A. Membership
1. Members are allowed only ONE PSL name. It is required that you always wear your PSL name while a tourney is in progress — whether you are playing in a game or visiting in the lobby. If for some reason you are unable to sign-on with your PSL name, then you may create a second name by simply adding a 1 behind your original name. (ex: PantherSassy1 (gals) PSL_CrazyD) (guys)
A PSL member’s name is to be used only by that particular PSL member. Anyone else will need to join and make their own PSL name. Any violations of this rule will be handled by the PSL Administrators.
2. Once the PSL tourney lobby is opened, no more new members will be signed-up to play that night. Please contact us, if you have a prospective member to be signed-up, but do not wait until 9:30 PM CST to do it.
B. Lobby Rules
1. The tourney is officially closed for sign-ups when the tournament starts at the top of the hour. Those who have already registered to play must be in the tournament lobby and ready to play at the start of the tournament to avoid being timed out.
Addendum: You are “registered to play” when you agree to a partner before the rooms go out. When the host asks you and another player on if you want to partner together, both players must confirm to the host in order to be teamed up and registered to play. You are also registered to play when [1] yourself or your partner sign up as a partnership (typically in regular partnerships) or [2] if you don’t mind any player being your partner (i.e. saying “BRB, any partner will do”).
2. Hosts with regular partners (i.e. players they prefer to play with every night) are allowed to partner with their regular partners on their hosting night. Hosts without regular partners (or without their regular partner on their hosting night) have the option to play or not play on their hosting night; these hosts can play only if there is one player without a partner by the time the tournament is closed for sign-ups.
3. Gaming Safari’s “GS Friends” private talk rooms are allowed prior to the start of the tournament. However, all private talk rooms must be closed 5 minutes prior to the start of the tournament.
4. Members living in the same house shall not be allowed to partner in and during tournaments.
5. Offensive language or off-color remarks will not be tolerated in the lobby or during any game at any time.
6. Typing in CAPS (i.e. typing with the Caps Lock on) is to be used only by hosts on the night they host. Players should refrain from typing in CAPS in the lobby so the host can bring attention to certain players and run tournaments smoothly.
7. No spoofing or typing of bogus messages in the lobby or during a game. NO MACROS ARE ALLOWED.
8. Any lobby announcements must be approved by PantherBratt in advance.
C. Gameplay Rules
1. Once a room assignment is posted by the tournament host, the four players must join the room as soon as possible. In Gaming Safari, the moderator (the first player listed in the room assignment) makes the room by seating themselves in the Heart seat. The moderator’s partner sits in the Diamond seat. Their opponents sit in the Club and Spade seats.
NOTE: DO NOT click the START button right after joining your room. Once all four players are correctly seated at the room, you may then click START. Failure to follow this will require making a new, different room to avoid potential Gaming Safari issues.
2. The moderator of the room is responsible for making sure the game settings are correct and inquiring if all chats and other prohibited programs are turned off. If the settings are incorrect when the game is started, a new, different room must be made to avoid potential Gaming Safari issues.
3. There is a 10 hand limit for all PSL Tourney games. Settings are -400/400 or -500/500 for team games, and 250/-250 for singles. Host will announce any special settings that may be necessary for “unusual” games and formats such as Whiz, Blind Nil, 3-5-0 and Mirrors
4. No one is allowed in individual tourney rooms except the 4 players assigned to the room. The host, co-host, a sub or someone designated by the host to check on the room may enter at the host’s discretion.
5. TABLE TALK is defined as anything you say to your partner or opponents which may influence the strategy or outcome of the hand or game. Table talk will result in a DQ. Complimenting or apologizing to pard/opponents BETWEEN hands is acceptable.
At NO time in a game are the following allowed: cmp, cmbp, duck, P???, icup, bag em, set em, gla13, or any reference saying gl or gla on a 13 bid. Above all, DO NOT SAY ANYTHING that brings attention to the bid, score or bags.
Noted Exceptions: As voted by PSL membership, saying GLN is allowed when someone goes nil. Saying SP if you are set or your nil is busted is obvious to all and is allowed. Saying GLA/GLP before game begins is allowed as is GGA/GGP when game is finished. Of course, after the game you may speak freely.
Addendum: Only in Full Spades, you are allowed to say GLBN and GL10-4-200.
6. If a misbid occurs in the first hand of a game, it is an automatic restart. Each game is only allowed one restart and it has to be in the first hand. Any other misbids during that game will be considered a DQ. In some “specialty” games, the host will announce if misbids are a DQ or point deductions at the end of the game.
7. The tourney game room shall remain unlocked at all times. If the room mod locks the door, this will result in a DQ for the mod.
8. Playing sound waves during a tourney game is permitted only to make sure players have not booted from the table; specifically, the only waves allowed are “Ahem” and “There?” (“Are you still there?”). Spamming sound waves is not allowed. Any violation of this rule will result in a DQ.
9. If a disqualification is called in a game — all players are to remain in the room until the host or designated person comes to make a ruling. The only exception is in the event of an obvious DQ such as a misbid in Mirrors or in a tourney where the host has stated misbids are point deductions at endgame.
10. No chatting is allowed in the main PSL lobby while playing in a game except to notify host of a problem in the room.
D. Booted Players
1. If room-maker is booted during the first hand, that is an automatic restart. If a substitute is available, the booted player has 5 minutes to return. Otherwise, the booted player has 7 minutes. If the booted player does not return within the alloted time, a sub will be assigned (if available) and the game will begin again. When the booted player returns, they will take sub’s place.
2. If anyone other than the room-maker is booted during ANY hand, all remaining players are to remain in the room, and notify the host by typing in the lobby. If a substitute is available, the booted player has 5 minutes to return. Otherwise, the booted player has 7 minutes. If the booted player does not return within the alloted time, a sub will be assigned (if available). When the booted player returns, they will take sub’s place.
3. Upon their availability, substitutes will be sent into a game as stated in rules D1 and D2. If for any reason the booted player does not return, the sub will continue with that pard until end of tourney. If there are no subs available when the allotted time expires, the booted player’s team must forfeit their game.
4. If at anytime a room is booted and the 4 players AGREE on the score prior to the boot, they have the option as a room to choose restarting and playing a 5 hand mini-game or continuing with present score and keeping score by hand. In the event the 4 players CANNOT AGREE on the score at the time of the boot, then a 5 hand mini-game will be played.
5. If a substitute subs in for a player’s partner, and that substitute has not played in that night’s tournament and plays 5 hands or more, that substitute then becomes that player’s partner for the duration of the tournament.
6. After a player is booted AND has been timed three times, if the player is booted a fourth time, they will not be allowed to resume playing in the tournament. A substitute (if available) will continue in their place. (This rule was set to avoid holding up the tournament as it will be not fair to their partner and other players playing. If bootings consistently persist, please contact your ISP to resolve this issue.)
E. Game Results
1. In the event of a tie at the end of 10 hands, additional hands will be played until the tie is broken.
2. Tourney team games are scored as one win and one loss per round. Wins and losses for Singles Tourney games are credited as follows: first place receives the win, second place will advance to next round with no win/loss awarded, and third & fourth places will receive a loss.
3. During a tourney, disqualification losses will only count against the person that causes the DQ.