Tournament Director’s Assoc. Rule #26
Rule #26: Raises: There is no cap on the number of raises in no-limit games. A raise must be at least the size of the previous raise. In limit events there will be a limit to raises even when heads-up until the tournament is down to two players; the house limit will apply.
In most card rooms there is either a four or five bet cap on each round of betting. Be sure you know the house rule. Also in many rooms there is no cap when heads up or perhaps no cap heads up on the river in cash games, but the TDA rule is there will be limits on the number of raises until the tournament is heads up. The reason for the cash game rule is simple: either player in a heads up betting duel can stop the betting at any time by calling instead of raising. The TDA, in an interesting decision, decided not to take on this convention for limit tournaments.
Notice that in No Limit games there is no cap on the number of bets, sometimes players get confused because the third or fourth bet in a No Limit game is usually an “all-in” bet, but bets can go back and forth as long as players have chips in front of them in a No Limit game.
Also note that in No Limit the raise must be at least the size of the last raise not the last bet. So if the blinds are 100/200 and a player opens for 700, the next raise would have to be at least 500 more (the previous raise) not 700 (the amount of the last bet) and the next player could also raise 500 (or more, of course).
-this is Beginner’s Poker Blog Post #159
