How to operate the ButtonTimer®

ButtonTimer® instructions are labeled underneath each control button.

 

 

 

 

Hosting Poker Night has never been more fun and easier with the ButtonTimer®.

Know Your Cards and Poker Terminology
Instructions

* STEP 1: Familiarize yourself with the values of the cards. The order of increasing value is 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, jack (J), queen (Q), king (K) and ace (A). The ace can usually double as the lowest card for use in straights.
* STEP 2: Familiarize yourself with the definitions and values of different hands. The hands are, in order of increasing value: One Pair, Two Pair, Three of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, Four of a Kind, Straight Flush and Royal Flush. A given hand beats all hands listed before it.
* STEP 3: Be aware that if two or more players hold the same type of hand, the player with a card or cards of a higher value wins.
* STEP 4: Understand that the ante is the initial bet made by everyone. Raising is matching the previous player's bet and adding some extra money to increase the bet. Folding is laying your cards down on the table and forfeiting the hand (and your ante). Calling is matching the previous player's bet once a player has opened the hand by betting.
* STEP 5: Know that the maximum number of cards that an individual can exchange after the first round of betting is determined by the house rules. A player may also choose not to exchange any cards. This is called "staying."

Tips & Warnings

* One Pair is any two cards of matching numerical value.
* Two Pair is two different pairs of cards.
* Three of a Kind is three cards of matching numerical value.
* A Straight is five cards in numerical order (3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 7, 8, 9, 10, J, for example) with the cards belonging to various suits.
* A Flush is five non-sequential cards belonging to the same suit.
* A Full House consists of a Three of a Kind and a Pair in one hand.
* Four of a Kind is four cards of matching numerical value.
* A Straight Flush is a Straight with all cards belonging to the same suit.
* A Royal Flush is the 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of a single suit.

 

 

 

Hosting a Texas Hold'em tournament has never been easier with the ButtonTimer®.

 

What you will need:

A. Two Decks of Playing Cards :

To keep pace of play, one deck is used while the other one is being shuffled.

B. Poker Chips :

Are used for betting and can have a value that can range from $5 to $10,000 dollars.

C. Cut Card :

To avoid cheating, it is used to divide a deck and to conceal the bottom card of exposed deck when being dealt.

D. Dealer Button:

To keep track of dealer position during play.

E. ButtonTimer®:

To keep track of each "BLIND" round or to put a time limit on a player.

1. Texas Hold'em can be played with as few as two players, or as many as the host desires, however, at a single table a maximum of ten players are only allowed. The host will need to decide how long each round will last pending on the number of players, rounds may last between 20 to 60 minutes. Typically tournament "BLIND" rounds can be between 8 to 20 rounds pending on the amount of players or poker chips in play. A "Blind" round is signified by the value of the "SMALL BLIND" forced bet and "BIG BLIND" forced bet.

2. The game begins with pre-setting your ButtonTimer® to the desired amount of minutes per "BLIND" round, then start the timer. Next, two players, left of the dealer or ButtontTimer® signify by the person with the dealer button or the ButtonTimer® in front of them, placing an initial bet. This is called posting the "BLINDS". In Texas Hold'em, antes are optional but forced bets, or "BLINDS", are used.

3. The person to the left of the dealer or ButtonTimer® posts a bet called the small "BLIND", which is usually equal to half of the minimum bet.

4. The person to the left of the small "BLIND" posts the big "BLIND", which is equal to the full minimum bet.

5. The dealer shuffles one full deck of 52 playing cards. (In a Texas Hold'em game, a disc or round marker that is 2" inches in diameter and 0.25" thick with word "dealer" in the center is used to indicate which person is the "dealer" for the round.)

6. Each player is then dealt two cards face down. These are called your hole or pocket cards.

7. Next is a round of betting starting with the person to the left of the two who posted the blinds. This round is usually referred to by the term pre-flop. Much like most games of poker, players can check, raise, or fold.

8. Players can bet, raise or re-raise any amount equal or greater than the minimum bet, which should also equal the amount of the big "BLIND."

9. In No-Limit Hold'em, the number of chips you have in front of you determines the maximum bet. A player can go "all-in" by pushing all their chips toward the center of the table. At this point, eiher the player or the dealer should "count them down", or calculate the amount of the player's all-in bet. To call, the other players at the table must match the value of the chips.

10. In the event a player cannot match the value of another player's bet, but would still like to call, he or she can go all-in and play for a portion of the pot. Should this happen, the dealer should divide the originial, larger bet into two stacks: the first stack should match the amount of the caller's all-in bet. This stack is pushed into the original pot along with the caller's all-in bet. The second stack is placed into a side pot – for which the all in caller is not eligible. This enables the rest of the table to continue play – raising and re-raising as they normally would. At the conclusion of the hand, the all-in bettor is eligible to win the originall pot, but not the side pot.

11. After the initial betting round ends, the dealer discards the top card of the deck. This is called a burn card. This is done to prevent cheating.

12. The dealer then flips the next three cards face up on the table. These cards are called the flop. These are communal cards that anyone can use in combination with their two pockets cards to form a poker hand.

13. Next is another round of betting- starting with the player to the left of the dealer or ButtonTimer®.

14. After the betting concludes, the dealer burns another card and flips one more onto the table. This is called the turn card. Players can use this sixth card now to form a five card poker hand.

15. The player to the left of the dealer begins another round of betting. In many types of games, this is where the bet size doubles.

16. Finally, the dealer burns a card and places a final card face up on the table. This is called the river. Players can now use any of the five cards on the table or the two cards in their pocket to form a five card poker hand.

17. There is now a final round of betting starting with the player to the left of the dealer or ButtonTimer®.

18. After this round of betting, all of the players remaining in the game begin to reveal their hands. This begins with the player to the left of the lst player to call. It's called the showdown.

19. If two or more players have the same hand, the next highest card in the player's hand is used to break a tie. This is called the kicker.

20. If there is no kicker card and the tied players have used both hole cards, or have the exact same hand, then the pot is split between them.

21. The dealer or ButtonTimer® position then moves clockwise to the next player and another round of play begins. "BLINDS" remain the same amount until the ButtonTimer® pre-set time counts down to "00:00" signified by a loud beeping from the ButtonTimer®.

22. After the first "BLIND" round concludes signified by the ButtonTimer® beeping, simply press the "RIGHT" button to stop the beeping. The ButtonTimer will automatically reset to the pre-set time. Press the "RIGHT" button again to start the timer count down for the next "BLIND" round which is typically double the value of the first "BLIND" round. Continue this cycle until there is only 1 player left.

 

 

 

Hosting Poker Night has never been more fun and easier with the ButtonTimer®.

5 CARD DRAW

Instructions

* STEP 1: Have each player place his or her ante into the pot.
* STEP 2: Deal each player five cards.
* STEP 3: Have the player to the dealer's left bet or pass. If he passes, play is deferred to the player on his left. The player on the left may then either bet or pass.
* STEP 4: Gather the cards if every player passes. Ante again, and have the player to the dealer's left deal a fresh hand.
* STEP 5: Have subsequent players either call, raise or fold after a player opens a hand by betting.
* STEP 6: Give each of the surviving players - once everyone has either bet or folded - the option to exchange some cards for an equal number from the top of the deck.
* STEP 7: Start another round of betting after every player in the hand has either exchanged his cards or stayed.
* STEP 8: Have the players who have not folded show their hands following the betting round.
* STEP 9: Let the player with the highest hand take all the poker chips that are in the pot.

 

7 CARD STUD

Instructions

* STEP 1: Collect the ante from each player.
* STEP 2: Begin the game by dealing three cards to each player, the first two face down and the last face up.
* STEP 3: Follow with a round of betting.
* STEP 4: Deal the fourth, fifth and sixth cards face up to each player, with a round of betting after each card is dealt.
* STEP 5: Deal the seventh and final card face down to each player.
* STEP 6: Finish with a round of betting.
* STEP 7: Determine the winner.

Tips & Warnings

* If you want to practice online, visit this free play site and poker tutorial.
* Seven-Card Stud is one of the most popular forms of poker today. A table awaits at virtually every poker venue.
* Your position at the table can often dictate your playing style. For instance, if you're last to play, you might try to bluff and steal the pot when appropriate. If you're first to play while holding a strong hand, you might bet small and allow players after you to drive up the stakes.
* Seven-Card Stud requires a keen eye, as many cards are visible on the table. Making deductions based on the cards you can see is part of a winning strategy.
* Don't walk into a casino or card house expecting to win until you've practiced the game on your own and understand it thoroughly. Experienced players at these tables look forward to relieving "live fish" of their money, and you could end up learning expensive lessons.

BASEBALL

Poker Baseball is played using the same format as Seven-Card Stud. In this game, 3's and 9's represent wild cards, and any player who is dealt a 4 face up receives an extra card.

Instructions

* STEP 1: Collect the ante from each player.
* STEP 2: Begin the game by dealing three cards to each player - the first two face down and the third face up. If a player receives a 4 face up, he or she is dealt another card face down.
* STEP 3: Follow with a round of betting. Bear in mind that 3's and 9's are wild cards.
* STEP 4: Deal the fourth, fifth and sixth cards face up to each player, with a round of betting after each card is dealt. Remember the rule for 4's that are dealt face up.
* STEP 5: Deal the seventh and final card face down to each player.
* STEP 6: Finish with a round of betting.
* STEP 7: Determine the winner.

Tips & Warnings

* The three outs, four bases and nine innings of baseball form the basis of this entertaining poker variation.
* Players will have more than seven cards if they receive 4's face up.
* Adding wild cards creates stronger winning poker hands, and you'll usually need a full house or better to win. Keep this factor in mind.
* Your position at the table can often dictate your playing style. For instance, if you're last to play, you might try to bluff and steal the pot when appropriate. If you're first to play while holding a strong hand, you might bet small and allow players after you to drive up the stakes.
* Don't expect to find Poker Baseball at a casino. Generally, games with wild cards are played strictly for fun.

 

OMAHA

Players form their best five-card poker hands from nine available cards: four personal and five community cards. Each five-card hand must consist of exactly two personal cards and three community cards.

Instructions

* STEP 1: Collect the ante from each player.
* STEP 2: Begin the game by dealing four cards to each player. Two of these cards will be used to make the player's hand.
* STEP 3: Follow with a round of betting.
* STEP 4: Deal the "flop" - discard, or burn, the top card of the deck and place the next three cards face up in the center of the table. There will eventually be five cards in the center of the table, three of which must be used.
* STEP 5: Follow with a round of betting.
* STEP 6: Burn the top card and add the fourth community card.
* STEP 7: Follow with a round of betting.
* STEP 8: Burn the top card and add the fifth and final community card.
* STEP 9: Finish with a round of betting.
* STEP 10: Determine the winner.

Tips & Warnings

* If you want to practice online, visit this free play site and poker tutorial.
* A popular game for the latitude and options it presents to its players, Omaha can be found in most card houses.
* Your position at the table can often dictate your playing style. For instance, if you're last to play, you might try to bluff and steal the pot when appropriate. If you're first to play while holding a strong hand, you might bet small and allow players after you to drive up the stakes.
* Omaha is often played hi-lo, meaning the player with the highest hand and the player with the lowest hand split the pot.
* Don't walk into a casino or card house expecting to win until you've practiced the game on your own and understand it thoroughly. Experienced players at these tables look forward to relieving "live fish" of their money, and you could end up learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

Hosting Poker Night has never been more fun and easier with the ButtonTimer®.

 

POKER FUNDAMENTALS

Click here to download PDF Instructions

TEXAS HOLD'EM

Click here to download PDF Instructions

5 CARD DRAW

Click here to download PDF Instructions

7 CARD STUD

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BASEBALL

Click here to download PDF Instructions

OMAHA

Click here to download PDF Instructions