PERMANENT RULES
Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.
Purpose: This change removes wording that allows higher wagering limits for "all-in" wagers in Texas Hold'em poker games. This puts the limit for all poker wagers back to $40. Effective July 1, 2009, WAC 230-15-135 authorized house-banked licensees the ability to offer up to a $500 "all-in" wager on the game of Texas Hold'em. Unfortunately, after the rule passed staff identified a problem that would be created in the wagering structure for Texas Hold'em games. The change allows "all-in" wagers, only, to exceed the $40 poker wagering limit. The rule does not allow players to make call or matching wagers exceeding the $40 limit. Additionally, the rule is ambiguous as to who is eligible to make an "all-in" wager. Prior to the "all-in" wager change, all nonhouse-banked wagers were limited to $40. By removing the "all-in" reference, the rule would revert back to the $40 limit on all nonhouse-banked wagers.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 230-15-135.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 9.46.070, 9.46.0282.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 09-16-116 on August 4, 2009.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: October 9, 2009.
Michelle M. Pardee
Acting Rules Coordinator
OTS-2527.1
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending Order 642, filed 4/10/09,
effective 7/1/09)
WAC 230-15-135
Wagering limits for nonhouse-banked card
games.
Card room licensees must not exceed these wagering
limits:
(1) Poker -
(a) There must be no more than five betting rounds in any one game; and
(b) There must be no more than four wagers in any betting round, for example, the initial wager plus three raises; and
(c) The maximum amount of a single wager must not exceed
forty dollars((, except that an all-in wager in the game of
Texas Hold'em may not exceed five hundred dollars for
house-banked card game licensees meeting the surveillance
requirements specified in WAC 230-15-280; and
(d) An all-in wager is when a player wagers with all of their remaining chips on the current hand));
(2) Games based on achieving a specific number of points - Each point must not exceed five cents in value;
(3) Ante - No more than the maximum wager allowed for the first betting round for any game, except for Panguingue (Pan). The ante may, by house rule:
(a) Be made by one or more players, but the total ante may not exceed the maximum wager allowed for the first betting round; and
(b) Be used as part of a player's wager;
(4) Panguingue (Pan) - The maximum value of a chip must not exceed ten dollars. An ante must not exceed one chip. We prohibit doubling of conditions. Players going out may collect no more than two additional chips for going out from each participating player.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 9.46.070. 09-09-056 (Order 642), § 230-15-135, filed 4/10/09, effective 7/1/09; 07-21-116 (Order 617), § 230-15-135, filed 10/22/07, effective 1/1/08; 07-09-033 (Order 608), § 230-15-135, filed 4/10/07, effective 1/1/08.]