House rule

A house rule is a rule regarding poker which has been specified by the house, or casino, in which the game is being played.

In absolute terms, all rules of poker are house rules, since there is not yet an official licensing board which specifies universal rules for playing the game. However, a few standard sources of rules have been developed which nearly all casinos use as the basis for their rules. These include two major sources:


 * For cash games, Bob Ciaffone's Robert's Rules Of Poker are generally considered the gold standard of general poker rules.
 * Four tournaments, the Tournament Directors Association's standardized list of tournament rules are usually applied.

In addition, most casinos have additional rules unique to that casino. These rules can range from rules of conduct (e.g. "No cell phones, but texting is OK" or "No sitting in the chairs backwards") to rules which affect the play of the game (e.g. "There is no big blind, but the button must post a full bet").

It is usually wise to discover the rules of the casino in which you wish to play prior to playing in it. However, nearly all poker is played nearly identically, with only the small details occasionally changing from casino to casino.