FAQ -- All Topics Page

Question	Answer
What is the payment schedule for Props?	Props get paid twice a month; mid-month and at the end of the month.  Payments are deposited to the prop players cage account.
What commitments are props required to make?	Props must work at least 20 hours a week.  They must agree to play as directed by the CSR team. ...
What games do props not get paid for playing in?	Props don't get paid for playing in pot limit, no limit, and tournament games.  Further, no games at stakes of $0.50/$1.00 or below qualify.
What is the prop compensation?
How are props paid?	Props are paid by deposits to their BOS accounts.
Can I get an advance on my prop payments?	We currently do not have the faculties to do this. We are exploring if that will be an option in the future.
Can Props use Action Points for bonus matching or prizes?	No, Props are not eligible for using action points, either for bonus matching, or for 'buying' prizes.
When is it allowable to change a player's screen name?	A player's screen name is the only way other players can "recognize" a player.  Therefore, changing a screen name should only be done under unusual circumstances, and at most, once per player.  Three examples of when it might be appropriate to change a name: 1- the screen name selected is inappropriate or offensive 2- there is evidence that the player has been harassed and a change of identity is warranted. 3- the player can make a strong case the initial selection should be changed.
What should be done about All-in abuse -- timing out on purpose	When an all in abuse complaint is received, tell the player, "We are currently studying the situation limit vs no limit to see if there are noticeable abuses."
If a player is continually abusing all-in by timing out, what do we tell that player?	Dear <player>. --- Due to your continued connection problems we are unable to continue to reset your all in status. Please feel free to continue playing if you feel secure with your connection at this time. For the first contact, this is better than an accusatory letter.
When someone times out due to a disconnection, they are blaming us.  What is the correct response?	During the first few weeks after our grand opening, we did encounter a problem where some players were experiencing disconnects due to our software.  The cause of that problem was identified and corrected.  We have tested extensively and are confident that any disconnects experienced at this point are the result of issues elsewhere on the Internet between the player and the poker servers.`
The player reports being unable to sit at a table.	The likely cause is a player has not set up a real money account and is trying to sit at a Real Money table.  Until the UI has been changed to support better distinguishing between Real and Play tables, check the player's account.  If there is no cage account, explain they must sit at a Play table.  Play tables have the word Play in front of the stakes and do not have a "$".  If necessary, send the player the list of play money tables currently available.
Why was the rake on $2/$4 games changed? Why was the cap on short-handed games changed?	After careful analysis, management of the poker room determined these changes were fair, appropriate, consistent, and competitive.
Are you going to have tournaments?	Yes - they will be starting by the end of January. They will be both single table and multi-table varieties.  There will be limit, no limit, and pot limit varieties. There will be no-cost tournaments at first, while the tournament software is in final testing.
Why did you drop the all-in count from 2 to 1?	We have studied both the stability of our connections and the use of all-ins by players.  We concluded that providing 2 all-ins was no longer necessary as protection against disconnects, and that too many players have been abusing all-ins.
What games are props required to play in if asked?	Props should be observed.  The highest limits each plays should recorded . The reason is that often prop players will work in lower games waiting for weak players to appear in the higher stakes.  They will jump in and try to take the weak player's money.  What ever stakes you catch them going up to is what you can require them to play in at your request.  If they refuse you can ask them to declare what the maximum stake table they will play on the site.  If they ever go above that they will be fired as a prop. The ultimate goal here is to not let them take on our weak players and be aware so we can have them playing at the highest stake possible.
Are props paid for tournament play?	Props are not paid for tournament play and will not be permitted in tournaments if we need them in live games.  All props must get permission before entering tournaments so as not to weaken existing games.
How can I check a player's balance when s/he is not logged in?	You must log into BOS to see a players balance.
Can I use action points to buy into tournaments?	Yes, action points may be used for either the fee, or the buy-in, or both, depending on the structure of the particular tournament.
How do I get more play chips?	You may request more play chips when your play chip balance drops below 200.  You do this by opening the Cashier Tab in the Lobby.  On the left, you will find a button, Give Me More Play Chips.  Click this button and you will be topped off to 1,000 play chips.
Can props earn action points -- either for promos or general action points?	Action points are not earned, nor usable by prop players.  Under some circumstances, prop players working with the House Player skin (shouldn't be using prop skin any longer) may see general action points accruing but if that happens, they will be deducted. Prop players cannot earn bonus points either. Prop players should see their action points if they log in using a regular skin. However, so long as they are working as props, they should not use another skin to play.
Player accused of abusing chat -- clear violation	Manager Chat directly to player: Your use of chat is violating our policy of no abuse, harassment, foul language, or generally inappropriate topics.  You must stop or your chat privileges will be suspended. And pop up from next topic.
Player accused of abusing chat -- judgment call	Pop up message to table: Reminder players ... we ask that you consider all others when chatting. No abusive, hostile, or offensive chat is permitted.  Thanks!
In a Multi-Table tournament, I was reseated and paid the Big Blind twice in a row.	Thank you for your question regarding paying the big blind twice when relocated. This is the standard for multi-table tournaments, even in physical card rooms.  The relocation process is random. While you paid the Big Blind twice, you had an equal chance to miss paying the big blind for an extended period.
Where do I wait for the tournament to begin? I signed up for a tourney, will I be seated automatically?	You may play in any regular game while you wait.  The software will open your tournament table just before the tournament starts.
The Chat Panel overlays the table.  How can I avoid this?	Our site was designed to work optimally with the screen resolution set to 1024 x 768 or higher.  This setting allows both the table and chat panel to lay side-by-side.  For players who must use the 800 x 600 screen resolution setting, we have a moveable, resizable "floating" chat window.  Users can move and resize this window to a location on their screens that minimizes the impact. We plan to make changes to provide better 800 x 600 support some months from now.
How do I change the screen resolution for my system?	Most Windows operating systems will support something along these lines: 1- Click Start, select Settings, open Control Panel. 2- Find and open Display. 3- Select the tab at the top marked Settings. 4- Near the lower right of the window, there is a slider.  Move the slider to the right to the 1024 x 768 setting.  Click Okay or Save.  Don't restart your computer.  Answer Yes when asked if you wish to keep the changed setting.
How are action points awarded?	The larger the pot, the more Action Points there will be. For every real money hand that is dealt (ring tables) a maximum of 300 Action Points will be awarded. The available points will be distributed to all players who participated in the pot on a pro-rata (percentage) basis. The more a player bets, the larger their personal share of the available Action Points.   Players should be reminded that: - Action points are a function of the rake on the hand, not directly on the amount the player bets. - The number of points given out will vary depending on the number of players, the stakes, and the size of the total pot. Players may look at the rake chart on the web site to see the rake caps. Action points are 1 per penny of rake. - At the end of a hand, the action points awarded (1 AP per penny of RAKE) are divided proportionately to the players' contribution to the pot.   An example: 8-handed $2/4 game ... slightly more complicated example: - All players stay in to see flop, each betting $2. - After flop, 6 players fold. - Remaining 2 players bet total of $8 more each. - Total pot in this case is (8x2) + (2x8) or $32. - Rake caps at $1.50 yielding 150 AP for the hand. - Each of the 6 players who folded after the flop contributed 2/32 or 1/16th of the pot. - The remaining two players each contributed 10/32 or 5/16th of the pot. - The first 6 players each get (1/16)x150=9.375 AP. - The last 2 players each get (5/16)x150=46.875 AP.
What can I do with my Action Points?	Action Points can be cashed in for gift certificates at a  variety of cool web sites. Please check out the web site for more details. <skin_name>/games_action_points.html
How do I redeem a prize using my Action Points?	Send an e-mail to [email protected] and include the following:   Your user name Name of gift certificate (site) Amount of Action Points
Why do you not use number of raked hands when awarding Action Points?	We want to give all players across all games equal chance to accumulate Action Points. By awarding Action Points in the way we do, it gives everyone an opportunity to accumulate Action Points, from our smallest 5c � 10c game all the up to our largest No Limit game.
What does a player have to do to be invited into a tourney?	By Invitation only tourneys are normally special events.  There are different reasons someone might be invited.  In all such cases, the players eligible will have been informed.
If someone contacts support and asks you to enter the Promotion Code AceKing for them you must make sure they understand the following:	You are requesting the promotion code be added to their account, you are not adding any money. (There has been some confusion amongst players who thought the CSR was actually adding the money, rather than just the code.) Players must earn Action points before the money will be added to their account. 125 Action Points are needed for every $1 Bonus.  Example: They deposit $100 and get $20 Bonus. They need to earn $20 x 125 = 2,500 The largest bonus is $100, they may deposit more than $500 but only $500 will count towards the bonus Don't tell them that the Action Points they have already earned don't count. Tell them the following. "Any Action Points you earn from when the promotion is entered will count towards your 20% Deposit. Action Points that you have already earned will be held in your General Action Points account and can be used to collect some great prizes. You can see a list of current prizes on our web site." The promotion code may take a few days to be entered on your account, you will see promotional points required on the cashier page when it has been entered. Send a request to Dan * for it to be entered on the account using the correct form and enter it in the spreadsheet. * Will change soon.
Sometimes I see a 1c error when I look closely at my statement.  What's that about?	The currency exchange between accounts not in US dollars and the tables where all play is dollar denominated sometimes rounds off by a cent.
How is FX (currency exchange) handled?	We use a fixed rate ... the same going both ways.  We do not take a markup on the currency exchange.  We update the rate monthly, or more often if there is a major shift in a currency.
My connection to the internet is very good yet your software keeps saying I am disconnected why is that? Or My connection to the internet is very good yet your software keeps saying I am disconnected, the problem is with your site!	Assuming our servers are functioning normally, this should be your response..... The Internet consists of many computers, routers and servers, that are linked all over the world. When you connect to the Internet you do so via your service provider. When you run our software your service provider uses its link to the "Internet Backbone" for your connection to our servers. The route taken can vary depending on many factors.  It will probably go via many different routers and servers, that we do not control, before it gets to us. Sometimes an interruption can occur with the route your connection was given which results in you becoming disconnected from our servers. You may have noticed something similar when you visit a web site and the pages sometimes don�t load, or they are slow to load. The Internet is designed in such a way that your connection will be rerouted, this sometimes takes a little time and during this time you will be shown as disconnected.
Why do you allow players to register for Freerolls and not play a hand?	One thing that makes poker such an interesting game is that different people can play the same hand in a different way. This is truer in respect of tournaments where different players have different tactics in order to try and win.  A legitimate tactic that some adopt is to play fewer hands in the hope that others will get knocked out before them and they will progress further through the field, perhaps getting lucky in a big pot latter in the game.   Players can debate the rights and wrongs of various tactics, but the fact remains that players who adopt such a tactic are playing perfectly fairly.
Why can't I use my Golden Palace Account to fund my Poker Account?	At present, these are all separate Cash accounts, they are not linked in any way.  If you would like, you may 'withdraw' from your Golden Palace account then deposit into your Poker Account.
My balance appears to have changed from one session to the next.	Players with non-US Dollar account may report balance change if they are looking at US Dollar from one session to next. This is due to monthly FX rate change. For example, from Jan to Feb, the dollar went up relative to the pound.  This caused balances stated in Dollars to grow relative to prior month.
I have seen an error of $0.01 on movement of funds to and from the cage.  Why?	If you have an account based in a currency other than US Dollars, your funds are converted at a fixed exchange rate.  This requires use of fractions and may result in a rounding error of 1 cent.  Depending on the amount you transfer, and the exchange rate in force, you may see this error work in your favor, or against you.  Over the long run, this evens out.
I sat down at the table but I'm not getting cards.	You need to check the post blinds button, and make certain the sit out next hand button is not checked.  These are both in the lower left corner of the table.
What does Muck losing hands mean?	Muck is a poker term that means your losing cards are returned to the dealer face down so no other players see them.  You can read more poker terms and their meanings on our glossary page: <skin>/games_glossary.html
How do I register for a tournament?	To register for a tournament, you select the Tables tab in the Lobby.  From that view, there is a section where tables or tournaments are listed.  Select the tab Multi-Tourneys.  In the list displayed there, you will be able to double-click on the tourney you want to register for.  That opens another window.  Click the Register button.
I tried to buy more chips but was told I had reached my limit.  What's that about?	We have a policy of setting credit card purchase limits of $500/day, $1000/week, and $1500/month on all new players.  This is one of many methods used to combat fraudulent credit card usage.  We review all accounts on a periodic basis and raise limits where appropriate.
Do I have to have a credit card to play?	No.  VCI accepts select debit cards, and by prior arrangement will accept wire transfers and bank cheques.
When I leave a table,  my balance at cashier screen is too low.  Where is my money?	Your chips will only be put back into your account ONCE the current hand at the table has been completed.  This also explains why you may not have all the chips you expect if you switch tables.
What is the minimum buy-in?	There are different buy-in rules for different game types and stakes.  The minimum buy-in and re-buy is 10X the big blind.  There is also a cap on buy-in and re-buy in Pot Limit and No Limit games.
Can anyone watch a hand being played with all the cards face up?	Our software prevents even hosts from watching hands in progress with cards face up.  Hand replay and history is blocked until the hand has completed.
I want to play for fun only.  Where are the play money tables?	You are always welcome to play for fun only at our site.  We have play money tables open for your enjoyment.  These can be found at the bottom of the tables list in the Table view of the Lobby.
What is the minimum chip value I can purchase?	We offer the Internet's only micro-stakes poker.  The current minimum purchase is �10.
I'd like to know more about your security arrangements, or how you store your decks of cards, or similar questions.	We take the security of our systems very seriously.  We recognize that a compromise of our systems would compromise our business.  As such, it is our policy to not discuss the particulars of our security arrangements beyond the information we have already posted to our web site.   Our RNG and shuffle algorithms have been reviewed and approved by BMM, an independent firm specializing in analysis of gaming software randomness.  See the certificate issued at:  http://www.bmm.com.au/certification/certificates/tribeca/bmmi_TribecaPoker_rngcertificate.html
I have forgotten my password.	If a player forgets their password to the poker room this is what you need to do. Using the AI Client find the player using Players -> View/Edit Properties Click the Reset password button Enter a password of your choosing E-mail the new password to the user In the e-mail include the following.   Please change your password when you next login to the poker room. Go to the profile page, and in the bottom left corner you will see a �Change Password� button.
I can't see cards/chips/other graphics.  What causes this, and what can I do?	Windows ME, 98, and 95 (95 is not supported by the poker client) have a fixed amount of memory allocated to graphics resources (GDI resources) regardless of the amount of RAM or video card. Our client is currently fairly resource intensive. This produces resource constraints resulting in missing cards, chips, etc.  The development team will, beginning with the next release, reduce the graphics resources consumed. This will be an evolutionary process. For players experiencing the problem, the first step is to not have other programs running that are graphical in nature. If the problem arises, the best bet is to restart the computer at a convenient point.  I recommend restarting for such players prior to joining a tournament.  If the problem does occur during a tournament, the player should restart and log in again. The player will be "away from table" during this time but should be reseated automatically on logging in again.
What is the maximum promo match under the aceking program?	The aceking matching bonus program offers a 20% match up to $100 on the first qualifying deposit.  This means that deposits of over $500 will have a match capped at $100.
How are action points handled when a player changes skins?	There will be occasions where a player will change skins, using the same screen name. This will result in separate pools of action points for each skin used. And if the player has joined the aceking promo with one skin, play under the other skin will not accrue action points towards the promo. For example, player DanDaMan registers with the Poker Daddy skin and signs up for his initial $100 deposit under the aceking promo. He has a target of 2500 action points to earn his $20 promo. He plays enough to reduce his target to 1100 when he downloads the RacingPost skin and plays using it. Now, he earns general action points, not counting to qualifying for the promo. Let's say he plays a while before realizing this, and has earned 800 action points. He then switches back to Poker Daddy to complete the promo. The 800 action points earned under Racing Post do not transfer to the Poker Daddy general action point pool. Once DanDaMan has qualified for and received the $20 match, his play under Poker Daddy earns him general action points in a separate counter from the Racing Post pool in the DB. In summary, action points are segregated in the DB by skin and are not cumulative across skins. Do not offer to consolidate action points!
The tourney info window says the tournament is at 30/60 but the table I'm watching is at 15/30.  Is this a bug?	No.  If levels are set to 12 minutes, and on a given table, a hand starts 11:59 into the level, that table will lag behind levels for the duration of that hand.  There could also be for another reason.  For limit games 30/60 means the limit is 30/60 but the blinds are 15/30.  When it's pl/nl 30/60 it means the blinds are 30/60
Is there a transaction charge for switch debits/credits?	No.
A player complains about another player reducing.  What do you do?	A player may not take chips off the table. In pot limit or no limit, a player may win a large pot and take chips off the table so he/she does not lose them back. This is against the house rules. The player must sit out for 30 minutes or return the chips to the table. Since tables have a maximum amount a player can return to the table, please ask them to return that amount or they will be forced to leave that particular table for at least 30 minutes. This rule applies to all games but is usually not a problem in limit games.
I just cashed out. How do I get paid?	When the customer requests a payment through the client-  if they have a debit card payment is automatically made to that card, if they have more than one debit card it is unclear, at the moment, which one is used (Tommy Cooper is trying to find out). If they do not have a debit card an e-mail is generated and our staff make the payment manually, using the following criteria - If they have a credit card it will be made to that card (we cannot pay to Mastercard though), with more than 1 credit card registered we e-mail them asking which card they would like to use. If they have no cards registered we would e-mail them asking which method they would prefer, telegraphic transfer (�15 charge), or cheque (sterling - free, US$ - free, Euro - to Ireland is free, to the rest of Europe is �50 equivalent. So much for a common currency).
How long does a check take to be delivered (Canada)	As it depends on the international post we normally state 10 to 14 working days.   There is a charge associated with cancelling cheques
I have action points with more than one skin.  I would like to have them consolidated.	Sorry, but we cannot do that.  Action Points have value and are paid for by the skin you used when earning them.  We cannot transfer them from one skin to another.  The player should view each skin as a separate poker rooms.   Do keep in mind that affiliate skins look like their parent skin to players.  For example, Virgin (VI) is an affiliate of VCPoker.  Internally, these are two separate skins.  To the player, they appear to both be VCPoker.
I had 50 gazillion Action Points and they are gone.  What's wrong?	Did you change skins?   Action points have value and are paid for by the skin under which they were earned.  Therefore we track them separately for each skin you use.
What are the prize payouts for the tourney?	For a real money tournament the total prize pool will depend on the number of entries.  In a guaranteed prize pool tournament, the House will ensure the pool is at the specified minimum. For a freeroll the total prize pool will be fixed. The prize allocation amongst the top finishers depends on the number of players in the tournament. The total prize pool is displayed in the tournament lobby. The prize distribution percentages for varying numbers of players are displayed on the following page:  http:/<skin>/games_tournaments.html
During a tournament the button is sometimes in a seat where there is no player, why is that? During a tournament there is sometimes no small blind, why is that?	In order to make in fair on everyone, during a tournament, every player must pay one big blind and one small blind per round. In order to achieve this we have to use the "dead button" rule. If the person in the small blind gets knocked out, the next hand there will be a dead button. The button will be placed in the seat that the small button was sat in , even though there is no player.   Example: Seat 1 Dealer Button Seat 2 Small Blind Seat 3 Big Blind   The player in Seat 2 gets knocked out.   Next hand. Seat 2 (No player) Dealer Button (Dead Button) Seat 3 Small Blind Seat 4 Big Blind   If the player in the Big Blind gets knocked out then for the next hand there will be no small blind, and the hand after that will be a dead button. Example: Seat 1 Dealer Button Seat 2 Small Blind Seat 3 Big Blind   The player in Seat 3 gets knocked out.   Next hand. Seat 2 Dealer Button Seat 3 (No player) Seat 4 Big Blind   Next hand. Seat 3 (No player) Dealer Button (Dead Button) Seat 4 Small Blind Seat 5 Big Blind
What do I tell a player who reports money seems missing, or doesn't seem to have followed the player after the player left a table? I won money in a tournament but it's not in my account.  I won money in a tournament but I can't see my balance. I was at a table, and now I can't see my money in my cage account.	When a player leaves a table, the chips are queued for return to BOS.  If a player does not explicitly stand up from the table, the player may remain at the table for a period of time before being picked up.  Only when picked up will money be queued for return.   If BOS is not available when the poker server tries to return money or if the player's cage account is closed, the funds get "stuck" in the return queue.   Chips for deposit to BOS are put in a queue.  The queue is processed and if the transfer to BOS fails, the transaction is retried every few seconds.  After a while, the poker server "gives up" and marks the transaction as "timed out" and gives up.  The funds are not lost ... they are just parked. If BOS has not been down recently, this is indicative of a closed BOS account.  VCI CSRs should check BOS.  CWG CSRs should contact the on-duty VCI CSR to check BOS. Normally, this happens when VCI Security closes an account while a player is at a table, or in a tournament.   When this happens, and you have confirmed the account was indeed closed, one of a couple things might happen.  You might learn that the player has another active account.  In that case, send a request to Dan with necessary details, asking the deposit be re-routed.  Or, the player's account was only suspended and once it is reopened, let Dan know so the transaction can be reset from "I give up" state to "new transaction" state. Expect this may take a couple days from the request, on average. to be done.  Or, the player has been "booted" forever, in which case, let Dan know and the stuck transaction will be handled. Now, if BOS has been down recently, it is possible the transaction timed out before BOS was brought back on line.  In this case, you should let Dan know so that any transactions in this category can be reset.  Again, this may take a day or two, depending on when Dan is notified.
Player says s/he can't log on despite your resetting password.	You might get a call from a player who reported being unable to log on.  You get the player's cage ID rather than screen name and then search for the player.  You see the screen name and you reset the pswd.  The player still can't log on.  What's going on? Check the screen name carefully for preceding or following blanks.  You can put a blank in front or behind a screen name as part of the name.  That can cause great confusion.  You should offer to change the screen name to remove the blanks.
Why do you allow people to never play a hand ... isn't that unfair, or cheating?	There is a legitimate tournament strategy whereby a player doesn't bet at all, until the later stages of a tournament.  The value of this strategy is open to debate but it is commonly used.  It would be extremely unlikely that following this strategy would put a player in the money for a tournament if continued for too long.  Each pass of the button results in the player following this strategy being assessed the big and small blinds.  As the stakes rise, this becomes an increasingly large percentage of the remaining chips. To minimize the number of no-shows for freeroll tourneys, we now require posting of a small Action Point fee.  There will still be no-shows but disconnected players will eventually run out of chips.
I registered with the poker room, got some action points, and signed up for a promo (like aceking).  How does all that work? I got a different amount of action points when I signed up than my friend did.  Why?	We offer players who register with the poker room and open a cage account an action point sign up bonus.  The amount of those free action points will vary according to the promotion(s) we are running at the time you signed up. When you make a qualifying deposit and provide a promo code, all action points you earn by playing at real money tables go towards the promotion you will earn.  These are separate from the General Action Points you earn when you are not in a promotion.  Once you complete the promotion, you again earn action points that you can use for freerolls. For example, you may be given 500 action points when you open your cage account.  You may play in freerolls using these action points.  We generally give you 2.5 times the freeroll entry.  With 500 action points, you have sufficient action points to enter two 200 action point freerolls.  If you make a qualifying real money deposit using a valid promo code, you are given a target number of action points to earn, based on the amount you deposited.   Once you have earned those points by playing raked real money games, your promotional match is deposited to your cage account and you are earning  General Action Points.  The more you play, the sooner you earn your promotional match, and the sooner you get General Action Points that you may use to enter freerolls.
I saw 6 players at one table and 9 at another.  That's not supposed to happen.	The software keeps tables in balance.  If it sees a difference of 2 players ... for example 7 at one and 5 at another ... it will balance the number of players at each table.   This may not happen immediately ... hands are played asynchronously across tables (except when "hand for hand").  Therefore, if there are 9 on table A and 9 on table B and 3 go bust in one hand at table A, while table B is still playing, you'll see 6 at table A and 9 at table B until the 9 player table completes the hand.  Then the balancing will proceed.
Please increase my daily/weekly/monthly limit.	Please send your request, including your screen name, to:  [email protected]
I left a No Limit or Pot Limit table and I'm being forced to bring back the amount with which I left. The No Reducing rule doesn't seem to stop after the 30 minutes you told me it would.	We are now enforcing the No Reducing rule in the software.  You may get complaints that the 30 minute reducing enforcement doesn't seem to be working ... that a player stood up, found the reducing rule on return, and waited; that the 30 minutes went by and s/he still was being asked for the amount taken off the table earlier. When a player opens the table ... "watch mode" ... the buy-in values are sent to that client. If the player leaves that table window open, waiting the 30 minutes, the client will not be sent an update. Therefore, when requesting a seat, the player will again see the "no reducing" buy-in value displayed. The player must leave the table (close that window) and then return to it after  the 30 minute period for the normal buy-in values to be displayed. We've looked at the effort required to "refresh" the buy-in value when a player clicks on a seat and it is a significant level of redesign and rework. Please be prepared to explain this to players. "You must close the table window and reopen it after the 30 minute 'no reducing' period for normal buy-in values to be presented to you."
I don't get "hand for hand" ... what's that about?	At various times during a tournament the play will be "hand for hand".  This can occur at a number of times, for example, when the number of players remaining is one off the money, or when there is one player remaining before tables are merged. The most common time for this to happen is when the tournament is 10 handed (two tables of 5) one player needs to be knocked out before the two tables are combined to make the final table. "Hand for hand" means that for each hand that is dealt on table 1, one hand will be dealt on table 2. Should one of the tables complete their hand before the other table, they will wait for the other table to finish before starting the next hand.  A common "tactic" in tournaments is to delay the play when the tournament is 10 handed, this increases the chances of making the final table. "Hand for hand" prevents players from adopting this delaying tactic, and makes the tournament fairer for all remaining players.
Unable to contact financial institution?	This error is issued when the poker server is not able to connect via the API to the cage/cashier ... applies to both Victor Chandler and Poker Blasters. If a player reports this message, it is wise to confirm that the cage is up. Then ask the player to try again. If there are large numbers of such reports and the cage is confirmed to be up and running, escalate to Tribeca.
Is there a way to reserve seats?	There are no "reserved" seats in the sense that you can ask a seat be held for you. If you are on the waiting list, and it's your turn to be offered a seat, then a "reserved" graphic is shown over the seat being held while you decide if you wish the seat or not.
What are the options and how do I change them?	The current options for players to set are:  enable buddy alerts enable free check warning enable sounds never show winning hands These options are accessible from the lobby Options menu as well as from any table by clicking the Options button at the bottom of the table, to the right of the ticker region.  A menu is displayed and an entry is modified by clicking on it.  A checkmark signifies the option is selected (turned on).
Player reported to be abusing all-in by timing out deliberately.	Dear Player, Please be advised that we have received complaints regarding  intentional time-outs. This is a serious complaint and if it is determined that a player is abusing the all-in privilege, then the policy of the poker room is to suspend that players all-ins entirely. We appreciate your cooperation in this regard. Thank you, Poker room management
When does the "Under raise rule" apply?	If a player raises all-in and the amount of the raise is less than the minimum raise allowed, the under raise rule is applied. An "under-raise" is considered a call. This occurs when a player raises a prior bet but has to go all-in to do so. If the player under-raising � going all-in to  raise �has less than � of the expected raise for that betting round, the betting round is locked. The term locked here means that any player who has already acted in the round (checked, called, or raised) may no longer raise. They may only call or fold. However, players who have yet to act (betting has not reached them yet) may raise the expected raise for that betting round,  after calling. If the under-raise is � or more than the expected raise, the lock rule does not apply.
How many action points do I  get for a tourney?	Tourneys award 1 action point for each penny in **fee**. For example, a $10 buy-in requires a $1 fee. That's 100 action points. The rate of AP award for tourneys is consistent with the AP award for ring tables. We don't go into detail with players but the ring table award of AP is 1 AP per cent of rake contributed by the player. Player rake is a function of player's pro-rata contribution to the pot.
I don't have the "never show winning cards" option selected. Why don't I get enough time to respond to the Show / Don't Show buttons?	The server sends the client a signal that if the option is not selected, it's time to display the Show / Don't Show buttons. We allow 3 seconds for that response from the player. On a slow connection, it may be that the server's signal to the client is delayed in arriving, causing the actual time for the player to be less than 3 seconds, and possibly to be skipped entirely. It is also possible that the "show" request doesn't get back to the server in time, causing the server to move on assuming "Don't Show" was selected.
A player reports creating a play money account but cannot create a real money account. S/he doesn't have a real money account yet cannot register for real money? Why?	We only allow one real money account per player, and we only grant open access to real money account registration to the first account created on the computer. If the computer was used to create a screen name for play money (no cage account) and then a subsequent screen name is created on that computer, that second account is automatically blocked. Only the first screen name on the computer is able to automatically register for a real money account. All additional accounts must be unblocked by poker room management.
Player wants to know if it's okay to kibitz (comment on) when not in a hand.	Only players who are remaining in a hand should make comments on the current hand. Observers, including those who have folded, must not comment about the play, or style of any player, or the how the game is being played. Any player breaching these rules: First offence - receives a warning. Second offence - Chat banned for 24 hours. Third offence - Chat banned for 1 week. Fourth offence - permanent ban.
Customer Question:  Do you have shills or employees paid to play with company money?	Shills are players who play with company money.  We do not have shills.
Customer Question:  Do you have prop players	Yes.   Read this section for more guidance. Generally, a customer that is taking the time to get upset about our prop players is losing.  I don�t think you will find anyone coming on and complaining when they are winning.  When a player is losing they are looking for any excuse. Try to take that into account -- most losing players just want 2 minutes of sympathy.  The following should be explained and make every attempt to turn around the situation because in actuality we are providing a service that costs us money. -the poker room has no financial interest in whether or not a prop wins or loses.  They are playing entirely on their own money.  If they go broke we do not lend money or extend any type of credit. Other than getting paid a small fee per hand for playing and being required to follow our rules to help service you - they are just a player like yourself. -this program is a service of the poker room to help start games for players like yourself.  In fact the program is open to all players if they so choose.  You must be willing to play many hours per week, move from the table to table when told, and occasionally work from a set schedule.  If that is interesting to you, send us e-mail and will be happy to give you more information.
How does a player use ping and tracert to check connectivity to the poker server?	to ping the poker servers ... this is a measure of         if simple small packets of data are reaching         the poker servers, and how long those packets         take round-trip.         - Start | Run         - In the dialogue box type "command" ... a                 small black DOS window should open with                 C:\>                 showing.  On some systems, if the window                 doesn't open, or stay open, use "cmd"                 instead.         - At the C:\> prompt, the player should type                 "ping 66.212.234.158" and press Enter.                 This will return information for 4 packets                 of data.  The player should copy that                 output and paste into email.  See below                 for instructions on copying and pasting                  DOS window output.  to tracert to the poker servers ... traces the route taken by data from player to poker         servers.         - Start | Run         - In the dialogue box type "command" ... a                 small black DOS window should open with                 C:\>                 showing.  On some systems, if the window                 doesn't open, or stay open, use "cmd"                 instead.         - At the C:\> prompt, the player should type                    "tracert -d 66.212.234.158"                 This will return a list of IP addresses                 used to connect the client to the poker                 servers.  The player should copy that                 output and paste into email.  See below                 for instructions on copying and pasting                 DOS window output. Copying from a DOS window: - Scroll up in window to location for start of copy - Click on first character in that line ... for our         purposes, the "C" at the start of C:\> - Holding the left mouse button down, scroll down         to the end of the data desired, and press Enter. - The Copy is now complete.  Open a mail window and         paste (Ctrl V). should receive something resembling: C:\>ping 66.212.234.158 Pinging 66.212.234.158 with 32 bytes of data: Reply from 66.212.234.158: bytes=32 time=50ms TTL=47 Reply from 66.212.234.158: bytes=32 time=40ms TTL=47 Reply from 66.212.234.158: bytes=32 time=40ms TTL=47 Reply from 66.212.234.158: bytes=32 time=40ms TTL=47 Ping statistics for 66.212.234.158:     Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% los Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:     Minimum = 40ms, Maximum =  50ms, Average =  42ms         ---and--- C:\>tracert -d 66.212.234.158 Tracing route to 66.212.234.158 over a maximum of 30 hops   1    20 ms    10 ms    20 ms  10.32.99.1   2    20 ms    20 ms    20 ms  130.81.10.25   3    10 ms    20 ms    20 ms  130.81.8.17   4    10 ms    20 ms    20 ms  130.81.8.10   5    10 ms    30 ms    20 ms  130.81.8.54   6    10 ms    20 ms    20 ms  130.81.4.214   7    20 ms    20 ms    20 ms  65.116.172.85   8    20 ms    20 ms    20 ms  205.171.230.14   9    20 ms    20 ms    30 ms  205.171.230.2  10    20 ms    20 ms    30 ms  205.171.8.245  11    20 ms    10 ms    30 ms  205.171.17.6  12    10 ms    30 ms    20 ms  205.171.17.98  13    20 ms    20 ms    20 ms  205.171.1.122  14    20 ms    20 ms    30 ms  144.232.20.97  15    20 ms    20 ms    20 ms  144.232.16.93  16    20 ms    20 ms    20 ms  144.232.16.89  17    20 ms    20 ms    20 ms  144.232.5.6  18    30 ms    30 ms    30 ms  144.228.166.14  19    30 ms    30 ms    30 ms  207.107.254.7  20    30 ms    30 ms    40 ms  209.5.127.246  21    30 ms    30 ms    40 ms  66.212.224.70  22    40 ms    50 ms    50 ms  66.212.234.158 Trace complete.