WPT Installs First Ever 30 Second Shot Clock During the Tournament of Champions

If you were witness to the 2015 WSOP Main Event Final Table, you were probably one of the many who thought the game took much longer than needed. Granted, these guys were playing for millions of dollars; but the general sentiment was, player actions were drawn out. Daniel Negranue was an announcer at said final table and commented on the time players went into the tank. Had this event not been televised, it may not have been an issue. But, being one of the biggest, if not the most watched poker tournament, at times it was like watching paint dry. This is a common problem in many tournaments. Some big tournaments such as the Aussie Millions have adapted a shot clock during big events. This forces the player to make a decision within a specified time. It is meant to keep the game faster and more appealing to televised audiences. The WPT has announced they will introduce their form of a shot clock in poker on April 22nd 2016 during the WPT Tournament of Champions event. A 30 second clock will be sued for every player during the event. According to a PDF handed out by WPT, the rules are as follows. A 30 second clock will begin the moment the last card is dealt. The dealer will hit a button starting the shot clock. After each player has made a decision, the 30 second clock begins on the next players action. The clock can be stopped if a chip count has to be made, or a bet need to be counted. The dealer will pause the shot clock and resume it once a count has been made. Each player is given 6 extra, 30 second shot clocks. At any time, a player can toss a chip that is specifically for requesting additional into the middle of the table. The dealer will then add 30 more seconds to that players shot clock. Once the final table has been set, shot clocks are reset with each player getting 4 extra time chances. While still maintaining the regular 30 shot clock at the final table. A shot clock does have its advantages and should go over well. It alleviates several concerns such as making it more TV friendly. As well as alleviating players from having to call the clock on their opponents, which can be rather uncomfortable and awkward. IT does however, also bring on its own set of problems. Some feel it will make amateur players feel rushed and not want to play. It should be known that some argue the exact opposite. One issue it does bring, is the amount of time, and training to bring everyone up to speed on this newly implemented rule. Dealers will now have to keep track of every players shot clock. A tedious, and nerve racking experience if not properly trained. Floor managers must also be trained on the new rule so that no mistakes are made. It's a bit ironic how a rule designed to speed the game up, will take some time to get used to.