WSOP Rules Relaxed

Chat and celebrations at the tables to see more flexibility

A more moderate implementation of the rules on chat and overly energetic celebration at the tables of the 2012 World Series of Poker will be relaxed this year, it was announced at a media briefing this week.

According to WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel, players will now be allowed to discuss the contents of their hands while the action is ongoing, as long as they don't show their cards and as long as no other player in a hand has a decision to make. He specified that such a change has been introduced because talk at the table is an integral part of the game of poker, so the organizers wanted to allow players to loosen up and enjoy themselves.

"We stream these events to showcase poker's best and what we see are players sitting in their shells," Effel said. "We've made it to where it's a little more open by extending the talking strategy, but we're asking for players who make the streamed or televised tables to verbally declare their actions and the amounts of them so we can get a little more talking at the table."

It has been added by Ty Stewart, the WSOP Executive Director, that poker on television is becoming more entertaining, and therefore player banter should be given more freedom: "We've tightened poker up so much that players are afraid to use verbal strategy to out-man their opponents, which has been integral to poker. It takes poker back to its fundamental basis and its strategic intent. As a result, you get good TV."

When it comes to the celebration at the tables, Eiffel said there has to be difference between wild and disruptive clowning around and reasonable celebration of a victory: "It's not a problem to celebrate a hand. It's okay to let that out. We don't feel it's okay to be disruptive, though, but we've rewritten the rule to say we want you to celebrate, just don't be crazy. It's up to our discretion."

Regarding this question, Stewart also assessed: "No Tournament Director at the WSOP should be confused with Paul Bart: Mall Cop. There were cases last year where celebrations were penalized. A poker room isn't a church. We just think we need to set the tone to bring some of the fun back."

Furthermore, the briefing informed interested parties that TV coverage will be provided at ESPN, and that the network plans to broadcast three WSOP tournaments: the Main Event, the $1 million buy-in Big One for One Drop, and the WSOP Circuit National Championship.

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