indicate so by selecting the appropriate option at the
table. A
deal can then be discussed and agreed upon or rejected by
the
participating players.
Bounty Tournament Policy
In some specially designated APR tournaments (e.g. as of
April 2019, in Bounty Hunter tournaments), a bounty will be
placed on some or all of the tournament participants. A
player
who eliminates an opponent will add the bounty amount to
their
own bounty total. Each surviving player's bounty total will
only
be awarded once the prize-paying finishing positions are
reached
(i.e. the bubble bursts).
In the event that two players show identical winning hands
and
therefore split the pot in a hand that eliminates another
player(s), any bounty awarded will be divided equally
between
the players that hold the winning hands.
Players may not make any agreement amongst themselves to
eliminate a particular player in order to claim their bounty
award. Such agreements are considered collusion and are
grounds
for disqualification from the tournament and/or other
penalties.
Tournament Prize Award Policy
APR reserves the right (at any time) to modify the prizes
awarded in any given tournament. Further, APR reserves the
right to award a monetary prize of equal or greater value as
the
main prize in place of the main tournament prize, at its
sole
discretion.
Please note that players will not receive fractions of a
cent. In
all instances where a player's winnings include a fraction
of a
cent, APR will round down such player's winnings to the
nearest cent. So, for example if you win $4.096, you will
receive $4.09.
Multiple Satellite/Seats Prize Policy
If a player wins second and/or subsequent tickets or seats
into a
target tournament for which that player is already
registered or
has used all allowable entries, the player will be awarded
Tournament Dollars (T$) to the value of the target
tournament
buy-in amount less the tournament registration fee in lieu
of
the ticket or seat.
For example, if a player is already registered into a $100
buy-in
tournament, in which $90 goes into the prize pool and $10 is
the
tournament fee, and subsequently wins a satellite tournament
awarding seats to the $100 tournament, the player will
receive
T$90 in lieu of the seat.
Tournament Staking Policy
Many APR tournaments include a staking feature, which
enables players to "sell" a set percentage of their action
in
the tournament after such time they have registered for the
tournament and before the tournament begins.
If a player decides to sell some of their tournament action,
but
unregister from the tournament before it begins, the staking
funds will be returned to the players that bought a stake
and
will not be retained by the selling player.
Refund Policy
In the event of APR servers crashing or a APR
unscheduled downtime happening, APR shall refund players as
described below. APR, in its sole discretion, shall decide
otherwise for any other events disrupting play caused by the
Licensee or the Licensee's players.
For Cash Games, all hands in progress will be rolled back.
Each
player's chip count will be reset to the amount at the
beginning
of the hand.
For tournaments, there are three (3) possibilities depending
on
the status of the Tournament:
- If the tournament has not started, APR shall refund all
buy-ins and fees to the registered players.
- If the tournament has started and is in late
registration
period (that is to say, where the tournament allows a
User
to register as a player following the fixed registration
time) or if the late registration period has finished
but
the tournament has not reached the paid places,
remaining
players shall be refunded their Fee and current bounty
(if
applicable). Regarding the prize pool, (fifty) 50% shall
be
paid equally to the remaining players at the time of
cancellation with the other (fifty) 50% being paid
according
to the chip count to the remaining players at the time
of
cancellation. If the tournament has a guaranteed prize
pool
that has not been met or exceeded at the time of
cancellation, only the prize pool amount collected via
player registrations will be distributed.
- If the tournament has reached the paid places, remaining
players shall be refunded their Fee and current bounty
(if
applicable). Regarding the prize pool, the next prize to
be
won shall be distributed to each remaining player at the
time of cancellation with the remainder being paid
according
to the chip count to the remaining players at the time
of
cancellation. All transactions, including pots won and
lost,
are posted to players' accounts at the completion of
each
hand.
Please note that when calculating tournament refunds, APR
will determine the moment the disruption began and use the
state
of play in any given tournament immediately prior to this
disruption as a basis for calculating the refunds. Not all
players may experience disruption at the same time.
With regards to APR's Staking Feature and refunds, if a
player has sold action and receives a cash refund, whether
equal
to the initial buy-in and fee or greater, those players that
bought the action will receive a share of the total amount
refunded to the backed player in proportion to the size of
the
stake bought.
In those circumstances where a player has sold action via the
Staking Feature and receives a replacement ticket or
replacement
entry instead of a cash refund, those players that bought
the
action will be returned the amounts they staked in cash.