Poker Rules

Poker Rules at Absolute Poker

Before hitting the tables, we recommend that all players take the time to familiarize themselves with the rules of poker. Learning poker rules is just the beginning of what you can do at Absolute Poker to learn to become a better poker. Immerse yourself in the language of poker with our handy online poker glossary and you'll not only get up to speed quickly, but you'll be speaking like a poker pro in no time. Along with the standard online poker "ring" games offered below, Absolute Poker offers multi table, single table and private tournaments as well as several FreeRolls daily. Many ring games are offered in Limit, No Limit and Pot Limit variations, giving you the chance to find a game that's perfect for your skill set and bank roll.

Pick the poker rules you are interested in learning from below!

Frequently Asked Questions About Basic Poker Rules At Absolute Poker.

What are the poker game limits at Absolute Poker?

Absolute Poker hosts a variety of real-money online poker games with limits ranging from $0.02/$0.04 to $200/$400. We also offer ring games for play-money that not only serve as a great learning tool for beginners, but are also totally free.

What is the minimum buy-in I can bring to a poker table?

According to our poker rules, the minimum amount required to sit down at a table is equal to ten times the small bet at the table. For example, in a $2/$4 minimum bet game the minimum buy-in is $20. There is no maximum amount that you can bring to a table that has betting limits.

At our Pot Limit and No Limit Tables, the minimum buy-in is 40 times the amount of the big blind. The maximum amount that you may sit down with at our NL & PL tables is 200 times the big blind. For example, at a NL $1 game, the minimum that you may sit down with is $40 and the maximum is $200.

What happens when a player is all-in?

When a player puts the last of their chips into a pot, that player is said to be all-in according to Absolute Poker rules. An all-in player is not eligible to win any money wagered above their final bet. If a player makes a wager and another player calls him using the last of his chips, any excess part of the bet is returned to the bettor, or it is used to form a side pot with another player or players who matched the amount bet. There is no limitation on the number of side pots. The all-in player is eligible to share in any of the pots that he contributed to, and therefore cannot be forced from the hand.

How do the Absolute Poker Rules prevent "rat holing," where a player re-enters a table with fewer chips than they left with?

If a player leaves a table, that player cannot re-enter the same table without first meeting one of the conditions listed below.

1. The buy-in amount should be greater or equal to the amount the player left with.
2. The player must bring all his real money in.
3. The maximum amount required is not necessary for this case.
4. If the player has less real money than he left with, the player must bring all his real money in.
5. If the player left the table with less than the "minimum amount required", the player should bring the "minimum amount required."
6. If not, the player must wait 15 minutes to re-enter.

Is there a time limit enforced when playing at Absolute Poker?

For fixed-limit games, the poker rule states that a player is allotted 25 seconds to act. A warning message is displayed in the chat box when there are 15 seconds left to act. If there was a disconnection and a player returned before the timeout, he or she receives a further 10 seconds to act.

If a player failed to act within the allotted time while being connected, the hand is folded by the system.

What is the difference between Turbo/Ultra Turbo Poker Tables and Regular Tables?

Absolute Poker also offers turbo fixed limit ring game tables. These tables have the word "turbo" in parentheses after the table name. Turbo tables are designed for players who enjoy a faster paced game. Turbo tables have the following poker rules:

1. Players receive only 15 seconds to act, instead of 30.
2. Players are given only 1 second to decide to show or muck their cards, instead of 3 seconds.
3. The pot is pushed to the winner more quickly.
4. The showdown takes place more quickly, in 2 seconds instead of 5.
5. "Auto-posting" of blinds is mandatory.
6. When players sit down, "Wait for Big Blind" will be automatically selected. Players can be dealt in immediately after sitting down if they wish by unchecking "Wait for Big Blind."
7. Players can choose to "Sit out next blind" and they will continue to be dealt in until the blinds reach them, at which time the "Sitting Out" option will be activated.

Does Absolute Poker offer 6-player tournaments?

Tournaments with "6 player tables" will have only 6 seats per table. Enjoy the fast pace of a short-handed table in these tournaments. Tournament rules will work similarly to our regular tournaments, with adjusted blind and payout structures to reflect the change from 9 to 6 seated tables.

What happens if I register for a tournament late?

Absolute Poker offers late registration tournaments. Players will be seated at tables at the start of the tournament, with two seats left open per table for late registrants. Late registration will remain open until one of the following occurs:

• An existing player is knocked out of the tournament (this does not include players in re-buy tournaments who elect to re-buy)
• The end of the first level of blinds is reached
• All of the seats left open for late registrants are filled

What if Absolute Poker's server crashes during a poker game or tournament?

In the unlikely event of a server crash, a possibility with Internet poker, the online poker games are cancelled and all players with chips at the table and in play will have them returned to their account. This is a rare occurrence, and we apologize for any inconvenience to players that believed they had winning hands.

How many tables can I play at the same time?

At Absolute Poker, you can play up to 14 tables at the same time*. For smooth game play, we recommend a minimum system configuration of:

• 2GB RAM on the Vista operating system
• 1GB RAM on XP

*Multi-tabling requires additional system resources and could affect your computer's performance. The suggested minimum configuration for players who wish to play at multiple tables simultaneously is 2 GB of RAM on a Vista operating system or 1 GB of RAM on an XP system. It is each player's responsibility to ensure that your computer can support multiple simultaneous tables. If you have any questions please contact our technical support team at techsupport@absolutepoker.com.

What Are Ante Games?

At our Ante Games every player at the table will be required to post an ante along with the two players that have to post the blinds. In our Ante Games, the pot grows pre-flop.