SECTION I – TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION AND ENTRY
1. As used herein, “Harrah’s” means Harrah’s Operating Company, Inc. and its parent, affiliates and subsidiaries including, but not limited to, Rio Properties, Inc, dba Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Harrah’s reserves the right to refuse anyone entry into the tournament, in its sole and absolute discretion.
2. Entry into the World Series of Poker (herein “WSOP” refers to all events from June 1, 2007 through July 17, 2007) is limited to persons 21 years of age and older, with proof of age, that Harrah’s, acting in its sole and absolute discretion, deems appropriate. Only one entry is allowed per person, per event as set forth in event descriptions.
3. Participants may register for any 2007 WSOP tournament event in person at the WSOP
Registration Area in the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, 3700 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89103, beginning June 1, 2007, for scheduled events in the 2007 WSOP. Cash, cashier’s checks drawn from accredited banks and made out to registrants or the Rio, and Rio gaming chips may be used to pay for entry into a WSOP event.
4. Subject to the restrictions described in these rules, pre-registrations can be made online at www.worldseriesofpoker.com beginning February 26, 2007, by completing the on-line pre- registration process. Pre-registration deposits must be in the form of a cashier’s check, wire transfers or credit-card cash advances. Deposits can be mailed or bank transferred to the Rio. The deposit required is for the full amount of the events one pre-registers for and may be applied to the event registration at the Rio or used for whatever other purpose participants may elect. Deposits must arrive at the Rio no later than two weeks prior to the start of the selected event(s). Pre-registration will remain open until two weeks prior to the start of a particular event. Thereafter, participants may register in person at the Rio. Complete instructions can be found at www.worldseriesofpoker.com. Pre-registered participants will need to present proof of identity (passport, driver’s license, state identification card or military identification card) in person at the Rio to complete the registration process and obtain his or her table and seat assignment.
5. Third-party registrations for players are not permitted unless submitted by Official WSOP sponsors; Official WSOP promotions or product licensees, or civic, charitable, business, casino and other land-based entities officially licensed to conduct satellite tournaments for the 2007 WSOP. No third-party registrations will be accepted from online gaming sites conducting business with U.S. residents.
6. Harrah’s may limit the number of entries into any WSOP event and may award entries into any event through any means it deems appropriate. Harrah’s intends to award a limited number of entries through satellite tournaments, third-party marketing arrangements and or other promotional activities in its sole and absolute discretion.
7. Winners are responsible for payment of any and all taxes, licenses, registrations and other fees associated with tournament registration and winnings.
8. Winners must show their valid picture identification (driver’s license, state identification card, or military identification card) acceptable to Harrah’s at registration and in order to collect prizes. If a participant is not a U.S. citizen, a current passport, consular identification or alien registration card is required.
9. Employees of Harrah’s and its parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, owned, operated or managed properties, contractors hired for the operation of the WSOP or parent companies and immediate family members of such employees are not eligible to play in any WSOP events, unless approved in advance by Harrah’s. Immediate Family is defined as: spouse, children and any relative or other person residing in the employee’s place of residence.
10. Individuals who are excluded from casino facilities, either through a government program or by their own request, are not eligible.
11. Each participant must certify their own eligibility.
12. No teams, substitutes, transfers or assisted play will be permitted.
13. Cancellations or voids must be completed prior to the start of a particular event. Please contact the WSOP Office for a Cancellation Form by calling 702-777-7617 or by faxing 702-777-6778. The Cancellation Form must be signed, faxed and received prior to the start of a particular event.
14. By submitting a Pre-Registration Form to Harrah’s for registration in and/or participation in the WSOP, such persons and/or entities agree to these rules.
15. The ability to pre-register as described in these rules is void where prohibited or in any way restricted by law.
16. Entries will be retained for record-keeping purposes in accordance with local legal requirements.
SECTION II – TOURNAMENT SCHEDULING
17. WSOP tournament times are approximate. Harrah’s reserves the right to change WSOP tournament times in its sole and absolute discretion.
18. Harrah’s may cancel, modify, relocate or reschedule the WSOP for any reason with prior notification to the appropriate gaming regulators, to the extent such is required.
19. Harrah’s is not responsible for electronic transmission errors or delays resulting in omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operations or transmission, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to or alterations of entry materials, or for technical, hardware, software, or telephone failures of any kind, lost or unavailable connections, fraud, incomplete, garbled, or delayed computer transmissions, whether caused by Harrah’s, users, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the promotion or by any technical or human error that may occur in the processing of submissions, any of which may limit, restrict, or prevent a participant’s ability to participate in the tournament.
20. Harrah’s is not responsible for injuries or losses arising or resulting from participation in the WSOP and is not liable for any acts or omissions by employees, whether negligent or willful, in the conduct of the WSOP, and is not liable in the event of any equipment or software malfunction. This includes, but is not limited to, any loss of any tournament chips players leave at playing tables during tournament play, except during authorized breaks.
21. If for any reason the Tournament is not capable of running as planned, including
infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes within or beyond the control of Harrah’s that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this tournament, Harrah’s reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Tournament.
SECTION III – PLAYER CONDUCT AND TOURNAMENT INTEGRITY
22. Harrah’s may impose penalties of any kind or nature upon any person who gives, makes, issues, authorizes or endorses any statement or action having, or designed to have, an effect prejudicial or detrimental to the best interest of the Tournament as determined by Harrah’s, acting in its sole and absolute discretion. This may include, but shall not be limited to, expulsion from the event and property, forfeiture of a player’s entry fee(s) and/or loss of the right to participate in this and/or any other tournament conducted by Harrah’s. Additionally, Harrah’s may in its sole and absolute discretion impose penalties of any kind or nature upon any person who, in Harrah’s view engages in inappropriate conduct during tournament play.
23. Harrah’s may disqualify any person for any prize based upon fraud, dishonesty, violation of promotional rules or other misconduct while on the property or otherwise occurring in relation to the World Series of Poker or as otherwise reasonable or necessary for Harrah’s to comply with applicable statutes and regulations, in its sole and absolute discretion. Harrah’s also reserves the right to exclude any individual(s) acting in a disruptive or inappropriate manner.
24. Any attempt by any person to deliberately damage, corrupt or undermine the operation of the WSOP tournament may be a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, Harrah’s reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent of the law.
25. All decisions regarding the interpretation of World Series of Poker Rules, player
eligibility, scheduling and staging of the Tournament, and penalties for misconduct lie solely with Harrah’s, whose decisions are final.
26. Harrah’s employees will use reasonable commercial efforts to consider the best interests of the game and fairness as the top priority in the decision-making process, with the understanding that “best interests of the game and fairness” shall be determined by Harrah’s, acting in its sole and absolute discretion. Unusual circumstances can, on occasion, dictate that the technical interpretation of the rules be balanced against the interest of fairness. Harrah’s decisions are final and can not be appealed and shall not give rise to any claim for monetary damages, as each participant understands that, while poker is primarily and largely a game of skill, the outcome of any particular hand or event is dependent on many factors, including but not limited to the cards dealt, the cards retained and the actions of other participants.
27. Any player who directs any profane and/or abusive language at another player, dealer or tournament staff member or who makes any profane and/or abusive comments about another player, dealer or tournament staff member will be penalized in accordance with Rules No. 22 and/or 46. In particular, the use of the so-called "f-bomb" and "c-bomb" as well as derivatives of those and similarly offensive terms, will subject the offending player to penalties if they are directed at or refer to another player, dealer, staff member, patron or official of Harrah'sor the WSOP. In Harrah’s sole and absolute discretion, it may impose at any time a zero-tolerance policy for profane language whether directed at another person or not.
28. Any player(s) adjudged or determined by Harrah’s to be colluding with other players will immediately be disqualified from the event, and will not be allowed to play in future WSOP events at any Harrah's Entertainment property.
29. Player or staff abuse will not be tolerated. A player may incur a penalty up to and including disqualification for any abuse towards another player or staff member, and player could be asked to leave the property. Repeated etiquette violations such as touching another player’s cards or chips, delay of game and excessive chatter will result in penalties.
30. The WSOP is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including gaming, and all aspects of the WSOP are subject to the approval of appropriate regulatory authorities.
31. Tournament Rules and any and all changes in the rules and event descriptions for the WSOP June 1, 2007, through July 17, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada, will be available at the tournament facilities in the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino.
32. Where a situation arises that is not covered by these rules, Harrah’s shall have the sole authority to render a judgment, including the imposition of a penalty, in accordance with the best interests of the Tournament and the maintenance of its integrity and public confidence.
SECTION IV – PLAYER LIKENESS AND IMAGE
33. Prior to entering and playing in the Tournament, each participant must execute a Player Release Form. Failure to do so may, at the option of Harrah’s acting in its sole and absolute discretion, subject the player to immediate disqualification at any point in the Tournament. If the player is disqualified he or she shall forfeit all entry fees and not be entitled to any Tournament prize monies or any other prize consideration that he or she may have qualified for at the point of disqualification.
34. Tournament participants may wear apparel with multiple logos, patches or promotional language. However, no individual logo, patch or block of promotional language is to be larger than 12 square inches. In addition, all logos, patches and promotional language are strictly prohibited if they:
(a) Contain any false, unsubstantiated, or unwarranted claims for any product or
service, or make any testimonials that Harrah’s, in its sole and absolute discretion,
considers unethical;
(b) Advertise any habit-forming drug, tobacco product, handgun or handgun ammunition;
(c) Advertise any malt beverage or any distilled liquor or any non-alcoholic product
containing the name of a liquor product other than Milwaukee’s Best Light or another product of the Miller Brewing Company.
(d) Contain any material constituting or relating to a lottery, a contest of any kind in which the public is unfairly treated or any enterprise, service or product that abets, assists or promotes illegal gambling
(e) Contain any material that is defamatory, obscene, profane, vulgar, repulsive or
offensive, either in theme or in treatment or that describes or depicts repellently any internal bodily functions or symptomatic results of internal conditions, or refers to matters that are not considered socially acceptable topics;
(f) Advertise pornographic products of any kind;
(g) Include any element of intellectual property without the owner'sconsent to such
use or gives rise to any claim of infringement, misappropriation or other form of unfair competition;
(h) Disparage or libel any person or product.
(i) Advertise a dot.com gaming site that conducts business with U.S. residents.
(j) Are or might be injurious or prejudicial to the interests of the World Series of Poker, the Rio, Harrah's or its affiliated companies or are otherwise contrary to honest advertising and reputable business in general. This includes but is not limited to the name or logo of any person or entity that uses or has used the trademarks, trade names or logos of Harrah'sor its affiliated companies without written authorization from an authorized officer of Harrah's.
(k) In addition, all logos, patches, and promotional language for any dot.net website
must contain a clear and visible "dot.net" suffix at least the same size as the site name.
(l) Harrah’s reserves the right at all times to impose a ban on any apparel deemed
objectionable by Harrah’s, in its sole and absolute discretion.
SECTION V – PRIZING AND SEATING
35. Prizes and entries are non-transferable. Prize structures depend on the number of entrants and type of event.
36. Entrants will be assigned to a table and seat through a random computer selection. Alternates will be seated on a first-available basis.
37. If the participant is not present at the start of the tournament, all forced antes and blinds bets will be removed from an absent player’s stack accordingly. If player shows up and still has chips remaining, [s]he may play his or her chips.
38. Non-value chips are used for tournament play.
39. Harrah’s reserves the right to cancel, change or modify the WSOP at any time, for any reason, subject to all applicable regulatory approval, provided that such modification shall not, as of the date of such modification, materially alter or change any participant’s prize already awarded.
40. No-value tournament chips used for the tournament are the exclusive property of
Harrah’s and may not be removed from the tournament area.
SECTION VI – POKER RULES
41. Chip race rule: Race-off is defined as removal of a denomination chip no longer in use. When it is time to color-up chips, they will be raced off with a maximum of one chip going to any player. The chip race will always start at the first player left of the dealer. A player cannot be raced out of a tournament. In the event that a player has only one chip remaining, the regular race procedure will take place. If that player loses the race, [s]he will be given one chip of the smallest denomination still in play.
42. Side pots: Each side pot will be split as a separate pot. Pots will not be mixed together before they are split. The odd chip(s) will go to the high hand. In flop games, when there are two (2) or more high hands or two (2) or more low hands, the odd chip(s) will go to the left of the button. In stud-type games, the odd chip will go to the high card by suit. However, when hands have identical value, e.g., a wheel in Omaha 8 or Better, the pot will be split as evenly as possible.
43. Calling-for-clock procedures: Once a reasonable amount of time has passed and a clock is called, a player will be given one (1) minute to act. If action has not been taken by the time the minute has expired, there will be a ten (10) second countdown. If a player has not acted on his hand by the time the countdown is over, the hand will be dead.
44. Dead Button: Tournament play will use the dead button rule. Dead Button is defined as a button that can not be advanced due to elimination of a player or the seating of a new player into a position between the small blind and the button.
45. A player exposing his or her cards with action pending may incur a penalty, but will not have a dead hand. The penalty will begin at the end of the hand. A penalty may also be imposed if a player throws a card off the table, violates the one-player-to-a-hand rule or engages in similar behavior. Penalties will be invoked in cases of soft-play, abuse or disruptive behavior. All penalties will be imposed at Harrah’s sole and absolute discretion, in accordance with Rule No. 46.
46. In its sole and absolute discretion, Harrah’s may impose penalties that include verbal warnings and missed-hand penalties. A missed-hand penalty will be assessed as follows: The offender will miss one hand for each player at the table, including the offender, when the penalty is given, multiplied by the number of rounds specified in the penalty. Tournament staff can assess one-, two-, three- or four-round penalties or disqualification. Repeat infractions are subject to escalating penalties. A player who is disqualified shall have his or her chips removed from play and no refund will be provided to that disqualified player.
47. A player must be at his or her seat by the time all players have been dealt complete initial hands to have a live hand. Players must be at their seats to call time.
48. All cards will be turned face up once a player is all in and all action is complete.
49. If a player puts in a raise of 50 percent or more of the previous bet but less than the minimum raise, he or she will be required to make a full raise. The raise will be exactly the minimum raise allowed. In no-limit and pot-limit, an all-in bet of less than a full raise does not reopen the betting to a player who has already acted. Putting a single oversized chip into the pot will be considered a call if the player doesn’t announce a raise. If a player puts an oversized chip into the pot and says, “Raise,” but doesn’t state the amount, the raise will be the maximum allowable up to the denomination of that chip. To make a raise with a single oversized chip, a verbal declaration must be made before the chip hits the table surface. After the flop, an initial bet of a single oversized chip without comment will constitute the size of the bet.
50. In no-limit or pot-limit, a raise must be made by a.) placing the full amount in the pot in one motion or b.) verbally declaring the full amount prior to the initial placement of chips into the pot or c.) verbally declaring “raise” prior to the placement of the amount to call into the pot and then completing the action with one additional motion. Less than a full raise in an all-in situation does not reopen the betting to a player who has already acted.
51. All cards will be turned face up once a player is all in and all betting action is complete.
52. Players are obligated to protect the other players in the tournament at all times. Therefore, whether in a hand or not, players may not
a.) disclose contents of live or folded hands,
b.) advise or criticize play before the action is completed or
c.) read a hand that hasn’t been tabled.
The one-player-to-a-hand rule will be enforced. Players who violate this rule are subject to penalty in accordance with Rule 46.
53. Tournament and satellite seats will be randomly assigned.
54. The English-only rule will be enforced at the WSOP during the play of hands.
55. There will be no foreign objects on the table except for a maximum of one card cap. Card caps can be no larger than two (2) inches in diameter and no more than one-half (1/2)inch in depth.
56. Deck changes will be on the dealer push or limit changes or as prescribed by Harrah’s. Players may not ask for deck changes unless a card is damaged.
57. When time has elapsed in a round and a new round is announced, the new limits apply to the next hand. A hand begins with the first riffle.
58. If a player announces the intent to re-buy before the first card is dealt, that player is playing behind and is obligated to make the re-buy. If a player runs out of chips during the re-buy portion of a re-buy event, he must be-buy or declare to re-buy before the start of the next deal.
59. Players must keep their highest denomination chips visible at all times.
60. Verbal declarations as to the content of a player's hand are not binding; however at Harrah’s discretion, any player deliberately miscalling his hand may be penalized.
61. In cases where hands are concluded prior to the last card being dealt, the next card to be dealt will not be exposed under any circumstances. This prohibited practice is commonly referred to as “rabbit hunting.”
62. A player who intentionally dodges his or her blind(s) when moving from a broken table will incur a penalty, in accordance with Rule No. 46.
63. All chips must be visible at all times. Players may not hold or transport tournament chips in any manner that takes them out of view. A player who does so will forfeit the chips and face disqualification. The forfeited chips will be taken out of play.
64. The breaking order for an event will be posted at the beginning of that event. The table to which a player is moved will be specified by a predetermined procedure. Play will halt at any table that is at least three players short. Players going from a broken table to fill in seats assume the rights and responsibilities of the position. They can get the big blind, the small blind or the button. The only place they cannot get a hand is between the small blind and the button. In flop games, players will be moved from the big blind to the worst position (which is never the small blind) at the new table. In stud games, players will be moved by position (the last seat to open up at the short table is the seat to be filled). Harrah’s reserves the right to alter the breaking order due to unusual circumstances.
65. There is no cap on the number of raises in no-limit games. A raise must be at least the size of the previous raise. In limit events, there will be a limit of one bet and four raises even when heads up until the tournament is down to two players. Once the tournament becomes heads-up, the rule does not apply. There may be unlimited raises at the heads-up level.
66. In stud-type games, if any of the players'two down cards are exposed due to a dealer error, it is a misdeal. In flop games, exposure of one of the first two cards dealt is a misdeal. Players may be dealt two consecutive cards on the button.
67. If a dealer kills an unprotected hand, the player will have no redress and will not be entitled to his or her money back. An exception would be if a player raised and his or her raise had not been called yet, he or she would be entitled to receive his or her raise back.
68. A dealer cannot kill a winning hand that was turned face up and was obviously the
winning hand. Players are encouraged to assist in reading tabled hands if it appears that an error is about to be made.
69. Harrah’s reserves the right to cancel or alter any event at its sole discretion in the best interest of the casino or its players.
70. Poker is an individual game. Soft play will result in penalties that may include forfeiture of chips and/or disqualification. Chip dumping will result in disqualification.
71. Players are entitled to be informed of the pot size in pot-limit games only. Dealers will not count the pot in limit and no-limit games.
72. When heads up in blind games, the small blind is on the button and acts first. When beginning heads-up play, the button may need to be adjusted to ensure no player takes the big blind twice.
73. At the end of the last round of betting, the player who made the last aggressive betting action in that betting round must show first. If there was not bet, the player to the left of the button shows first, and so on in a clockwise direction. In stud games, the player with the high board must show first. In razz, the lowest board shows first.
74. Players must remain at the table if they still have action pending on a hand.
75. Dealers will be responsible for calling string raises.
76. A player must show cards when playing the board to get part of the pot.
77. Any player registering for multiple events and who makes Day Two or the final table of a particular event, may transfer his or her buy-in for the subsequent event to another event, or may also receive a refund, upon request, provided that the transfer or refund is approved and initiated prior to the beginning of the event from which a transfer or refund is being requested.
78. Players are responsible for checking their tournament entry receipts before they leave the registration window. All changes must be made before the start of any event.
79. If an event is sold to capacity when that event begins, all alternates will receive a full chip stack when their seat becomes available.
80. Registration is open until the end of the first level of any event.
81. Late registrants for any event may incur a chip penalty. Players will lose one round of blinds/antes dead money into the pot for every 15 minutes late after a tournament has begun up to a maximum of three (3) rounds of blinds/antes.
82. Cell Phone Rule: A player who wants to use a cellular phone must step away from the table. Any player on the cell phone or texting a messaging when the dealer delivers the first card from the deck will have a dead hand. No cell phones can be placed on a poker table.
83. Approved Electronic Device Rule: Players are allowed to use as approved electronic devices iPods, MP3 and other music players or noise-reduction headsets during tournament play until they have reached the money, so long as the approved electronic devices are not equipped with any type of communication device. Once players are in the money for any tournament, all approved electronic devices must be removed. An announcement will be made to players once they have reached the money to remove all such electronic devices. Failure to do so will results in a penalty up to and including disqualification.
84. At the end of a hand, if a player exposes one hole card, he or she must also show the other hole card if asked to do so by any player.
85. All chips put into the pot in turn stay in the pot. If a player has raised and his or her hand is killed before the raise is called, the player may be entitled to the raise back, but will forfeit the amount of the call. Any chips put into the pot out of turn fall under action "may or may not be binding".
86. Players must act in turn at all times. Action out of turn may or may not be binding. If a player acts out of turn and the action does not change by the time it is that player'sturn to act, that player's action is binding. Action only changes by a player raising before the action gets back to the person that acted out of turn. Action does not change when the player in front of a player acting out of turn calls or folds. If a player acts out of turn and the action changes, the person who acted out of turn may change their action by calling, raising or folding and may have their chips returned. Players will receive a warning for the first occurrence of acting out of turn, and will receive a penalty, in accordance with Rule No. 46, every time after.
87. Rules governing Live Action Play are detailed in the Live Action Poker Manual that will be located at the Poker Podium within the Live Action side of the tournament area.
SECTION VII - TOURNAMENT OPERATIONS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
88. Dinner Breaks for all events that begin at 12 noon will be at approximately 8 p.m. Play will resume at approximately 9:30 p.m. There will be no staggered Dinner breaks.
89. Dinner Breaks for all events that begin at 5 p.m. will be at approximately 10 p.m. Play will resume at approximately 11 p.m. There will be no staggered Dinner breaks.
90. Play will end at 2 a.m. each night for all events that begin at 12 noon. Play will resume the following day at 2 p.m. The Tournament Direct may modify this schedule for any reason.
91. Play will end at 3 a.m. each night for all events that begin at 5 p.m. Play will resume the following day at 3 p.m. The Tournament Direct may modify this schedule for any reason.
92. Tournament Supervisors are to consider the best interest of the game and fairness as the priority in the decision making process. Unusual circumstances may, on occasion, dictate that the technical interpretation of the rules be ignored in the interest of fairness. The Tournament Supervisor's decision is final.
93. Upon nearing the “Money” (the first level of the prize pool payout), a “Hand-for-Hand” method of determining player placement within the prize pool and the actual amount of prize pool disbursement within that event will be utilized. This will begin by completing the current hand in progress at all tables. Once all hands are complete, the dealer at each table will deal one hand only, then – once the hand is complete – suspend play. This process will continue until enough players have been eliminated to reach the money. During the Hand-for-Hand process, more than one player may be eliminated during the same hand. If two players are eliminated during the same hand at different tables, both players will “tie” for that place finish. If two players are eliminated during the same hand at the same table, the player who began that hand with the highest chip count will receive the higher place finish.
Source: www.worldseriesofpoker.com
