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National Championships

The National TOC is held once each year where players are competing for the shot at a $10,000 WSOP Main Event Seat! The Tournament is broken down into 2 levels. • Semi Finals: Shootout Format with Top 2 from each table moving on • Finals: Multi Table format

How To QualifySemi Finals • Top 3 from the All Star Championship at each Tavern (both Season 1 & 2) • 2nd and 3rd place from each Tavern TOC (both Season 1 & 2)Finals • TOC Champion from each Tavern TOC

Prizes • The Top 8 players receive WSOP packages including a $10,000 Main Event seat to the winner!

Online Tournament of ChampionsEach month, and each Season, World Tavern hosts Online TOC Tournaments with more WSOP seats awarded.

How To Qualify • Monthly: Finish in the Top 3 at any nightly tournament during that month • Season: Finish Top 3 at any nightly tournament during that season

Prizes • Monthly: $500 WSOP Circuit Event Package • Season: $1,000 WSOP Circuit Event Package

*PLEASE NOTE: All Tournament of Champions Events AND All Star Championships are for Gold Package Bars only. This is an upgrade package for less than $10/night.

The National Championships are held twice each year and are broken down into 3 levels. • Quarter Finals - Shootout with the Top 2 per table advancing • Semi Finals - Shootout with the Top 2 per table advancing • The Finals - Standard Tournament Format for the big prizes

How to QualifyQuarter Finals • Win any tournament at any bar and you’re in!

Semi-Finals • 5 Total Wins during the current season • Top 10 Tavern Ranking (for season)

All Star Championships • Top 3 players

The Finals - Standard Multi Table Format • 10 Total Wins during the current season (at all bars) • Tavern Season Points Champion • Tavern Champion • 1% Club: Top 1% ranking in Region/State/Nation and Nat. Cumulative • Regional Championships Top 10%

The National Championship Prizes • Season 1: $50,000 in cash with the Top 20 getting paid and $20,000 to the winner! • Season 2: 16 World Series of Poker seats with a $5,000 WSOP package to the winner!

The EventThe National Championships are more than just a tournament, they are the Poker Parties of the Year! • 4-5 Day Event (Las Vegas & Atlantic City) • 500-1,000 Players from around the country • 10 Private Cash Tournaments ($50-$100 buy ins) • Nightly Parties with entertainment and prizes Everyone Is InvitedYou don’t have to qualify for Nationals to come and have an incredible time. Tickets for the event are available to everyone and this is an event YOU AND YOUR PLAYERS WON’T WANT TO MISS!

National Tournamentof Champions

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National Championships

The National TOC is held once each year where players are competing for the shot at a $10,000 WSOP Main Event Seat! The Tournament is broken down into 2 levels. • Semi Finals: Shootout Format with Top 2 from each table moving on • Finals: Multi Table format

How To QualifySemi Finals • Top 3 from the All Star Championship at each Tavern (both Season 1 & 2) • 2nd and 3rd place from each Tavern TOC (both Season 1 & 2)Finals • TOC Champion from each Tavern TOC

Prizes • The Top 8 players receive WSOP packages including a $10,000 Main Event seat to the winner!

Online Tournament of ChampionsEach month, and each Season, World Tavern hosts Online TOC Tournaments with more WSOP seats awarded.

How To Qualify • Monthly: Finish in the Top 3 at any nightly tournament during that month • Season: Finish Top 3 at any nightly tournament during that season

Prizes • Monthly: $500 WSOP Circuit Event Package • Season: $1,000 WSOP Circuit Event Package

*PLEASE NOTE: All Tournament of Champions Events AND All Star Championships are for Gold Package Bars only. This is an upgrade package for less than $10/night.

The National Championships are held twice each year and are broken down into 3 levels. • Quarter Finals - Shootout with the Top 2 per table advancing • Semi Finals - Shootout with the Top 2 per table advancing • The Finals - Standard Tournament Format for the big prizes

How to QualifyQuarter Finals • Win any tournament at any bar and you’re in!

Semi-Finals • 5 Total Wins during the current season • Top 10 Tavern Ranking (for season)

All Star Championships • Top 3 players

The Finals - Standard Multi Table Format • 10 Total Wins during the current season (at all bars) • Tavern Season Points Champion • Tavern Champion • 1% Club: Top 1% ranking in Region/State/Nation and Nat. Cumulative • Regional Championships Top 10%

The National Championship Prizes • Season 1: $50,000 in cash with the Top 20 getting paid and $20,000 to the winner! • Season 2: 16 World Series of Poker seats with a $5,000 WSOP package to the winner!

The EventThe National Championships are more than just a tournament, they are the Poker Parties of the Year! • 4-5 Day Event (Las Vegas & Atlantic City) • 500-1,000 Players from around the country • 10 Private Cash Tournaments ($50-$100 buy ins) • Nightly Parties with entertainment and prizes Everyone Is InvitedYou don’t have to qualify for Nationals to come and have an incredible time. Tickets for the event are available to everyone and this is an event YOU AND YOUR PLAYERS WON’T WANT TO MISS!

National Tournamentof Champions

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Age Requirements for Regionals/ National Tournaments/Tavern TOC No one under the age of 21 will be permitted to play in the Tavern TOC, Regional Championships or National Championships. The reason for this is simple, the National Championship is held at a Casino, and thus you need to be 21 to play. Sitting at the TableONLY Players still in the tournament may be seated at the table.

Threatening/Berating At no time can any player or spectator threaten or berate another player. This will not be tolerated. Remember, we are here to have fun!

Discrepancies In the case of a discrepancy, the Tournament Director’s ruling Is FINAL!

Betting A bet is not binding until the chips are actually released into the pot—unless the player has made a verbal statement of action. A verbal statement denotes an action and is binding unless there is a gross misunderstanding of the amount bet by a previous player.

No Gambling This rule is taken very seriously. Any Tavern or Player caught wagering cash, property, or anything of value will immediately be terminated from the league. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Blind Schedule Blinds will go up either every 20 - 30 minutes depending on the number of players in the tournament. Each round, every player must post both Little and Big Blinds. Misdeals Any card flipped over during the initial deal is an automatic misdeal. If cards are dealt out of order, attempt to fix them. Anyone who has not yet looked at their cards can call a misdeal if they do not feel the cards were dealt correctly. This means all cards are brought back in, reshuffled and a new hand is dealt.

Cheating First, anyone caught cheating in a Free Tournament is simply a loser and cheating will not be tolerated. If you suspect someone of cheating, let the Tournament Director know. Their ruling on the situation is final. This includes colluding with other players, dumping chips or negotiating positions for prizes and/or points/wins.

Age Requirements for Nightly Tournaments WTP strongly recommends that no one under the Age of 18 be allowed to compete in World Tavern Poker weekly Tournaments, however it is ultimately up to the bar owner as to who they allow play.

GeNeRAL RuLeSBelow is a list of rules that all World Tavern Poker tournaments should follow. Please remember that many players may be new to poker and therefore should be given some leeway in regards to enforcing the rules.

Keep in mind that all rules should be applied “In the best interest of the game”. Meaning that if you believe someone made an honest mistake, give them a “warning” and explain to them the rule. Rules are different from casino to casino and these rules are written specifically for World Tavern Poker.

Above all, never forget that World Tavern Poker is about well run tournaments that are still a lot of fun!

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Turning Up Your Cards - Exposing Your Card(s) All hands will be turned face up whenever a player is all-in and the betting action has been completed. If a player accidentally exposes one of their cards before all players have acted, they must turn up both (this is to prevent players purposely doing this to throw off another player). If a player is exposing his/her cards purposely, it is up to the Tournament Director if they would like to give a warning, and then eliminate the player from the tournament if it continues.

Not Enough Chips to Cover the BlindIf a player does not have enough chips to cover the blind, they are considered “All In” and cannot win any more from each player than they have in their stack. For example, if a player has only 500 chips left and the blinds are 1,000/2,000, they are all in and can only win 500 chips from each player left in the hand.

Only 5 Cards PlayEach player has 7 cards from which to play (2 hole cards and 5 community cards). The BEST 5 Cards play! Extra Chip In The Pot In the case of a split pot, there may be an extra chip left. This chip goes to the first player to the left of the dealer (that was still in the hand). Two Players Go Out at the Same Time The player that had more chips at the beginning of the hand receives the higher finishing position. Once in a while, both of these players will have the same number of chips at the beginning of the hand (this happens very rarely). In this instance, the player with the better hand is given the higher position.

Playing Heads Up When playing heads up, the Dealer is always the Little Blind, and first to act pre-flop, but last to act after the flop.

Raising All raises must be equal to or greater than the size of the previous bet or raise on that betting round, except for an all-in wager. Example: Player A bets 100 and player B raises to 200. Player C wishing to raise must raise at least 100 more, making the total bet at least 300. A player who has already checked or called may not subsequently raise an all-in bet that is less than the full size of the last bet or raise. (The half-the-size rule for reopening the betting is for limit poker only.)Because the amount of a wager at no-limit poker has such a wide range, a player who has taken action based on a gross misunderstanding of the amount wagered may receive some protection by the decision-maker. A “call” or “raise” may be ruled not binding if it is obvious that the player grossly misunderstood the amount wagered, provided no damage has been caused by that action.

No Splashing the Pot Every player must place their chips in front of them until all players have acted. Then all chips are moved to the center of the table.

Mucking Your Cards If you throw your cards into the “muck” (folded cards pile) then your hand is folded. However, a hand that is clearly identifiable may be retrieved and ruled live at the Tournament Director’s discretion if doing so is in the best interest of the game. Please make an extra effort to rule a hand retrievable if it was folded as a result of incorrect information given to the player.

Exposed Card(s) If a community card(s) is exposed before the round of betting is complete, the card CANNOT be used. The exposed card(s) is mixed with ONLY the remaining cards in the deck, reshuffled and cut and then dealt out again.

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Combining TablesWhen moving players to a new table, attempt to seat them in a position similar to their previous table. If 2 or less players move to a new table and sit in the Big Blind, they have the option of sitting out until the deal passes them. If 3 or more move to a new table, first ace will determine the new dealer position.

Equal Players/TableThe Tournament Director will attempt to keep the number at each table equal. This is not always possible and you cannot stop play because of it. Also, please advise players not to bug you everytime their table loses a player.

Leaving the TableIf a player leaves the table during play to use the bathroom, get a drink, etc. they are dealt in the hand. If they have not returned by the time it is their turn to act, their cards are mucked and their blinds, if posted, are placed in the pot.

NoTe: When players are in the Big Blind and everyone checks around, they also check. They do not have to return until it is their turn to act after the flop. If a player must leave the table for an extended period of time, please make sure the Tournament Director is notified. We understand that situations may occur that players must leave, however, let’s try to be respectful of others. If a player leaves the table for an extended period of time that is deemed excessive (for example, a Blind Level) without informing the Tournament Director, the Tournament Director has the discretion to remove that player’s chips from play. Please remember that this is Entertainment.

Leaving EarlyIf a player has to leave the tournament early, the chips are taken off the table and given to the Tournament Director. THEY CANNOT SPLIT THE CHIPS AMONGST THE PLAYERS!

GeNeRAL RuLeS cont’d

eNFoRCiNG tHe RuLeSTo be a great Tournament Director you will need to have a nice balance of keeping the tournament fun while still enforcing the rules. This isn’t always easy.

Here are our recommendations. Warnings/Explanation Often times new players simply do not know or understand the rules. Be sure to explain the rule and ask them to be more careful next time.

Repetitive Problems If a player continues to break the rule over and over, you can choose to give them a “time out” which may mean sitting out for 10 minutes, an entire blind level, an entire tournament or more.

Unruly PlayersIn the case of an unruly player (drunk, abusive or blatantly breaking the rules) first inform the bar owner or manager of the situation before determining a penalty.

Banning A Player With the support of the bar owner/manager, you can ban a player from playing at your bar but you cannot ban a player from the league. In the past, players have been banned for fighting, cheating, cursing and other abusive acts of behavior. Please be certain that the penalty is warranted.

If you have any other rule or player issues, we are always available to help. Just shoot us an email at Taverns@WorldTavernPoker.com or give us a call at (919) 544-0700.

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tABLe etiQuetteThe table etiquette list below is exactly that, etiquette. These are not “enforceable” rules by players and are not designed to have someone at the table constantly playing security guard. That said, the Tourna-ment Director can choose to enforce any of these if they feel it is in the best interest of the game. Please be respectful of your fellow players. Remember that we are here to have fun, have a beer, meet some new people and play some poker. If someone is not using their “table etiquette” then simply make them aware (in a nice tone). Enforcing table etiquette is the responsibility of the Tournament Director.

REMEMBER! Rules are different from casino to casino and tournament to tournament. Please do not think that because you played at Caesars in Las Vegas means that those rules apply to every game.

Be on Time Players arriving late can only take a seat if... • They arrive before the blinds go up to Level 2. • They give up both big and little blind (300 chips before taking a seat). This does not preclude them from having to play their blinds again if they sit in those positions. The “forfeited” chips are taken out of play.

Chips Higher value chips should be visible at all times and not hidden behind other stacks.

Don’t Play Out of Turn This will happen from time to time, but please be respectful of this. A players move can change the move(s) of others at the table.

No Coaching Players standing behind the table cannot help some-one sitting at the table.

No Whining The last thing the Tournament Director or the other players need is a whiny player. Take a deep breath and enjoy your time playing cards!

Don’t Show Your Cards Do not show your cards to other people at the table or the “audience”, even if you are going to fold and/or they are already out of the hand. Your cards are for your eyes only.

String Betting String betting is when a player places their bet out in multiple motions unless they announce “raise” and/or the amount of their bet. REMEMBER, many players are not familiar with this, so take it easy on them!

Coloring Up Players should not share chips during color up to advance their position.

Cellular Phones Please be respectful of play at the table and do not use your cellular phone while playing. You can stand up behind your seat and chat if you would like.

verbal Declarations Be respectful. If a player declares a raise, a raise should be made unless the player did not recognize a previous raise before him/her.

Cards on Table Cards should remain on the table at all times.

Shuffling The player to the right of the dealer should shuffle the cards for the next hand.

Showing Both Hole Cards A player needs to show their winning hand unless all other players have folded.

Smoking Smoking can be very bothersome to other players sitting at the table. Please be respectful and stand up behind your seat while smoking.PLEASE NOTE:

Rules & Etiquette are updated regularly, so please check the website for the most recent additions.

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uSiNG tHe WeBSiteWORLDTAvERNPOKER.COMThe World Tavern Poker Website is very powerful and is very easy to use. You will need to familiarize yourself with the site before you can become a Certified TD. This section will cover some of the main parts of the website that you will be using.

1. LOGGING ON The bar created a Username & Password which will be different than that of a player. If the bar owner/man-ager would like you to handle the website functions, please request that log in information from them.

2. OUR TABS Once you are logged in and go through the newsletter, you will see a set of Tabs in the center of the page. Take a moment to go through each tab and familiarize yourself with the information.

3. OUR SCHEDULE This screen will show you all of the games you have on your schedule, plus give you the ability to edit the tournament, view players registered, print registration sheets, add players and update scores and send emails.

4. PRINT Just before your tournament begins (or you are leaving the house), be sure to print your Player Registration List by clicking here. The site will also print for you The Top 20 list for your bar that you should post so your players can brag and feel the competition.

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5. ADD PLAYERS When you click on the Add & Update button, you will first be asked if you would like to Add Players to this tournament. This is for any player who did not pre-register for that game.

To add players, fill in one or more of the fields and press SEARCH. The 3 tabs will give you results for

• OLD PLAYERS – These are players that have played at your bar previously

• NEW PLAYERS – These are players that have never played at your bar

• RECENT PLAYERS – These are players that have played in your bar over the last week

Check the box next to the player’s name and search again. When you are done, simply click on the ADD ALL PLAYERS button―they will now be registered for that game.

6. UPDATE SCORES Now that you have added all your players, it’s time to update scores. There are 2 scores that need to be updated for each tournament:

• Big Spender – Check the box next to the 2 players that were your BIG SPENDERS of the night. It is very important to give credit to those that are supporting the bar the most.

• Top 20 – Next to each player’s name there is a drop down box. Simply select the # position that player finished the game in. When you are done, click on the submit button and the correct points will be updated and rankings will be adjusted. YOU’RE NOT DONE YET!

7. SEND MAIL Without question our BEST TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS send out emails every week! Just click on the SEND MAIL button and an email box will open.

8. MARKETING TOOLS Check out the Marketing Tool Tabs for all kind of great materials, certificates and ideas for taking your poker tournament to the next level.

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Read this GuideThe 30 minutes you spend reading

this guide will mean the difference

between a mediocre promotion and a

GREAT PROMOTION!

Find a Great

tournament director Choose someone to run your promotion

who has a passion for poker and for

helping you sell more food & drink.

Get All Your marketing

materials up! Do not wait, do it right now! Every day

you wait, dozens of customers miss the

news about your Poker Promotion.

Schedule Follow up

training with Your World

tavern Rep Be sure to call us at 919.544.0700 so

one of our entertainment reps can go

over the key parts of this promotion to

ensure it is a success!

train Your Staff About

the Promotion Everyone who answers the phone or

speaks to your customers in your bar

should have a solid understanding of

how World Tavern Poker works.

Put together

Great Prizes Call your beer vendors for prizes, add

a few gift certificates and plan a bigger

Tavern Champion prize to keep your

customers coming back week

after week.

Host the Best Poker

Promotion ever! Make it fun, turn up the music, thank

your customers, give them some great

specials and have them excited to come

back next week with more friends!

Repeat Remember, don’t let the promotion get

boring. Every week should be a fun and

exciting experience for your

poker customers.

Plan Your Poker menu

For Food & drink Buckets of beer, $5 bombs, appetizer

specials. Plan ahead so customers get

excited about spending more money in

your bar!

GettiNG StARted CHeCKLiSt