Changes in WSOP rules

We have some advance notice about rules changes for this year's World Series of Poker. See:
http://www.pokernews.com/news/2008/02/2008-wsop-rules-changes-jack-effel-part-1.htm

Rule 36: "Excessive celebration through extended theatrics, inappropriate behavior, or physical actions, gestures, or conduct may be subject to penalty."

Well, I appreciate the effort to bring some civility back into the game. But this is going to require a whole bunch of completely subjective calls on the part of the floor staff, and inevitably they will bring their own views of what is "excessive," "extended," and/or "inappropriate." Those words are just way too squishy. I don't know of any way to write such a rule that wouldn't require highly subjective judgments--but that's just the problem. It may not be the sort of thing that the poker world should handle by a written rule.

I think a better long-term approach is twofold. First, every player should take the responsibility to be part of the self-patroling force. Just a quiet aside will do: "You know, it's really not cool to act like that. You're being a bad winner." We should also decline the boor's invitation to share in the high-fives, etc. If every player at a table actually felt that way and brought a unified voice to the issue, peer pressure would have a decent shot at prevailing. People who cheer up a storm are not primarily looking to express their emotions (though they will always insist they are); they are primarily looking for approval, admiration, attention, envy, etc., from other players. We should unite in depriving them of their treasure.

Second, Harrah's should persuade ESPN not to broadcast this stuff. If the network won't refrain voluntarily, then write it into the next contract. Deny these buffoons their TV face time, which is another prize they're looking to grab when they behave like clowns. That's what Harrah's would do if they really wanted to extinguish and show disapproval of such conduct. Anybody want to lay odds that they will actually take this step?


Rule 89: "iPhones, iPod Touches, Treos, Blackberrys with headsets are not allowed."

Wow. This is another tough one. It appears that their goal is to continue to allow personal music players, but disallow devices with communication (phone and/or internet), through which a player might quietly be receiving advice or other input from an external source, without anybody else at the table knowing it. At least that is the implication of naming particular models, all of which appear to combine an MP3 player with telephone and/or text-messaging and/or internet connectivity.

My first thought is that if I have correctly discerned the intent, then it's a fool's errand to name particular brands and models, as the lineup is constantly and rapidly changing. Besides, with people coming from all over the world, who knows what brands and models, unknown in the states, they might bring along? It would be far better to ban devices by function, i.e., any device that combines music playback with telephone, text-messaging, and/or internet capability.

But what a chore for the tournament staff to be checking on everybody's music player to see if it has a phone or other communication functionality in it! Are they all really technically competent enough to make that determination quickly and accurately? It's not all that easy, necessarily, to tell, particularly with units that have flat-panel, touch-screen displays instead of many rows of labeled buttons. This is especially true in the Bluetooth age, because the headset may not be physically attached by a cord to whatever is driving it. Can the staff really ascertain with confidence whether a wireless headset is receiving its input from the user's MP3 player, or his telephone, or both, if they are separate devices? If a player happens to get seated at a table with a friend, they could even split up their gadgets, so that the telephone that is sending signals to Player A's headset is actually in the pocket of Player B across the table. That would be very difficult to detect, I think.

One might be able to use a "sniffer" type device, with one person on the tournament staff periodically roaming among the tables to see if any telecommunication bands are in use in the immediate vicinity. But I don't know offhand how closely such things can pinpoint the user, so it may not be technically feasible, even if the WSOP were willing to buy one and have somebody assigned to using it.

I think ultimately there will be only two possible solutions. First, ban all electronic devices that use earphones or headsets. As I recall, it was only within the last few years that they were first allowed, so in a sense it would just be going back to the way things used to be. Undoubtedly, though, this would be met with massive player protest, because so many people feel that they would go nuts with boredom (or with being distracted by other players' inane chatter) without their tunes.

The second possible solution involves the penalty. The rule as quoted above doesn't specify what will happen if an offender is identified. Do they seize the device? Give him a 10-minute time-out? I think, if they really want to be serious about this, they have to impose the dealth penalty--expulsion from the tournament and forfeiture of any prize money earned--without exception. If that ultimate disincentive were in place, only a fool would try to evade the rule.

If receiving external communication is the fear behind this rule, there's also the problem of players getting text messages, not requiring the use of earphones at all. It would be pretty easy to at least occasionally look at one's cell phone under the table.

Putting all of these thoughts together, I think a rule to prevent external electronic communication from getting to players seated at a table would have to have these general provisions:

1. No device combining music playback and reception of telephone, internet, or text messages may have its power on while the player is at the table. Buy yourself a music player that is separate from your phone, or leave your combined device with a friend, or leave the thing turned off.

2. Music playback devices must be hard-wired, not wirelessly connected, to the earphones/headset.

3. All telephone/internet/texting devices--whether or not they also have music playback capability--must be fully powered off while the player is at the table. I.e., it is not enough to have the phone on vibrate mode and step away from the table when a call comes in. The thing has to be turned OFF. If you can't go an hour without checking your messages, then obviously you're in far too much demand to be playing a poker tournament. If the tournament isn't important enough to you to let your voice mail handle things for an hour, then don't play. And don't give me crap about how important it is to be able to receive emergency messages. We all know that most communications labeled as such don't actually fit any reasonable definition of "emergency." The fact that we have all gotten used to being constantly and instantly available to family members, friends, and work associates doesn't mean that we actually need such access. The world can wait for two hours until your next scheduled break, or you can step away from the table as frequently as you want to turn your phone on and check in, if you're willing to miss hands.

4. Tournament staff reserve the right to inspect a player's pockets, bags, etc., for forbidden devices, and inspect the devices themselves, for compliance.

5. Any violation of any of these provisions will result in immediate expulsion from the tournament and forfeiture of any prize money earned.

Implementation of these rules would mean that anybody's cell phone ringing at the table means he's gone, done, out of there, zero tolerance. Harsh? Yes. But poker players aren't idiots; we're capable of learning. It wouldn't take long for players to get the message that the tournament staff is serious about this.

I'm afraid that the new rule is really only a feeble and half-hearted effort to stem the potential problem, and players determined to cheat will easily be able to get around it as it stands.