Rule 39 · TDA 2024
Irregular Flops and Premature-Dealt Cards
Dealing Rules
TDA text 2024
A: 4-Card Flops. If the flop has 4 rather than 3 cards, exposed or not, and regardless of whether the door card is presumed known, the floor will be called. The dealer then scrambles the 4 cards face down, the floor randomly selects 1 as the next burn card and the other 3 are the flop (See also RP-14 Randomness). B: If there was no burn on a 3-card flop, exposed or not and regardless of whether the door card is presumed known, if no action has occurred, the 3 cards are scrambled face down, one chosen as the burn. The flop will be the other 2 cards plus the next card off the stub. If any action (even one check) has occurred, play proceeds with the initial 3 cards. Only one card is burned for the turn. C: For prematurely dealt cards, see Recommended Procedure 5. D: Reshuffling During a Hand. To protect game integrity, anytime the stub must be re-shuffled during the play of a hand, the cards must be shuffled face-down and unexposed. Examples include premature cards (Rule 39 and RP-5), disordered stub (RP-4), extra draw or stud cards (RP-10-H), etc.
Recommended Procedures
RP-4
Disordered Stub
When cards remain to be dealt on a hand and the stub is accidentally dropped and appears to be disordered: 1) first try to reconstruct the stub in its original order if possible; 2) If not possible, create a new stub using only the stub cards (not the muck and prior burns). These should be scrambled, shuffled, cut, and play proceeds with the new stub; 3) If when dropped the stub is mixed in with the muck and/or burns, then scramble the mixed cards together, shuffle, and cut. Play proceeds with the new stub.
RP-5
Prematurely Dealt Cards
Board and burn cards are sometimes dealt prematurely, before action on the preceding round is finished. The general procedures for these situations are: A: Premature flop, leave the flop burn card as the burn. Return the premature board cards to the deck stub and reshuffle the entire stub. Re-deal the flop (without another burn) from the newly shuffled stub. B: A premature turn card: leave the turn burn card as the burn. Return the premature turn card to the deck stub and reshuffle the entire stub. Re-deal the turn (without another burn) from the newly shuffled stub C: A premature river card: leave the river burn card as the burn. Return the premature river card to the deck stub and reshuffle the entire stub. Re-deal the river (without another burn) from the newly shuffled stub D: Premature card in stud: the premature card is returned to the stub, the stub is re-shuffled (See RP-17, reshuffling), and a new street is dealt from the newly shuffled stub without another burn.
RP-10
Tournament Stud Dealing Procedures
A: A downcard exposed on the initial deal will be the player’s upcard and 3rd street will be dealt down to that player. The player can be the bring-in. B: A card exposed by the dealer on 7th street will be replaced if betting action remains on the hand. 7th street should be dealt down even if no betting action remains on the hand and in all-in situations the player(s) not at risk expose first. C: Cards of a player not at his or her seat (See Rule 30) for the deal will be killed. No cards will be dealt to a hand on 4th street that is not live. D: If there are two or more matching high hands showing in Stud (or Stud-8) or low hands in Razz, betting starts on the hand with the high card by suit in both games. E: If the player dealt the low card by suit is all-in for the ante, betting starts to his or her left. Players with chips must bet at least the bring-in or fold. F: Bets will not be doubled on 4th street for a pair showing. G: For premature cards dealt in stud see RP-5-D. H: 7th street short stub procedure. If before dealing 7th street the number of cards in the current stub is less than the “required number” (# remaining players + burn card + undealt last card) proceed as follows: A) if the required number can be reached by adding the 3 prior burn cards (for 4th, 5th, and 6th street) the current stub will be scrambled with the prior burns to create a new stub. The new stub will be cut, a card burned, and one card dealt to each player. B) if there are at least 3 cards in the current stub but adding the prior burns would not reach the required number, the dealer will burn the top card of the current stub and deal the next card as a community card in the center of the table. C) if the current stub has less than 3 cards, it will be scrambled with the 3 prior burns for a new stub which will then be cut, a card burned, and the next card dealt as a community card. D) If a community card is in play, the first player who would act on 6th street will be first to act on 7th street.
RP-14
Randomness May be Applied to Special Situations
For error remedies not otherwise covered in the TDA Rules and Procedures, TDs may use the concept of randomness to design a solution.
Original English text: Poker Tournament Directors Association
Source: PokerTDA.com ↗ · The original source prevails if this guide differs