2013 TBT Poker Rally Official Rules

1.      Eligibility:

a.       The contest is open to any resident of the ArkLaTex who is 21 years of age or older. No person under the age of 21 may assist a contestant in this contest or attend the judging event to be held on August 29th at DiamondJacks Casino and Resort located  at 711 DiamondJacks Boulevard in  Bossier City, Louisiana.

2.      How to play:

a.       A contestant must visit five (5) of the featured businesses listed in the August 2013 issue of The Best of Times and listed on the website at www.TheBestOfTimesNEWS.com between Monday, August 12 and Tuesday, August 27, 2013 on their regular business days during regular business hours to obtain a TBT Poker Rally sealed envelope with the official label on the outside of the envelope containing one poker card. There is a limit of one TBT Poker Rally sealed envelope per contestant per visit to a featured business.

b.      Opening any of the received sealed envelopes containing the poker card by a person other than the official contest judges, will disqualify the contestant from winning any prizes of this contest.

c.      There is no registration or entry fee to participate in the TBT Poker Rally, but the contestant is asked to bring canned good(s) to the featured businesses and to the judging event to be donated to the Food Bank of NWLA.

d.      After a contestant has visited 5 featured businesses and received five sealed envelopes containing poker cards, the contestant has a valid entry of a five card poker hand for the judging event.   

3.      How to enter:

a.       On Wednesday, August 28th from 9:00 am to 11:30 am bring the five unopened and sealed contest envelopes to the ballroom at DiamondJacks Casino and Resort located at 711 DiamondJacks Boulevard in Bossier City to be officially opened by the contest judges to determine the contestant’s five card poker hand for entry into the contest.  Any contestant not in line by 11:30 am on August 28th will not be eligible to win any of the prizes.

b.      Contestants unable to attend the judging event on August 28th  may package the five unopened and sealed contest envelopes and mail, along with the contestant’s name, address, phone, and email address to: 2013 TBT Poker Rally, P. O. Box 19510, Shreveport, LA 71149-0510. Entries must be received no later than 12 noon on August 26, 2012.  Entries received after the deadline date and time will be deemed ineligible.

4.      Determining the winners:

a.       The prize winner will be determined by picking the person who presents the highest ranking 5 card hand from all mailed and “in person” entries received by the deadlines. Winning hands will be ranked in order from highest to the lowest.

b.      Regular poker playing cards will be used.

                                                    i.     Hands are ranked as follows from high to low: Five of a kind, Straight Flush, Four of a kind, Full-house, Flush, Straight, Three of a kind, Two pair, Pair, High card. 

                                                   ii.     Playing cards are ranked as follows from high to low: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace. (Ace can be high or low). 

                                                 iii.     Suits are ranked from high to low: Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs

c.      In the event of a tie, the names of the holders of the tied hands will be placed into a random drawing. The first name drawn will win the appropriate prize. The next name drawn will win the next available prize. 

d.      The determination by the TBT Poker Rally judges is final. Winners will be announced between 11:45am and 12:15 pm on Wednesday, August 28th at DiamondJacks Casino and Resort and may be listed in an upcoming issue of The Best of Times.

5.      Prizes:

a.       The highest ranking poker hands will win one of 25 prize packages as listed on the website of The Best of Times at www.thebestoftimesnews.com as of August 27, 2013.                                     

6.      General Terms and Conditions

a.       A winner must complete an IRS W-9 form to TBT Multimedia, LLC prior to receiving the winning prize package items, if the prize package has a value of $400 or more.

b.      By participating in this contest, the winner or winners agree (except where prohibited by law) to have their name, voice, or likeness used in any advertising or broadcasting material relating to this contest without additional financial or other compensation, and, where legal, to sign a publicity release confirming such consent prior to acceptance of the prize.

c.      The winner or winners further agree that The Best of Times newsmagazine, The Best of Times Radio Hour, and TBT Multimedia, LLC are not responsible or liable for, and shall be released and held harmless from any and all losses, damages, rights, claims and actions of any kind in connection with or resulting from the following: any condition caused by events beyond the control of The Best of Times newsmagazine, The Best of Times Radio Hour, and TBT Multimedia, LLC that may cause this contest to be disrupted or corrupted; OR any cancellation, postponement, or rescheduling of this contest; OR any participation in this contest or any acceptance, possession, or use of any prize, including without limitation, personal injury, death, and property damage, and claims based on publicity rights, defamation, or invasion of privacy; OR lost, late or misdirected prize notifications or prizes. 

d.      The Best of Times newsmagazine, The Best of Times Radio Hour, and TBT Multimedia, LLC reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any person/contestant from winner any prizes if found tampering with the TBT Poker Rally playing cards or this contest process or otherwise in violation of these contest rules.

e.      There is no substitution, transfer, or cash equivalent for prizes, except that Contest prize donor may, at its sole discretion, substitute prize(s) of comparable value.

f.       Winners must claim their prizes in person, and prizes cannot be claimed by third parties on behalf of winners. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in the forfeiture of the prize package. The winner will forfeit any prize or prize certificate not claimed within five (5) days of winning.

g.      TBT Multimedia, LLC reserves the right to suspend, cancel, or modify this contest at any time for any reason.