As adapted for ECA European Dealer Championship

General

The ECA reserves the right to promote and provide reportage of the championship via various broadcast mediums such as radio, television, internet, newspapers, etcetera, or to report (live) on the championship itself on the internet or through other media. Participants may be named or pictured in such report or upon registration. By registering for this event participants declare to agree to this unconditionally and irrevocably.

Participating dealers are requested to be dressed in full uniform of their respective casinos. English is the official language of communication at the championship tables.
A participant may be disqualified if found to contravene any of the rules of the Championship.
In the event of a dispute relating to these rules, the decision of the Championship Director will be final and the Championship will not proceed until the dispute is settled.
ECA and the Championship Director reserve the right to amend these Rules at any time.

In the event that the Rules are amended ECA will inform all participating casinos as soon as possible after the amendments are introduced.
It will be the responsibility of the participating casinos to inform their team members of the rules and any amendments.
A copy of these rules will be available beforehand and at the Championship.
Should the number of entries be less than the minimum requirement of 16 contestants, ECA reserves the right to (i) cancel the Championship or (ii) invite national runners up to enter the Championship in order to meet the minimum requirement of 16 contestants.

ECA reserves the right to cancel the Championship without any liability.
All prizes are to be supplied by ECA (and/or sponsors).
All prize winners will be awarded the prizes published in the prize list for the Championship.

Conditions of Competition

Tournament chips do not represent cash value.
The judges on the table will be responsible for placing wagers.
On Black Jack boxes shall be played with a minimum of € 10 and a maximum of € 500 (in units of €10).
On Roulette a maximum of 100 colour chips per player shall be permitted on the inside layout.

The minimum on the inside bets shall be € 5. The maximum on the inside bets shall be:
Straight up: 100 - Split: 200 - Street: 300 - Corner: 400 - Sixline: 600
The minimum on the outside bets shall be € 500 to a maximum of € 5.000 (in units of € 500).
Colour chips will not be permitted on the outside bets.

General rules of Black Jack and Roulette shall apply, with the addition of supplementary Championship rules.

Give tips during the game is not allowed.

Drawn Results

If there is a drawn result between contestants, which may cause more than the allotted number of contestants to advance to the next round, or poses a problem to determine the winner of the Championship, each criterion of that round will be reviewed and tallied in the following order:

(1) Hospitality
(2) Technical skills
(3) Control of the game

The participant with the highest score for hospitality will advance to the next round or be awarded as the winner. If there is still a drawn result, the next criterion will be reviewed and tallied. In the event that all the cumulative scores are drawn, the participants will take part in a practical mathematical exercise to determine the person to advance, or the winner.

Mathematical Exercise

• The mathematical exercise will consist of a series of wagers on American Roulette and the participant will have to determine the payout for each wager, based on the normal payout odds on Roulette. Each participant will be timed during this exercise.
• To determine the winner, the results of the exercise will first be marked with the highest scoring participant proceeding to the next round or awarded as the winner.
• If the scores are drawn, the participant who has the fastest time will then advance to the next round or be awarded as the winner.
• In the event that the result and times are still drawn a second series of practical mathematical exercises will be conducted with the same criteria as outlined above and will continue until a result is determined.

As adapted for ECA European Dealer Championship

Definitions

"Championship Director" means a person, or that person's designee, appointed by ECA for the overall control of the Championship.

Table Layout and Equipment

• The game of Roulette shall be played at a table with an imprinted layout cloth and with a roulette wheel.
• The roulette wheel shall have 37 equal compartments with one marked zero and indicated by the colour green and the others marked 1 to 36 and indicated by the colours red and black, alternately around the wheel.
• The layout cloth will also contain a print of the roulette wheel. This print can be used for neighbour bets and/or serie bets.
• The following equipment shall also be used:
  • Marker buttons to indicate the values of the colour chips in use at the table.
  • A dolly to mark the winning number.
• The following equipment may be used:
  • A display rack with compartments used to indicate the colours and values of the colour chips in use at the table.
  • A winning number display unit, being an electronic device for recording and displaying the most recent winning numbers spun at the table.

Wagers

• The wagers defined in this rule shall be the permissible wagers by a player at the game of Roulette:
  • One number or Straight Up - Two numbers or Split - Three numbers or Street -
  Four numbers or Corner - Six numbers or Six-line - Column, Dozen.
  • Low - (1-18), High - (19-36), Even, Odd, Red, Black; The player only loses half of their original wager if "0' is spun
• Acceptable multiple piece wagers are defined as:
  • Neighbour bets (three, five or seven-piece wager) - Series 5/8 (six-piece wager) - Orphans (five-piece wager) - Grand Series 0/2/3" (nine-piece wager).
  • Zero Game (four-piece wager).
• All wagers shall be made by placing value chips and/or colour chips on the appropriate playing areas of the roulette layout. In the case of neighbour bets the dealer may also choose to use the ‘neighbour print’.
• A wager cannot be withdrawn, placed or changed after the dealer has called "No more bets".
• Wagers verbally declared shall be accepted only when accompanied by chips or colour chips and the dealer has sufficient time to place the wager on the layout prior to "No more bets" being called. All bets must be placed before the call of "No more bets".
• Players are responsible for the positioning of their wagers on the layout, whether or not the dealer assists them. Players must ensure that any instructions given to the dealer regarding the placement of their wagers are correctly carried out.
• Wagers shall be settled strictly in accordance with the position of chips or colour chips on the layout when the ball falls to rest in a compartment of the wheel.

Play of the Game

• At the completion of all payouts from the previous spin or before the ball is spun, the dealer shall announce, "Place your bets".
• The ball shall be spun by the dealer in a direction opposite to the rotation of the wheel and shall complete at least seven revolutions around the track of the wheel to constitute a valid spin.
• While the ball is still rotating around the wheel, the dealer shall call "No more bets" and indicate by hand hand motion over the layout that betting will now cease. From that moment, the ball shall complete at least three revolutions.
• Upon the ball coming to rest in a compartment of the wheel, the dealer shall announce the result and shall place the dolly on the corresponding number on the layout.
• After placing the dolly on the layout, the dealer shall (if applicable) add winning wagers from the neighbour print and collect all losing wagers from the layout then proceed to pay all winning wagers.

Settlement

Winning wagers at the game of Roulette shall be paid at the odds listed below:

• One number or Straight Up 35 to 1
• Two numbers or Split 17 to 1
• Three numbers or Street 11 to 1
• Four numbers or Corner 8 to 1
• Six numbers or Six-Line 5 to 1
• Column / Dozen 2 to 1
• Even chances, Low (1-18), High (19-36), Even, Odd, Red, Black 1 to 1
• Zero takes half on even chances, column and dozen lose.

Irregularities

• If the ball is spun in the same direction as the wheel is rotating, the dealer shall announce "No spin" and attempt to remove the ball from the wheel prior to it coming to rest in one of the compartments.
• If the dealer anticipates that the ball will not complete seven revolutions around the track of the wheel, the dealer shall announce "No spin" and attempt to remove the ball from the wheel prior to it coming to rest in one of the compartments.
• If a foreign object enters the wheel prior to the ball coming to rest the dealer shall announce "No spin" and attempt to remove the ball from the wheel prior to it coming to rest in one of the compartments.
• If the ball fails to fall into one of the compartments the dealer shall announce "No spin".
• If the ball is propelled or falls out of the wheel, the dealer shall announce "No spin". Upon retrieval the dealer shall examine the ball before replacing it in the wheel.
• If any person interferes with the ball or the rotation of the wheel, the dealer shall announce "No spin".
• Once the dealer has announced "No spin", it shall be an invalid spin regardless of whether or not the ball comes to rest in one of the compartments prior to the dealer's attempt to remove the ball from the wheel.
• After a "No spin" the dealer shall return the ball to the previous winning number compartment and re-spin.

Equipment

• The game of Blackjack shall be played with six decks of cards, each deck having 52 cards without jokers, with backs the same colour and design.
• The value of cards shall be as follows:
• An ace shall have a value 1 or 11
• Any card from 2 to 10 inclusive shall have its face value;
• Any jack, queen or king shall have a value of 10.
• All cards used in the game of Blackjack shall be dealt from a card shoe or shuffling device specifically designed for such purpose and located on the table to the left of the dealer. All cards shall be dealt face upwards.
• No player shall handle, remove or alter any cards used in the game of Blackjack.
• Each player at the table shall be responsible for correctly computing the point total of their hand and no player shall be entitled to rely on the point total announced by the dealer.

Wagers

• All wagers shall be placed by means of chips.
• A wager by a player shall be placed on the appropriate playing areas of the Blackjack layout prior to the first card being dealt for each round of play.
• Except as provided in these rules or until a decision and settlement has been made in respect of any wager, no wager may be handled, placed, increased or withdrawn after the first card of the round of play has been dealt.
• Up to four players may wager on any one playing area of the Blackjack layout.
• Where more than one player wagers on a playing area the decisions with regard to the cards dealt to that area shall be called by:
  • The player who is seated at the playing area;
  • Where there is no seated player, the player with the highest wager in the box;
  • Where all wagers are of equal value, the player whose wager is nearest the dealer.
  • The dealer shall, prior to the commencement of a round of play, ascertain the player who shall call the decisions with respect to any playing area.
• The dealer shall ensure that:
  • The player calling the decisions places his/her wager in the portion of the playing area nearest to the dealer's side of the table, and all other players wagering on the playing area place their wagers in a vertical line with the wager.
  • A player may be permitted to wager on more than one playing area at a Blackjack table.

Initial Deal

The dealer shall call "No more bets" and starting from the left and continuing clockwise round the table, shall deal a card in sequence to each playing area containing wager/s and a card to the dealer's position. In a like manner, the dealer shall then deal a second card to each of the wagered playing areas.

Insurance

Where the dealer's first card is an ace, a player may place an insurance wager, equivalent to half the amount placed as his/her initial wager, that the dealer's second card will have a value of ten. All insurance wagers shall be made before the commencement of the subsequent deal and are to be placed on the insurance line of the layout.

Interim Settlement

Upon completion of the initial deal and before the subsequent deal;

• Where a player has a Blackjack and the dealer's card does not have a value of ten or is not an ace, the dealer shall pay the wager(s) on that hand at odds of 3 to 2 and remove the cards dealt to that playing area.
• Where a player has a Blackjack and the dealer's card is an ace, the dealer shall, at the players’ request, pay the player in settlement an amount equal to the initial wager. In this instance, any insurance wager made by the player shall be void and returned to the player.
• Where a player has a Blackjack and the dealer's card has a value of ten, the dealer shall make no payment nor remove any cards from that playing area until the outcome is determined.

As adapted for ECA European Dealer Championship

Subsequent Deal

• The dealer shall, beginning from the left, announce the player's point total and allow the player to indicate whether he/she wishes to double, split pairs, stand by electing to receive no additional cards or receive an additional card(s) and a verbal indication is also required from the player.
• A player may elect to receive additional cards, whenever his/her point total is less than 21, except that a player having Blackjack or a hard or soft total of 21 may not draw additional cards.
• Each player must indicate his/her decision(s) by scratching, tapping or knocking on the table to indicate a request for additional cards, or by moving the hand horizontally to indicate that the player wishes to stand. As each player indicates his/her decision(s), the dealer shall deal face up whatever additional cards are required to give effect to the decision(s) and shall announce the point total of the player's hand after each additional card is dealt.
• Where a player's point total exceeds 21, any wager on that hand shall lose and the dealer shall immediately collect the cards from that hand and place them in the discard rack or shuffling machine.

Doubling

• A player may elect to double, by wagering an amount equal to their original wager, on the first two cards dealt to their hand or the first two cards of any split pair providing that:
  • The point total of the first two cards equals 9, 10 or 11
  • The player doesn’t have a Blackjack
  • One, and only one, card is dealt to the hand.
• Where a player elects to double, the one additional card received shall be dealt face upwards and placed sideways on the layout.
• If the player controlling the playing area elects to double, player(s) with a wager on the same playing area shall also have the option to double on that hand before the additional card is dealt. If the other player(s) do not double, the condition that only one additional card shall be dealt to that hand remains unchanged.
• If the dealer obtains Blackjack after a player doubles, the dealer shall collect all of the players’ wager.

Splitting

• When the initial two cards dealt to a playing area are identical in value, the player controlling that playing area may elect to split the hand into two separate hands providing that the wager on the second hand so formed is an amount equal to the original wager.
• When a player splits a pair of cards the dealer shall deal a second card to the first of the hands so formed and shall complete the player's decisions with respect to that hand before proceeding to deal any cards to the next hand.
• After a second card is dealt to a split hand, the dealer shall announce the point total of that hand and the player shall indicate their decision to stand, draw, split again (in case of a second identical card) or double with respect thereto except that:
  • A player splitting aces shall receive one additional card on each ace which shall be dealt face upwards and placed sideways on the layout. Only when the additional card is an ace, the player may elect to split again; and
  • A player splitting aces or 10 point value cards shall not be capable of achieving a Blackjack.
  • A player can split the hand as many times as the cards are identical in value.
• If the player controlling a playing area decides to split, any other player who has placed a wager on that playing area shall either:
  • Make an additional wager on the split hand(s) so formed of an amount equal to their original wager; or
  • Have their original wager placed on the first hand so formed.
• If the dealer obtains a Blackjack after a player splits a hand, the dealer shall collect all of the player's wager.

Additional Cards to the Dealers Hand

• When the subsequent deal to all players' hands has been completed, a dealer shall, deal additional cards as necessary to his/her hand, and a dealer will draw to 16 and stand on (soft) 17.
• If the dealer's first card is an ace and the second card does not have a value of 10, any insurance wagers shall be lost and collected by the dealer immediately upon the drawing of that card.
• No additional cards shall be drawn to the dealer's hand, regardless of the point total, if decisions have been made on all players' hands and the additional cards would have no effect on the outcome of the round of play.

Final Settlement

Settlement of wagers remaining on the table after the completion of the dealer's hand shall be as follows:

• A player having a Blackjack shall win and be paid at odds of 3 to 2 if the dealer does not also have a Blackjack.
• A player having a point total of 21 or less shall win and be paid at odds of 1 to 1 if the dealer's hand has a point total in excess of 21.
• A player having a point total of 21 or less shall win and be paid at odds of 1 to 1 if the point total exceeds that of the dealer's hand.
• An insurance wager shall win and be paid at odds of 2 to 1 if the dealer achieves a Blackjack.
• A player shall lose if the point total of the dealer exceeds that of the player without exceeding 21.
• A wager on a Blackjack shall constitute a standoff if the dealer also has a Blackjack.
• A wager on a hand with the same point total as that of the dealer's hand shall constitute a standoff.

Irregularities

• A card found turned face upwards in the shuffling device shall be burned by placing it in the discard rack.
• A card dealt or burned in error shall be dealt to the players or the dealer as though it were the next card from the shoe or shuffling device. A player who refuses to accept the card shall not receive any additional card during that round of play. Where the card is refused by all players, it shall become the dealer's next card.
• A card exposed and dealt in error to the dealer's completed hand shall be burned by placing it in the discard rack.
• Should any round of play contain an error caused by the incorrect dealing of a card, every effort must be made to reconstruct that round of play in such a way as to cause the sequence of cards dealt to be as it should have been had the error not occurred.
  However, should every effort to reconstruct the round of play fail, the Championship Director may then authorise that the round be declared void and the wagers shall then be returned to the players.

The criteria for the European Dealer Championship will be multiplied by a factor of importance; hospitality (3x), Technical skills (2x) and control of the game (2x).
The minimum score per criterion is 0, the maximum score is 5, with intervals of 0,5.

1 – HOSPITALITY

Polite and courteous
Is approachable and well-mannered to all customers in all situations. Is authentic in communication and interaction.

Greets players
Welcomes a player appropriately and is attentive.

Responds actively to meet customer needs
Is pro-active in meeting customer’s service.

Exceeds customer expectations
Creates a pleasant atmosphere at the table at all times, even when the costumers are winning or losing. Always tries to give all customers a memorable experience.

Acknowledges customers after transactions
Uses appropriate body language and/or verbal acknowledgement, including eye contact with the customer, at the right moments.

Is professional at all times
Gives equal attention to all customers without showing preference towards a specific customer. Is professional in any difficult or delicate situations.

Projects positive posture and body language
Faces the customers when dealing. Appears approachable and friendly using appropriate body language / nonverbal communications.

Conforms to grooming standards

Follows directives
Follows reasonable directives from Championship Representatives without questioning and completes any assigned tasks accurately and promptly.

2 – TECHNICAL SKILLS

Cuts chips correctly
Cuts chips accurately. Does not demonstrate any incorrect habits. Can drop-cut where appropriate.

Uses both hands correctly
Pays and takes bets using both hands to maintain game pace and table security.

Uses technical equipment appropriately
Uses the supplied equipment smoothly and efficiently.

2a – Technical Skills American roulette

Moves stacks correctly
Pushes stacks out and brings stacks in using the appropriate configuration and in a smooth and efficient manner.

Positions chips correctly during transactions
Positions chips correctly, taking into account factors such as game security, during all cash/colour transactions.

Spins the ball correctly
Spins the ball, and at the appropriate moment calls ‘no more bets’ (i.e. three revolutions) before the ball drops into the number.

Clears the winning number correctly
Clears the area around the winning number in a smooth and efficient manner, without touching winning chips. Clears the layout in a smooth and efficient manner.

2b – Technical Skills Black Jack

Initial deal
Deals the cards smoothly and efficiently to the boxes

Handling bets at boxes
Pays winning bets and collects losing bets in a smooth and efficient manner.

3 – CONTROL OF THE GAME

Current and accurate knowledge of gaming information
Deals games in accordance with Championship rules and procedures.

Calculates payouts accurately
Calculates all payouts accurately prior to making up the winning bets.

Maintains table security
Protects float with correct body positioning. Does not turn away from the table at any time.

Focuses on table activity
Actively monitors the table, players, unusual behaviour, and players’ betting patterns.

Shows clean hands
Shows an open palm at all times when dealing with cash/colour, when going into or out of the float and when arriving at or leaving a table.

Performs cash/colour changes correctly
Announces all changes loudly, without compromising game security. Places chips in the correct area. Accurately performs the transactions, taking into account the customer’s wishes.

Calls games loudly and clearly
Announces the game in an appropriate manner and always clearly and audibly.

Protects winning areas
Follows correct dealing procedures and is aware of movements around the winning area at all times.

Float management
Maintains readable float, ensures that the float is well-managed and readable at all times. Regulates chip movements and anticipates float requirements in advance. Plans chip movements efficiently to minimise the requirement for additional chips.

Communicates clearly and accurately
Communicates effectively with no unnecessary information.

Is discrete where necessary
Conveys information discreetly.