The Ivory Felt FAQ – Offline Poker, House Rules, and Dining

The Marble Parlour hosts a curated calendar of offline tournaments across our dedicated card room. You will find:

• No-Limit Texas Hold'em tournaments with balanced blind structures for considered, strategic play
• Pot-Limit Omaha events for guests who enjoy deeper multi-street decision-making
• Deep stack series with generous starting chip stacks and extended blind levels
• Feature events such as bounty nights, seasonal invitationals, and leaderboard series

Every tournament is dealt by professional dealers, with each hand played using physical cards and ceramic chip stacks in a fully offline environment.

Our structures are crafted to showcase thoughtful, offline poker rather than fast, rushed sessions. A representative Texas Hold'em tournament may feature:

• Starting stack: around 30,000–40,000 tournament chips per seat
• Blind levels: 15–30 minute rounds, with steady, incremental increases
• Table allocations: comfortable nine-handed tables with ergonomic seating
• Breaks: scheduled intervals for dining, cocktails, and conversation

All details – including blind structure, starting chips, and late registration cut-offs – are listed alongside each event in our Tournament Calendar.

Each tournament at The Marble Parlour is played strictly with tournament chips, never with real money at the tables. When you complete your buy-in for a scheduled event:

• Your entry reserves your seat for that specific tournament
• You receive a published starting stack of tournament chips
• Dealers issue chips at the table prior to the first hand
• Your chip stack is tracked for that event and contributes to any leaderboard points or chip leader recognition attached to the series

Chips are purely a tool for offline gameplay and friendly competition, aligned with social card room standards and our commitment to responsible hospitality.

Selected tournaments may feature structured re-entry or add-on options, always detailed in the event description. Where available, re-entry provides a fresh tournament chip stack under the same blind structure, and any add-ons deliver additional chips at a designated break.

Availability and limits for re-entry and add-ons are clearly published in our Tournament Calendar so you can plan your evening of offline poker in advance.

Absolutely. Many of our guests join us first for the dining and bar experience. You are welcome to reserve a table for:

• Long lunches with share plates and artisan charcuterie boards
• Early evening spritzes, martinis, and low-intervention Australian wines
• Chef-curated dinners featuring dry-aged Australian steaks and refined bar snacks

You can remain in the main dining room, enjoy the ambience of the card room from a distance, or move between the spaces at your leisure. Participation in poker is entirely optional.

Yes. Our service team and dealers coordinate seamless tableside dining for players who prefer to remain seated between hands. The menu is curated with clean, comfortable plates – think petite sliders, bite-sized charcuterie selections, and shareable boards that work beautifully alongside offline poker sessions.

No. Our card room is intentionally designed for both seasoned tournament players and complete newcomers. Before the first hand, dealers are happy to:

• Explain blinds, button movement, and betting rounds
• Clarify how chip stacks, buy-in, and re-entry work for that event
• Walk you through key etiquette such as acting in turn and protecting your cards

If it is your first time, simply let the host or dealer know on arrival – they will pace the game and check in quietly so you can relax into the rhythm of offline poker.

We schedule selected social nights and introductory tournaments with gentler blind progression and smaller starting fields. These sessions are ideal for guests who want to learn Texas Hold'em or Pot-Limit Omaha in a relaxed, dealer-guided environment with friends, colleagues, or other first-time players.

Upcoming beginner-friendly events are highlighted in our Tournament Schedule and across in-venue signage.

Private bookings are managed by our dedicated events team. To secure a high roller lounge or secluded poker table:

1. Submit your enquiry via the Contact & Reservations page with your preferred date, time, and guest count.
2. Share which formats you prefer – Texas Hold'em tournaments, Pot-Limit Omaha, or a custom structure.
3. Let us know your dining preferences so our chefs can design a menu that flows around the blind structure.

Once confirmed, we will allocate dealers, chip stacks, a tailored blind structure, and sommelier recommendations so your event runs smoothly from the first shuffle.

Yes. Corporate and team-building evenings are a speciality at The Marble Parlour. We design offline poker formats that encourage collaboration, friendly rivalry, and conversation rather than high-pressure play.

Events can include structured Texas Hold'em tournaments, shorter mini-events with rotating tables, curated food and beverage packages, and presentation moments for chip leaders and leaderboard points.

The Marble Parlour is strictly an 18+ venue. All guests may be asked to present valid photo identification on arrival.

Our dress code is best described as smart, modern, and relaxed-luxury. Acceptable attire includes tailored denim, collared shirts, smart polos, blazers, and elegant dresses. Activewear, thongs, and overly casual or distressed clothing may not align with our house standards and can be refused at the door at management’s discretion.

Our etiquette standards are designed to preserve a calm, respectful atmosphere and keep offline play enjoyable for everyone. We ask that guests:

• Act in turn and avoid discussing live hands while play is in progress
• Keep chip stacks neat and visible to the table and dealers
• Refrain from using phones or devices during hands
• Follow dealer instructions promptly and courteously

Our team is always available to clarify etiquette and ensure new players feel supported rather than intimidated.

We operate as a licensed hospitality venue and social card room, with all offline poker conducted using structured tournaments, tournament chips, and clear start and finish times. There are no real-money cash games or monetary payouts on the premises. Instead, we emphasise:

• Transparent blind structures and starting chip stacks
• Clear maximum capacity and table limits
• A focus on social connection, dining, and atmosphere first
• Staff trained to recognise when guests may need a break or support

Our compliance framework ensures that tournaments remain firmly within social play guidelines, with a strong emphasis on hospitality excellence over high-stakes outcomes.

The Marble Parlour operates under Australian hospitality and social card room licensing. All tournaments are run with tournament chips and points according to clear house rules, which are available for review on arrival.

If you have questions about our licence conditions, privacy, or how we handle your information, our team at reception can explain our policies or direct you to our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.