If you are looking to learn about the official poker rules, you’ve come to the right place. The Professional Tournament Directors Association, or TDA, is responsible for the rules of poker. Founded in 2001 by poker players Matt Savage, Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher, and David Lamb, the TDA now has more than 2,500 members in more than 60 countries. These people oversee tournaments, large live poker rooms, circuits, and independent events. The TDA holds a summit every two years to review poker rules, and WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel is on the board.
The official poker rules are written by Robert Ciaffone, also known as Bob Ciaffone in the poker world. Ciaffone selected the rules, organized them in the book, and made the text better. During the development of this book, Ciaffone was a rules consultant and drafter for various cardrooms. In addition, he wrote the rules for the Poker Players Association, a nonprofit organization that started in 1984 but is now defunct.
Players must sit in a chair that is within reach of the table. If a player moves from their seat during a hand, the dealer will kill the hand before it is awarded the pot. Similarly, the dealer must kill losing hands before awarding them a pot. As such, it’s important to pay attention to the rules and don’t leave your seat during a hand. Otherwise, you could get into a bad situation where you lose your entire stack.