PLAYERS GUIDE
W O R L D
WELCOME TO WORLD TAVERN POKER
T A V E R N
P O K E R
Table of Contents
World Tavern Poker is America’s #1 free bar poker league where you are competing for points and prizes with the chance to move on to the Tavern, Regional and National Championships and your shot at over $100,000 in prizes each year; including 40 seats to WSOP events!
2
Points, Blinds
3
Rankings, FAQs
4
General Rules
8
The Championships The OPEN
12 = Updated Feb 2014
GETTING STARTED Creating your player account and finding a tournament only takes a few minutes.
1. Mouse over the My Player Page button at the top of the website and click on Create A Player Account 2. Enter your profile information (you can even upload a photo) and click Submit 3. You can then log into the site and click on Find A Game to register for tournaments in your area
STARTING CHIP COUNT PLAYING Once you register for a game, we ask that you arrive 30 minutes early so the tournament can start on time. AND PLEASE REMEMBER that the bars pay to be part of World Tavern Poker so please be sure to support the bar with your purchases and tip your wait staff.
Standard World Tavern Poker Tournaments start with 10,000 in chips. Here is a chart for Starting Chip Count & Chip Values.
15 100 = 1,500
3 500 = 1,500
THE TOURNAMENTS
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Each tournament is a No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em format where you are playing until the last man or woman is left standing. The top 20 players in each tournament receive points towards their rankings.
1
1,000
= 2,000
5,000 = 5,000
21 Chips = 10,000
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BLIND STRUCTURE
BLIND TIMES Blind times are generally determined by the number of players and decided by your Tournament Director. Below is a guide many bars follow.
10-20 Players = 30 minutes per level
20-30 Players = 25 minutes per level
30-50 Players = 20 minutes per level
50+ Players = 17 minutes per level
The World Tavern Poker blind structure allows for two tournaments each night. SMALL/BIG
Level 1 100/200 Level 2 200/400 Level 3 300/600
SMALL/BIG
Level 6 2,000/4,000 BREAK/COLOR UP GREEN CHIPS
BREAK/COLOR UP RED CHIPS
Level 7 3,000/6,000
Level 4 500/1,000
Level 9 10,000/20,000
Level 5 1,000/2,000
Level 10 15,000/30,000
Level 8
5,000/10,000
Blinds will continue to double for levels 11+
THE POINTS The Top 20 players in each tournament receive points based on where they finish and how many players competed in each tournament.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS RANK
2-10
1 8100 2 7290 3 6480 4 5670 5 5265 6 4860 7 4455 8 4050 9 2835 10 2633 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
11-20
21-30
31-40
41-50
51-60
61-70
71-80
81-90
91-100 101-110
9000 8100 7200 6300 5850 5400 4950 4500 3150 2925 2700 2475 2250 2025 1800 1575 1125 900 675 450
10000 9000 8000 7000 6500 6000 5500 5000 3500 3250 3000 2750 2500 2250 2000 1750 1250 1000 750 500
10500 9450 8400 7350 6825 6300 5775 5250 3675 3413 3150 2888 2625 2363 2100 1838 1313 1050 788 525
11000 9900 8800 7700 7150 6600 6050 5500 3850 3575 3300 3025 2750 2475 2200 1925 1375 1100 825 550
11550 10395 9240 8085 7508 6930 6353 5775 4043 3754 3465 3176 2888 2599 2310 2021 1444 1155 866 578
12100 10890 9680 8470 7865 7260 6655 6050 4235 3932 3630 3327 3025 2722 2420 2117 1512 1210 907 605
12705 11435 10164 8894 8258 7623 6988 6353 4447 4129 3812 3494 3176 2858 2541 2223 1588 1271 953 635
13310 11979 10648 9317 8651 7986 7320 6655 4658 4325 3993 3660 3327 2994 2662 2329 1663 1331 998 665
13976 12578 11180 9783 9084 8385 7686 6988 4891 4542 4193 3843 3494 3144 2795 2446 1747 1398 1048 699
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14641 13176 11712 10248 9516 8784 8052 7320 5124 4758 4392 4026 3660 3294 2928 2562 1830 1464 1098 732
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THE RANKINGS You are ranked at 4 different levels based on the average of your top scores. However, you must have a “Qualified # of Games Played” to qualify for any Championship events.
1. Tavern Ranking
= Average of Top 10 scores at that Tavern. (Min. 10 games played to qualify)
2. Regional Ranking = Average of Top 15 scores from any Tavern in that Region. (Min. 15) 3. State Ranking
= Average of Top 20 from any Tavern in the State. (Min. 20)
4. National Ranking = Average of Top 25 scores from any WTP Tavern in the Country. (Min. 25) * Bars playing one game per night will only require a min. of 5 games played to receive a ranking.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Are there any fees to play World Tavern Poker? World Tavern Poker is completely free to the players, and there is never a buy-in. We do however strongly encourage you to support the bars with your food & beverage purchases to ensure the promotion continues. Note: Some bars/states have a No Loitering Policy. This means that their bathrooms, seating and events (like poker) are for paying customers only.
When do the scores get updated? We ask TD’s to update scores within 24-48 hours. If you are concerned about scores, please speak to your Tournament Director or email us at Players@WorldTavernPoker.com
Am I allowed to get extra chips for food purchases? Absolutely not! That is considered a buy-in to the game, and is illegal in almost every state.
What are the prizes at Regional Championships? Depending upon the number of bars, prizes can vary from certificates to tickets to the WTP Open, Hotel and Travel, and even WSOP seats.
I am interested in becoming a tournament director, who do I talk to? Please contact us at Players@WorldTavernPoker.com for more information
I would like to play in my favorite sports bar/ hangout, how do I get them to join World Tavern Poker? World Tavern Poker offers a Player Rep. Program designed to reward players for getting their favorite bars/ restaurants to sign up with the league. The prizes range from cold hard cash, to seats at Nationals. Login to WorldTavernPoker.com and visit the ‘My Player’ section to find out more!
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GENERAL RULES Please remember that specific tournament rules can vary from casino to casino and World Tavern Poker rules are designed to keep the game fun without losing the integrity of the game. This is a self-dealt game, so some rules have been created/adjusted for that. The Tournament Director is in charge of each event and and can determine how the rules are enforced in the best interest of the game. PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL OF YOUR TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR AND OTHER PLAYERS. Also, many times new players will join the league and may not understand the rules, please help them (rather than criticizing) as the more players at each tournament ensures the bar will continue the promotion.
No Gambling
Blind Schedule
This rule is taken very seriously. Any Tavern or Player caught wagering cash, property, or anything of value will immediately be terminated from the league. No chip bonuses can be given as an incentive for any purchase at the bar. NO EXCEPTIONS!
Blinds will go up every 15-30 minutes depending on the number of players in each tournament. Tournament Directors can vary the blind times as needed.
Age Requirements for Regular Tournaments WTP strongly recommends that no one under the Age of 18 be allowed to compete in World Tavern Poker weekly tournaments, however it is ultimately up to the bar owner as to whom they allow to play.
Age Requirements CHAMPIONSHIPS All players MUST BE 21 years of age (by the time of the National Events) to participate as the winner is moving on to a Championship event held at a casino. This includes; • All Star Championships
Misdeals Any card flipped over during the initial deal is an automatic misdeal. If cards are dealt out of order, attempt to fix them. Anyone who has not yet looked at their cards can call a misdeal if they do not feel the cards were dealt correctly. This means all cards are brought back in, reshuffled and a new hand is dealt.
Betting A wager is not binding until the chips are actually released into the pot, unless the player has made a verbal statement of action. A verbal statement denotes your action and is binding unless there is a gross misunderstanding of the amount wagered previously.
• Tavern Championships • Tavern TOC • Regional Championships
Starting Chip Count The standard starting chip count for each tournament is 10,000 in chips. There are also various ways to increase your starting chip count. See the Official Bonus Chip Program for more details on ways that you can get bonus chips at the beginning of each game.
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GENERAL RULES (CONT’D) Raising
Verbal Declarations
All raises must be equal to or greater than the size of the previous bet or raise on that betting round, except for an all-in wager.
Be respectful. If you call a raise, you should make a raise unless the player did not recognize a raise before them.
Example: Player A bets 500 and Player B raises to 2,000. Player C wishing to raise must raise at least 1,500 more, making their total bet at least 3,500. A player who has already checked or called may not subsequently raise an all-in bet that is less than the full size of the last bet or raise. (The half-the-size rule for reopening the betting is for limit poker only).
Exposed Card(s)
Because the amount of a wager at no-limit poker has such a wide range, a player who has taken action based on a gross misunderstanding of the amount wagered may receive some protection by the decision-maker. A “call” or “raise” may be ruled not binding if it is obvious that the player grossly misunderstood the amount wagered, provided no damage has been caused by that action.
Mucking Your Cards If you throw your cards into the “muck” (folded cards pile) then your hand is folded. However, a hand that is clearly identifiable may be retrieved and ruled live at the Tournament Director’s discretion if doing so is in the best interest of the game. Please make an extra effort to rule a hand retrievable if it was folded as a result of incorrect information given to the player.
Not Enough Chips to Cover the Blind In the case a player does not have enough chips to cover the blind; they are considered “All In” and cannot win any more from each player than they have in their stack. For example, if a player has only 500 chips left and the blinds are 1,000/2,000, they are all in and can only win 500 chips from each player left in the hand.
No Splashing the Pot Splashing the pot means to put chips directly into the pot rather than on the edge of the pot in front of oneself, especially by throwing the chips such that it scatters around. Every player must place their chips in front of them until all players have acted. Then all chips are moved to the center of the table.
All hands will be turned face up whenever a player is all-in and the betting action has been completed. If a player accidentally exposes one of their cards before all players have acted, they must turn up both cards (to prevent this being done on purpose) and they can no longer Raise (only call) for the remainder of the hand. If a player is exposing his/her cards purposely, it is up to the Tournament Director if they would like to give a warning, and then eliminate the player from the tournament if it continues.
Showing Both Hole Cards A player should not win the hand unless they show both their hole cards at showdown. If no one calls the player, the player does not need to show.
Only 5 Cards Play Each player has 7 cards from which to play (2 hole cards and 5 community cards). The BEST 5 Cards play! So for example, if there is JQKA on the board, and both players have a 10, it is a split pot.
Playing Heads Up When playing heads up, the dealer is always the little blind, and first to act pre-flop, and the last to act after the flop.
No Chopping the Blinds If you’re not sure what this means, don’t worry.
Extra Chip in the Pot In the case of a split pot, there may be an extra chip left. This chip goes to the first player to the left of the dealer (that was still in the hand).
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GENERAL RULES (CONT’D) Two Players Go Out at the Same Time
No Whining
The player that had more chips at the beginning of the hand receives the higher finishing position. Once in a while, both these players will have the same number of chips at the beginning of the hand (this happens very rarely). The player that had the best starting hand will have the higher position.
The last thing the Tournament Director or the other players need is a whiny player. Take a deep breath and enjoy your time playing cards!
Shuffling The player to the right of the dealer shuffles the cards. When you are done Dealing, it is your responsibility to Shuffle those same cards. This will speed up the game immensely, minimize misdeals and allow you to get more hands in at each blind level.
NO BLIND STACKS Please DO NOT place blind stacks out for players as this often causes confusion including misdeals. If you are aware a player is arriving late, you can save them a seat, but please follow the procedure below for giving them their chips.
Don’t Show Your Cards Do not show your cards to other people at the table or the “audience”, even if you are going to fold and/ or they are already out of the hand. Your cards are for your eyes only.
String Betting String betting is when a player places their wager out in multiple motions unless they announce “raise” and/or the amount of their wager at the same time. REMEMBER: Many players are not familiar with this, so take it easy on them!
Coloring Up Players should not share chips during color up to advance their position.
Be On Time
Smoking
Players arriving late can only take a seat if...
Smoking can be very bothersome to other players sitting at the table. Please be respectful and stand up behind your seat while smoking. Please also remember to abide by all restaurant or bar rules regarding smoking, as well as local and state laws which may prohibit the use of tobacco products indoors.
• They arrive within 20 minutes of the start of the tournament.
• The player forfeits a Small and Big blind for each level. For example, if your blinds are 15 minutes and a player arrives 16 minutes into the tournament, they forfeit 900 in Chips. (300 for Level 1 and 600 for Level 2) They forfeit these chips regardless of where they are seated (in the blinds or not). These chips are taken prior to them receiving their stack and are not placed in the pot or divided amongst players.
VISIBLE Chips Your higher value chips should be visible at all times and not hidden behind other stacks.
Cheating First, anyone who would cheat in a free tournament is simply a loser. Secondly, cheating will not be tolerated. If you suspect another player of cheating, let the Tournament Director know. Their ruling on the situation is final. This includes colluding with other players, dumping chips, or negotiating positions for prizes and/or points/wins. Note: The TD should witness the cheating.
Don’t Play Out Of Turn This will happen from time to time, but please be respectful of this. Your move can change the move(s) of other players at the table.
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GENERAL RULES (CONT’D) Cell Phones
Leaving Early
Talking All cell phones (and other mobile devices) must be turned down during the event (volume). At no time are players allowed to be talking on their phones while at the table. If a phone call is needed to be made/received, that player must exit the table and forfeit the current hand.
If a player has to leave the tournament early the chips are taken off the table and given to the Tournament Director. CHIPS ARE NOT SPLIT AMONGST THE PLAYERS!
Texting Players not involved in the hand may text/email at the table. Please be respectful of this as it slows the game down.
Cards On Table Cards should remain on the table and visible to other players at all times.
No Coaching Players standing behind the table are not allowed to help a player that is sitting at the table.
Sitting at the Table ONLY Players, still in the tournament, may be seated at a table still in play.
Equal Players/Table The Tournament Director will attempt to keep the number at each table equal. This is not always possible and you cannot stop play because of it. Also, please don’t bug the Tournament Director every time you lose a player.
Leaving the Table (short term) If a player leaves the table during play to use the bathroom, get a drink, etc… they are dealt in the hand. If they have not returned by the time it is their turn to act, their cards are mucked and their blinds placed in the pot. Note: When players are in the Big Blind and everyone checks around, they also check. They do not have to return until it is their turn to act after the flop. (long term) If a player must leave the table for an extended period of time, please make sure the TD is notified. If a player is gone for 1 entire blind level, their chips will be turned into the TD and they will be eliminated from the game. For example, if blinds are 20 minutes long and a player leaves half way through a blind, they are given the rest of that blind (10 minutes) and the next full blind (20 minutes).
Threatening/Berating At no time can any player or spectator threaten or berate another player. This will not be tolerated. Remember, we are here to have fun!
Combining Tables
Discrepancies
When moving to a new table, attempt to sit in a similar position to the dealer. If 2 or less players move to a new table and sit in the Big Blind, they have the option of sitting out until the deal passes them. If 3 or more move to a new table, first ace will determine the new dealer position.
There are times that a situation occurs that is not covered in this guide. If a situation arises, rulings are at the discretion of the Tournament Director and their ruling is final.
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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS All Star Game Championship This is a single deep-stack tournament with bigger chip stacks and longer blinds so that the game will last 4+ hours, depending on player turnout. Each player starts with 15,000 and chips and blinds will begin at 30 minutes. Qualifying All players ranked in the bar are invited to play in the All Star Championship.
ALL STAR
CHAMPIONSHIPS
TAVERN
CHAMPIONSHIPS
Prizes Aside from any prizes the bar provides, the All Star Champion receives:
TOP PLAYERS MOVE ON TO THE
• 1 seat into the National Championship Finals • 1 seat into the National Tournament of Champions Finals • All Star Championship Card and Medallion
REGIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIPS
2nd and 3rd place will receive: • 1 seat into the National Championship Semi Finals • 1 seat into the National Tournament of Champions Semi Finals The All Star Game Championship will count for points and will go towards all rankings.
Tavern Championship Held at every bar during Week #25 of each season, Tavern Championship Night has 3 tournaments;
TOP PLAYERS
FROM EACH REGION
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIPS
OVER $100,000 IN PRIZES EACH YEAR
SEMI-FINALS • Players ranked from #11 and below compete in the Semi Finals with the Top 10% moving on to the Finals and the Regional Championship. THE CHAMPIONSHIP (Finals)
TOURNAMENT OF
CHAMPIONS
• Players ranked in the Top 10 at the bar compete in the Championships along with the Top 10% from the Semi Finals. THE PRIZES: Aside from any prizes the bar provides, the Tavern Champion receives; • The Tavern Champion Award • A seat into the National Championship FINALS! 2ND CHANCE TOURNAMENT As The Championship is being played, another tournament will be held that is open to anyone (ranked players or not) with the winner receiving a seat directly into the Regional Championship. www.WorldTavernPoker.com | Facebook.com/WorldTavernPoker
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REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS This event invites the Top Players from each bar and region to compete for even bigger prizes and the chance to move on to the National Championship Finals. • The Regional Championship schedule & locations will be posted on the website towards the end of each season with the goal of choosing locations that are centrally located between all participating bars. Please keep in mind that this is a REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP which means that some travel (generally 1-2 hours) may be required to compete.
Qualifying: Players can qualify for the Regional Championship in 5 ways:
OTHER NOTES: • Regional Championship Seats ARE NOT TRANSFERABLE. Only those players who qualified can play. • If you are in a market where there are no other hosting taverns or no available Regional Championship, qualifiers will compete in an Online Regional Championships. • If your tavern would like to be considered to host a Regional Championship, please e-mail Taverns@WorldTavernPoker.com with the subject line Regional Championship Hosting Request.
• Top 20 Tavern Ranking – Every player that is ranked in the Top 20 at a venue at the end of the season. • Top 30% in Regional Rankings – This number is obtained by calculating the average of your top 15 scores in any bar in your region. Ex. 300 players regionally ranked means the top 90 players would qualify.
• Tavern Guest Seat – Each tavern receives a Free Regional Seat to be given to any player/customer they would like. Often times it is given to the TD or Big Spender in the bar. • Tavern Champ Semi Finals – The Top 10% from each Tavern Champ Semi Finals qualify. • 2nd Chance Games – Winners from the Tav Champ and Tav TOC 2nd Chance games qualify Prizes: The top 10% of all seated players will automatically qualify for the Nationals Championship Finals. • Top 10% will also receive awards/certificates • Final Table (Final 8) will receive plaques and commemorative T-Shirts • Top Players can also win Hotel, Tickets & Travel Packages to National Championships based on the size of the Regional Event.
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS The National Championships invite the top players from around the country to compete for over $100,000 in prizes awarded each year including 40 WSOP Packages! This is what you play for throughout the year. National Championships are held during the World Tavern Poker Open which are 4-6 day events comprised of private poker tournaments, incredible parties, great prizes and more! There are 2 National Championships each year, one for each of the 2 seasons with approximately 300-400 players competing in each. These Championships are held at casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City under the following schedule; SEASON 1 (Green): February thru August (26 weeks) where players are competing to qualify for the National Championship in Las Vegas. This event is like no other with 6 days of poker, parties and big cash on the line. (Held in November) SEASON 2 (Purple): August thru February (26 weeks) where players are competing to qualify for the World Tavern Poker National Championship held in Atlantic City with 4 days of poker and parties and 16 seats to the World Series of Poker on the line! (Held in May/June) Each National Championship is broken down into 3 levels of play with Level 3 being the Championship event with the big prizes on the line. Players can qualify for Level I, Level II or Level III by playing in the bar. The more they play, the better the chance of advancing directly to the finals. • Quarter Finals – Players can advance to the Semi Finals by playing in a Shootout event and finishing top 2 at their table. • Semi Finals – Players can advance to the Championship by playing in a Shootout event and finishing top 2 at their table.
Qualifying for National Championships Players can qualify for the National Championships in multiple ways:
Quarter Finals WIN AND YOU ARE IN! That’s right, any player that wins just one game during that season automatically qualifies for the Quarter Finals and plays to move on to the Semi Finals.
Semi Finals - 5 Total Wins during the current season (at any bars) - Tavern Ranking. Finish the season ranked top 10 at any bar - All Star Championships. Finish in the 2nd or 3rd at the Tavern All Star Championships at your bar. National Championship Finals - 10 Total Wins during the current season (at any bars) - All Star Champion at any bar - Season Points Champion at any bar (#1 Ranking at the end of the season) - Tavern Champion at any bar - 1% Club: Finish ranked in the Top 1% for your Region, State or Nationally Ranked & Cumulative Points - Regional Championships – Top 10% at each Regional Championship OTHER NOTES: • National Championship seats are non transferrable. • National Championship dates will be posted on the website approximately 3 months prior to the event. • The World Tavern Poker Opens are events to remember, so we hope you won’t miss it!
• The National Championship Finals – The Championship event is where the top players will win the big cash and WSOP seats. This is a multi-table format.
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TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS The Tournament of Champions is an incredible promotion where players are competing for an additional 28 WSOP seats including two $10,000 seats in the WSOP Main Event and the chance at millions!
Online Tournament of Champions Ready to win even more WSOP seats? If you finish in the Top 3 at any TOC bar during the current month, you will qualify for the monthly Online TOC for a shot at another $500 WSOP package
HOW IT WORKS Every player who comes in the Top 3 at any of the Regular Season Tournaments qualifies to play in that bar’s end of season Tournament of Champions.
That’s 12 WSOP Packages being given away through the Online TOC!
Plus, every time that you finish in the Top 3 at any of your tournaments, you will receive AN ADDITIONAL 2,000 IN STARTING CHIPS giving you a nice advantage over the rest of the field. For example, if you came in the Top 3 at 4 different tournaments, you would receive your standard 10k in chips for the first qualification, then an additional 6k for the other 3 qualifications giving you a total starting chip stack of 16,000!
For more details on how this works, please visit www.WorldTavernPoker.com/OnlineTOC.aspx
L NEW AL
The Top 3 Players at the Tavern TOC automatically qualify for the National Tournament of Champions! The Tavern TOC Champion goes directly to the FINALS, and 2nd and 3rd go to Semi Finals. Remember: The more you play at a TOC bar, the better chances you will have in the finals!
NATIONAL TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS The National Tournament of Champions are seperate events held during the World Tavern Poker OPENS alongside the National Championships.
$10,000
WSOP MAIN EVENT SEAT
This is an incredibly exciting event where the Champion will receive a $10,000 Seat into the World Series of Poker Main Event along with the Final Table, each receiving seats of differing values. Note: National TOC seats are non-transferrable.
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W O R L D
T A V E R N
P O K E R
The World Tavern Poker OPENS are the ultimate events for poker fanatics and are indeed, the largest poker parties in the world. Twice each year, once in the spring (Atlantic City) and once in the fall (Las Vegas) nearly 800 players and guests gather
GREAT POKER
for several days of non-stop poker, parties, and fun. Anyone who likes poker is invited to attend to the World Tavern Poker OPEN!
Each World Tavern Poker OPEN features the National Championships (all levels) and the National Tournament of Champions.
GREAT PARTIES
In addition to the National Championships, you will find 10 private cash tournaments, nightly parties and one incredible time! Keep your eye out on the website for the details for the NEXT WORLD TAVERN POKER OPEN!
GREAT PEOPLE
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