• POKER ROOM
• Poker Room
• Getting Started
• Special Features
• Poker Games
• Poker Strategy
• Poker Rules
  • Cardroom Rules
  • Limit Structure
  • Table Rake
• Poker Hands
• Poker Terms
• Poker Room FAQ

Card Room Rules

1. English is the only language allowed on Pokerstars chat, however widely understood non-English phrases such as 'Gracias', 'Bonjour' etc. are also acceptable. Also in Pokerstars special designated "national" tournaments, players may chat in that nation's language.
2. Player chat should be conducted only in a socially acceptable manner. Offensive, rude, or any form of unsuitable chat is not allowed. Players engaging in such inappropriate chat are liable to penalties. Penalties include being banned from chat, for either a set period of time or permanently. In extreme cases, such players may even forfeit their playing privileges.
3. Players are prohibited from using the PokerStars chat feature to promote websites or any business-related service. Such "spamming" may result in a ban on the player's chat and/or game play.
4. Players may not enter words, characters or expressions into chat which would result in difficulty for others who wish to use the chat feature. We deem such behavior as detrimental to the enjoyment of our games and as such we do not allow it. Players engaging in this again may forfeit their chat privileges.
5. Players are prohibited from "spamming" tables with broadcasts of private or sit-and-go tournaments. Such spamming can result in chat being banned, the private tournament in question or said player's involvement in it being cancelled, and/or forfeit of playing privileges.
6. In any cash game or tournament, players who have already folded in the current hand may not chat about the cards they folded. This gives unfair information to players still involved in the hand.
7. In cash games only, players still involved in a hand may engage in "coffee-housing", i.e. they are permitted to chat about the cards they profess to have. This is a common facet of modern poker. However, players (in the hand or not) may not instruct or otherwise intimate on how another player should play his hand. For example, while it is fine to declare "You should call; I'm bluffing." It is not fine however to declare, "You should call; he's bluffing."
8. In any cash game or tournament, when there are over two players left in a pot, players (still in the hand or not) are not permitted to chat anything which could within reason be looked upon as influencing the play of the hand. For example, supposing players A, B, and C are playing in a hand. A bets, and it is B's turn then to act. C may not chat, "I'm going to fold" (whether he actually means to fold or not).
9. PokerStars management rulings will be final in the case of any disputes pertaining to the aforementioned rules.