Standardisation in the pipeline?
Calls for a standardised set of tournament rules continued to grow after at least two rules were called into question at this years WSOP.
Both rules 87 and 31 were the cause of dispute. Rule 87 deals with the use of mobile phones, it stated ‘A player who wants to use a cell phone must be at least one table length away from their assigned table or be subject to penalty.

The hand of any player talking on a cell phone, texting, e-mailing or otherwise communicationg electronically while in a hand with action pending will be declared dead.’ Rule 31 deals with the use of profanities. ‘Any player who directs any profane and/or abusive language at another player, dealer or tournament staff member or who makes any profane and/or abusive comments about another player, dealer or tournament staff member will be penalised.’
However, it transpired that rule 87 had been changed when a complaint was made against one big poker ‘name’ for alleged mobile usage. However this change was not widely known. As for the profanity rule, it is Harrah’s and not WSOP officials who may take on a zero-tolerance policy.

One WSOP spectator commented, “The money a number of poker’s leading players make is a source of envy for many, and at some point or another, they will find themselves targeted. They’re only human, they can get riled and fly off the handle. Point is, if the game is to have any credibility, they have to be disciplined like anyone else. Too often though, the rules are open to different interpretations which prevents this from happening. At its most rarefied level, poker is in danger of developing into a Premier League-style enterprise where concessions are given to the big names at the expense of ’smaller’ ones. It would be unhealthy were poker to develop along similar lines; to prevent this from happening, the sooner a single, definitive set of tournament rules is drawn up and subsequently adhered to, the better.”