BARGE "Mike Zimmers Memorial" Lowbah Tournament Structure

Initial Chips: T2000

All levels are 25 minutes.

Tables will be played 8 handed.

Level	Blinds	Limit
1	25-50	50-100
2	50-100	100-200
3	75-150	150-300
Break for 10 minutes.
4	100-200	200-400
5	150-300	300-600
6	200-400	400-800
Break for 10 minutes. Remove T25 chips.
7	300-600	600-1,200
8	400-800	800-1,600
9	600-1,200	1,200-2,400
Break for 10 minutes. Remove T100 chips.
10	1,000-2,000	2,000-4,000
11	1,500-3,000	3,000-6,000
12	2,000-4,000	4,000-8,000
Break for 10 minutes, race off T500 chips if necessary.
13	3,000-6,000	6,000-12,000
14	4,000-8,000	8,000-16,000
15	6,000-12,000	12,000-24,000
Break for 10 minutes.
16	10,000-20,000	20,000-40,000
17	15,000-30,000	30,000-60,000
18	20,000-40,000	40,000-80,000

There will be a five minute break and redraw of seats for the final table (8 players).

For All BARGE Poker Tournaments:

To facilitate table balancing and fairness, a player chosen to move to balance a table will be selected via position from button instead of from a random draw.

Chip Races

No one will be allowed to bust out because of the chip race. Anyone in such danger will receive one higher denomination chip.

Lowball Rules

We will be using "Southern California" Lowball rules:

Players may limp in, calling the big blind.
Limits double after the draw.
The "Sevens rule" applies (see note below).
Check-raise is not allowed.

Prize structure

Place	Payout
1	25.0%
2	20.0%
3	15.0%
4	12.0%
5	10.0%
6	8.0%
7	6.0%
8	4.0%

"Sevens rule"

Most California cardrooms have something called the sevens rule. After the draw, you must bet a 7 or better whenever you are either first to bet, or those ahead of you have passed. If you do not, you cannot win any action after the draw, and, in some clubs, you forfeit the entire pot. Of course, if you have a 7 or better and someone bets ahead of you, you can throw the hand away if you do not think it will win.

Strictly speaking, you can pass a 7 or better after the draw, and then call with it. If you do, though, all you can do is lose. Here's why. If someone bets after you, and hers is a worse hand (and you call), the rules let her remove her money from the pot. If hers is the better hand, however, and you call, your money stays in the pot. In those few clubs in which you lose the entire pot by passing a 7, if you inadvertently make the mistake of passing, just quietly throw your cards away. Don't make a fuss. They won't change the rules just for you.

There actually are an extremely few instances in which it is mathematically sound to pass and then call with a 7 (because you lose less than if you bet). An explanation of when you can profitably do so is way beyond the scope of the early part of this series. I mention it only because renowned poker theoretician David Sklansky has written about when to make the play. For all practical purposes, however, if you just assume that it is never correct to pass and call with a 7 or better, particularly in no-limit lowball, you won't make many mistakes.

Players are likely to inadvertently pass 7s (or better) in two situations:

A new player gets flustered and forgets the rule. He passes without thinking. Sometimes he remembers the rule before the next player has acted, and tries to un-pass, with some such remark as, "I forget about that sevens rule. Can I make a bet now?" Sometimes he remembers after the next player has acted, often after the next player has already passed, and now when he tries to bet, an argument ensues. No matter how it happens, however, he gives away his hand, and chills the after-the-draw action.
A player draws several cards, usually three or more, and passes without looking at her cards, unconsciously concluding that she could not possibly make a 7 or better drawing that many cards. Of course, the time she passes blind is often the time she makes that miracle draw. What often happens is that she ends up losing money, because someone would have called a bet.

There are two obvious countermeasures for these situations.

The first is always be aware of the sevens rule. Remember that it is in force in almost every California cardroom that has lowball. Be aware of what your hand is when it is your turn to act, and don't pass if you have a 7 or better.

The second is, when you take multiple cards, don't pass blind; don't assume that you can't possibly make a hand. Look at your cards and, again, if you have a 7 or better, bet.

How the sevens rule comes into effect when you call an all-in bet that is less than a full bet

You can inadvertently run afoul of the sevens rule in the following way.

If someone makes a bet in turn that is less than a full bet, and you just call (rather than completing the bet) with a 7 or better, and someone calls or raises behind you, that person gets his bet back (unless he has you beat, of course).

Example: The limit is $20. Four players call, so the pot now contains $80. (For simplicity, lets assume that three of the players are the blinds.) After the draw, John, directly to the left of the button, has only $15 left, which he bets. You, on the big blind, who drew two cards, got lucky and made a wheel. You don't want to scare either of the two remaining players, so you just call, knowing that you can't win any more from John. Cindy, who had originally opened the pot and was pat, says, I complete the bet, and puts in $20. Henry, on the button, who had drawn one card, now raises, by putting in $40. A side pot is created. The bet skips John, who is out of chips. You say, I raise, and someone at the table informs you that since check-raising is not permitted in limit poker, all you can do is call. Cindy, though, reraises, and Henry just calls the bet. You call the extra bet. The hands are shown. John made an 8-4, and is out of contention. You show your wheel, and start to reach for the pot. Cindy shows a 6-4 and Henry shows 6-5-4-3-2. The house dealer pushes all of Cindys and Henrys post-draw betting back to them, and pushes the center pot to you, consisting of that initial $80, plus the $30 that constitutes the $15 that John bet and you called. You don't win the extra $120 that Cindy and Henry put in, because what you did is a violation of the sevens rule. Had you completed the bet, by putting in an extra $5 with your $15, you would have won a lot more.

So here's what to remember. If someone goes all in ahead of you and that bet is less than a full bet, be sure to complete the bet if you have a 7 or better. That is, put enough into the pot to turn your call into as much as the limit of the game. Of course, there's nothing to stop you from completing the bet even if you have worse.

The same thing holds in no-limit lowball. If someone goes all in ahead of you and that bet is less than the minimum bet for the game, be sure to complete the bet if you have a 7 or better. So, for example, if the blinds were $5-$5-$10, the minimum bet would be $20. If after the draw the player ahead of you goes all in for $15 and you have a pat wheel and at least one player remains behind you, make sure to put in at least $20. Since its a no-limit game, you can of course put in as much more as you like.

From Michael Wiesenberg's "Go For Low" column in Card Player Magazine