Created by LawDude on August 5, 2009

Definition

A rule followed in almost all poker games, which provides that for money or chips to play, it must be on the table at the time the dealing of the hand commences, and that any money or chips that are on the table at that time does play. This rule protects players by ensuring that the maximum amount they can lose is fixed before the hand is dealt. It also prohibits players from "going south", i.e., taking money or chips off the table so that they will not be lost.

Example

In a 4 player game, if at the start of the hand, player 1 has $120 in chips on the table, player 2 has $80 in chips on the table, player 3 has $150 in chips on the table, and player 4 has $100 in chips on the table, these are the table stakes. No player may bet more on the hand than the amount that he or she had on the table at the start of the hand, and no player may take money off the table.



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