Standardized Cardroom Rules
part 1
By RazzO

Very soon the poker world will have an almost perfect uniformed rule system. For many years I have seen so many variations of different rules. It leaves a fouled taste in your mouth when you commit to an action thinking you know the rule, because of pryor experience in another cardroom, and then be compromised in some degree when you play in another. I have had the Las Vegas Hilton Poker Rule Book(common games, hold'em & stud)) on POKERwwwORLD® for a long time. That rule book, and the Golden Nugget/Mirage/Bellagio poker rule books are the most percise in floor rulings on poker.
Mike Caro and Roy Cooke are formulating a new book titled, "Caro & Cooke's Official Rules of Poker." I will brief the ones who don't know these gentleman.

Mike "The Mad Genius of Poker" Caro is probably the most "overall" respected and reknown theorist, author, player, and many other catergories then anyone in poker. Just to name a few books he was authored, among his vast contributes to poker. He co-authored The Bible of poker playing strategies and and concepts with Doyle Texas Dolly Brunson when they combined with Bobby Baldwin(Bellagio president & 1978 WSOP World Champion), genius mathemetician, David Sklanksy(in a class by himself) who also wrote The Theory of Poker, rival to Super/System as best book ever written on poker theories. Joey Hawthorne, and the youngest inductee to the Poker Hall of Fame, "Chip" Reese. Caro wrote a book with these guys! It was called...Super/System. He is the author of the famous, Caro's Book of Tells. He is an original columnist in the world's largest circulated and informed poker magazine, Card Player.
I might add it will be interesting to see the degree of support from Card Player on this idea. I can certainly tell you they would be backing this endeavor.
Caro wanted to do that along time ago with modern day poker pioneers like Baldwin(early Mirage era) and his staff, Benny and Jack Binion's World Series of Poker staff, and others(ie; bob ciafonne, co-author Las Vegas Hilton Rule Book) around the country, who had insight to poker and the insight to promote poker by vast volume in mid/high games and the professionalized competitive enviornment, wanted to satisfy players and staff by trying to have a uniform system. So you wouldn't go in one store and get a ruling, then go next door and see it(rule) governed differently. This told to me by a source many years ago that I never would have doubted.
I wish that Mike and Roy dedicate the book to The Late Mr. Bill Boyd, the pioneer, grandfather, and Poker Hall of Famer who was the legendary cardroom manager of the Golden Nugget, Las Vegas . Bill Boyd was a true R00LeR! Pat Callihan introduced me to him a few months before the poker world lost him.

Roy Cooke is one of the most respected hold'em players in the world. In Las Vegas, Roy would be on the Board of Directors of the $20-$40 thru $50-$100 hold'em. He has played for many years, playing professionally in his hometown as a rounder, although at the time Roy said this, we did not know what a rounder was, maybe Roy did, and he did not know I overheard him say it. I think he said he was 16 when he started playing professionally, but not sure.
A columnist with straight and inside opinions and views about poker, Roy has had a long running column in Card Player.
He has, like I said, understood poker from the Las Vegas tables, and I would actually consider making him my choice to represent all of Vegas in interpreting and explaining Las Vegas cardrooms rules. I believe, along with many, that Las Vegas, and the Golden Nugget poker management which today is Bellagio/Mirage poker management are the "framers" of written and instituted poker rules worldwide. Lot's of people will learn in poker historical doc's that when Mirage opened in 1989 it was staffed by the former Golden Nugget poker room staff. Well, these are the condition of play that Roy plays under. As the Nugget was, Mirage went on to be the best poker room in Las Vegas, and some believe, like myself, the best in the world. Bellagio looks like it will surpass that, too.

My #1 rule I'd like to see made is that you must not have the amount more than a raise when you come out on the table to call a bet. If you do, it should be a raise. EXAMPLE: Bet is $10 to you. You grab a big chunk off your stack(25-30 dollars) and just call. Why do this? It is okay, if you simply say, "Call!" It should be a raise any other time. I've seen many of free shots taken this way. You can gauge players re-actions. You can confuse the dealer.
The bottomline would be that you must simply announce your intention. Its a easy way to take a shot, I'm telling you.
Perhaps I'm being frivolous.

See ya'Z!

RazzO
(Darryl Phillips)

If you want to EMAIL Mike and Roy with your inputs on standardizing poker rules for ALL cardrooms to adhere to, here are there addy's:

Mike Caro - caro@caro.com
Roy Cooke - realtyace@aol.com

RazzO - razzo@pokerworld.com POKERwwwORLD - http://pokerworld.com Since 1995 Home of the Poker Dealer Hall of Fame
RazzO is Darryl Phillips razzo@pokerworld.com