Common house rules checklist
The questions standard rules leave open. Agree on these before the first hand and most disputes never happen.
On this page
Every group plays slightly differently, and that’s fine. Problems only start when people assume different rules. Go through this list once, write down your answers and share them with the invitation. The suggested default is what most home games do.
The game
| Question | Suggested default |
|---|---|
| Which game? | No-limit Hold'em; dealer’s choice later in the night if everyone agrees |
| Buy-in size and blinds? | 100 big blinds per buy-in, e.g. 200 chips at 1/2 |
| Rebuys? | Allowed any time you’re at or below one buy-in |
| Maximum rebuys? | No cap, but agree one if the group prefers |
| Latest time to join? | Up to one hour after the start |
| End time? | Fixed time, then one last orbit |
At the table
| Question | Suggested default |
|---|---|
| Straddles? | Under the gun only, 2× the big blind, no re-straddle |
| Bomb pots? | Once per orbit, when the button reaches the host |
| Run it twice? | Allowed if all players involved agree |
| Show one, show all? | Yes — if you show a card to one player, everyone may see it |
| Rabbit hunting (dealing out the cards after a hand ends)? | No — it slows the game |
| Can you add chips mid-hand? | Never. Rebuys happen between hands |
| Time to act? | Anyone may ask for a 1-minute clock after a long pause |
| Phones at the table? | Fine between hands; not while you’re in a hand |
Mistakes and disputes
| Situation | Suggested ruling |
|---|---|
| A card is exposed while dealing the hole cards | First or second card exposed: misdeal, deal again. Later: continue; the exposed card is replaced after the deal |
| Someone acts out of turn | Their action stands only if nothing changes before it’s their turn |
| String bet | Counts as a call |
| Chips don’t balance at the end | Recount every stack before anyone leaves |
| Nobody agrees | The host decides, and the rule is added to this list for next time |
Leaving and settling
Leaving early is fine — count your chips with another player and record them as left table in Poker Night.
Decide who settles: everyone pays each other directly (few transfers), or one person collects and pays out (Banker mode).
Shared costs — food, a tip, chip rental — are recorded as charges and split only among the people involved.
Agree when people square up: before they go home is best.
Read next
How Poker Night settles up
From buy-ins to “who pays whom”: chip value, how the net is calculated, what the balance check means, Direct vs Banker mode, charges, paying each other, and how to read the summary you share.
Home game settlementBlind structures for 2, 3 and 4-hour tournaments
Three worked-out templates with starting stacks, level times, breaks and colour-ups, plus how to adjust them on the night.
Blind structure & tournament clockCash game night or tournament night?
The two ways to run a poker night, side by side — and how to pick the right one for your group.
Chip denominations and starting stacks
How many chips you need, what each colour could be worth, and ready-made stacks for cash games and tournaments.
Chip distribution