Are my House Rules getting too verbose? (1 Viewer)

[TheYeti]

I've been tweaking my House Rules over the course of the last 2 years, trimming here and there but also adding things as situations/disputes have come up during the game. Are they getting too long? Is there a way to make some of it more succinct? Or, are they fine as-is?

EDIT: Since my OP I've received a bunch of great advice! The revised rules can be found here.

 

[Eriks]

I think they’re great. Covers everything important and deals with every little annoying bad habit

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

They're fine. Don't need to read them out to a silent and reverent playerbase every game, but easy enough to send to a new player or reference if something comes up.

 

[TheYeti]

They're fine. Don't need to read them out to a silent and reverent playerbase every game

Really? Then I've been doing it all wrong!

"Quiet heathens!!!! It is time for the Reading of the Rules!"

, but easy enough to send to a new player or reference if something comes up.

Yeah, that's how I do it. Once you're invited to our Facebook group, the rules are pinned at the top and new players are encouraged to read them .... but IME, most do not.

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

I have them printed and have only had to put one ape in timeout, everyone else does well or at least accepts their bullshit won't fly. No pre-dealing the boards here!

 

[BPTDirector]

Looks good to me.

 

[ArielVer18]

You can actually trim a lot by removing things that are simply repeated in Robert's Rules, like the one chip rule, acting out of turn, rat-holing, cards speak, table talk, etc.

How short do you want it? You can do the opposite of what you did back in high school and use a thinner font, smaller font size, and/or thinner margins.

 

[glynn]

I agree with @ArielVer18. You will eventually rewrite RRoP or some other ruleset if you keep adding situations that are covered by those sets as they come up.

I recommend choosing an established base ruleset and then extending and amending it.

 

[timinater]

You can actually trim a lot by removing things that are simply repeated in Robert's Rules, like the one chip rule, acting out of turn, rat-holing, cards speak, table talk, etc.

How short do you want it? You can do the opposite of what you did back in high school and use a thinner font, smaller font size, and/or thinner margins.

I agree with @ArielVer18. You will eventually rewrite RRoP or some other ruleset if you keep adding situations that are covered by those sets as they come up.

I recommend choosing an established base ruleset and then extending and amending it.

I went through RRoP and bolded frequently cited rules or questions, striked out any rules I removed for our games and added an appendix called "Changes made by this cardroom" that summarizes the additional, edited or removed rules and that basically serves as the house rules portion.

 

[TheYeti]

You can actually trim a lot by removing things that are simply repeated in Robert's Rules, like the one chip rule, acting out of turn, rat-holing, cards speak, table talk, etc.

This is exactly the advice I needed! I've made the appropriate edits and I think it's much more streamlined now. Thank you!

 

[doublebooyah85]

I’d take the word “raking” out of the rules in the rare case you ever legally get in trouble. Try a different word or something.

 

[TheYeti]

I’d take the word “raking” out of the rules in the rare case you ever legally get in trouble. Try a different word or something.

Good call! Done!

 

[Lunettesman]

Just read something interesting in your rules. The player to the right of the button shuffles?we always do to the left. Why do you proceed that way?

 

[Lord_Foldemort]

Just read something interesting in your rules. The player to the right of the button shuffles?we always do to the left. Why do you proceed that way?

Interesting, at all of my games we run two decks, the previous dealer shuffles the deck of the hand they dealt and passes it to the left of the button (the next dealer), who then cuts the deck. I do this by design to prevent the shuffler from having control of the cut or deal and the dealer from controlling the shuffle. I don't run big enough games or have enough randoms to worry about card mechanics, but god forbid a mechanic ends up at the table; I would not want the person dealing the hand to be in charge of shuffling the deck they are going to deal with. But I am a huge proponent of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," so whatever works for anyone is the way to go!

 

[Lunettesman]

Sorry you lost me there. Probably a language issue. Could you formulate it again.

We always have the small blind shuffling for the next hand. And when it's his turn to deal, the ex small small blind ask the ex dealer to cut.

 

[Joe Harris]

We always have the small blind shuffling for the next hand. And when it's his turn to deal, the ex small small blind ask the ex dealer to cut.

It's a question of 'shuffle ahead' or 'shuffle behind'. There is no practical difference. The only thing that matters is that it's applied consistency, and that the person who shuffles the deck is not the same person that applies the final cut.

Personally, I like the shuffle behind approach (as detailed by @Lord_Foldemort) because it can be explained to new players as "When you deal, the deck you get needs a cut and then is ready to go. After you deal, clean up your mess, shuffle and pass to the next dealer"

 

[Taghkanic]

Sorry you lost me there. Probably a language issue. Could you formulate it again.

We always have the small blind shuffling for the next hand. And when it's his turn to deal, the ex small small blind ask the ex dealer to cut.

Shuffling behind means the new dealer does not touch the deck until it is shuffled and cut by others.

 

[Lunettesman]

Shuffling behind means the new dealer does not touch the deck until it is shuffled and cut by others.

Oh ok got you. So if I understand right. Let s say we are in a hand and we are talking about the next hand. Then the dude on the right of the button shuffles (soon to be the HJ), the button cut (soon to be the cut off) and the SB deals (soon to be the button).

So once the button has finished dealing. He will start shuffling. Very efficient.
It makes more sense too I feel for a efficiency point of view. Nice idea. Thanks.

 

[Taghkanic]

Oh ok got you. So if I understand right. Let s say we are in a hand and we are talking about the next hand. Then the dude on the right of the button shuffles (soon to be the HJ), the button cut (soon to be the cut off) and the SB deals (soon to be the button).

So once the button has finished dealing. He will start shuffling. Very efficient.
It makes more sense too I feel for a efficiency point of view. Nice idea. Thanks.

Glad you like my invention, for which I claim sole credit

 

[Lunettesman]

How is the transition at the moment the dealer finished dealing, give the cards to the futur button and start to shuffle himself?

 

[TheYeti]

How is the transition at the moment the dealer finished dealing, give the cards to the futur button and start to shuffle himself?

Correct.

At the end of a hand, the dealer gathers the cards and shuffles them. At (or near) the end of the next hand he hands the shuffled deck to the player to his left (the dealer), that player cuts the deck and hands it to the player to his left (the current dealer).

 

[Dugthefish]

I like the important rules clearly posted. However, I think you could drop several and get it down to a single sheet. Cleaner and less verbose.

 

[Rakrul]

They're great!

I do, however, oppose to some of the rules but that's just me. Your rules are too strict against the fish and it's the fish that keeps your game alive long term so I would advise against;
High max buy ins. Keep them low (i.e. 100-200bb). You might already do this but I suspect not.
Rabbit hunt rule (I can see that it's tedious but it usually doesn't happen that often and they don't slow the game down)
3 seat move rule
Don’t Hit and Run

It's a bit intimidating for new, non-regular poker players. If you don't care much for them, you're all good. If you do, I would shorten the rules by removing above rules and point to a RROP-pdf and give every new player at least one free pass per rule (more or less)

 

[Dbxela]

I like them, might borrow a few.

I don't think you should have a hit and run rule, that's a social thing. Can have a no ratholing rule.

You could reduce the semi legalese and some of the clarifying 2nd sentences to make it warmer.

But it's fine.

 

[Dbxela]

Since you're being very complete though, Id add the one handed cuts only rule, it's very good practice

 

[TheYeti]

They're great!

I do, however, oppose to some of the rules but that's just me. Your rules are too strict against the fish and it's the fish that keeps your game alive long term so I would advise against;
High max buy ins. Keep them low (i.e. 100-200bb). You might already do this but I suspect not.
Rabbit hunt rule (I can see that it's tedious but it usually doesn't happen that often and they don't slow the game down)
3 seat move rule
Don’t Hit and Run

It's a bit intimidating for new, non-regular poker players. If you don't care much for them, you're all good. If you do, I would shorten the rules by removing above rules and point to a RROP-pdf and give every new player at least one free pass per rule (more or less)

Our game is 200bb max.

Before the Rabbit Hunt "penalty" was put into place it used to happen much more often and it does indeed slow the game down. Plus, it helps juice the Bad Beat.

I took your advice and got rid of the 3 seat move rule, it does seem a bit "Rule Nazi"-ish.

I also removed the bit about Hit and Run because that really should be common knowledge. I know that all my current players are aware that it's bad form.

I like them, might borrow a few.

I don't think you should have a hit and run rule, that's a social thing. Can have a no ratholing rule.

You could reduce the semi legalese and some of the clarifying 2nd sentences to make it warmer.

But it's fine.

I took @ArielVer18 's advice earlier in the thread and took out most of the rules that are covered in Robert's Rules, including Rat Holing.

I took your advice and condensed it A LOT, got it down to a single page.

Since you're being very complete though, Id add the one handed cuts only rule, it's very good practice

Again, something that is common knowledge, at least at my table.

 

[TheOffalo]

Took me a second to figure out what a "bum card" was. Nice rules!

 

[TheYeti]

Took me a second to figure out what a "bum card" was. Nice rules!

Thanks! "Bum card"??

 

[TheOffalo]

Just my faltering eyesight:

I read "burn cards" as "bum cards" at first. And I linked to a Wikipedia entry to "keming" which is a joke misspelling of "kerning" which a term in typography for the spacing between characters.

 

[allforcharity]

Just my faltering eyesight:

View attachment 1330269

I read "burn cards" as "bum cards" at first. And I linked to a Wikipedia entry to "keming" which is a joke misspelling of "kerning" which a term in typography for the spacing between characters.

Well, don't pre-bum or pre-burn any cards. I don't even want to know what the former entails.