Live poker is an ever-evolving game that has many intricacies and factors among thousands of players. All of these moving parts require there to be set rules. One of the organizations that keep track of and set these rules is the Tournament Directors Association (TDA), which is a collection of poker tournament directors who work together to set standards in poker.
The TDA has recently released the 2024 TDA rules updates. TDA founder Matt Savage announced the additions and amendments to their rules to address some ongoing debates in live poker. Many of these debates have cropped up in the past year and have only increased in controversy.
Here we take a look at some of the changes that were made in the 2024 TDA rules update and highlight the most prominent of them.
Smart Devices at the Poker Table
One of the most controversial topics in poker in 2024 has become the use of smart devices (phones, tablets, laptops etc.) at the table. This controversy really took off thanks to what transpired in the 2024 WSOP Main Event.
Eventual Main Event champion Jonathan Tamayo made a lot of waves in the poker world when his rail was spotted using a laptop in between hands. The rail included 2015 Main Event champion Joe McKeehen and German high-stakes poker pro Dominick Nitsche. Both of them were openly using a laptop to run sims and solvers on hands to give Tamayo the best live information that they could so he could adjust his play and give him the best chance to win the tournament.
This created a ton of buzz on social media in July as there were raging debates about the enforcement of rules regarding the use of solvers and smart devices at or nearby the poker table.
The WSOP’s stance on the rule was somewhat nebulous and not directly enforced for much of the series.
Rulebook Wording
The 2024 TDA rules made the rule a little bit more clear, with it stating;
5: Electronic Devices and Communication
A: Players may not talk on a phone at the table. Ring tones, music, images, video etc. should be inaudible and non-disturbing to others. These and other devices, tools, photography, videography, and communication must not create a nuisance, delay the game or create competitive advantage and are subject to house and gaming regulations.
B: Phones and other devices may not rest on the table.
C: Players with live hands may not interact with or operate an electronic or communication device. The definition of such devices may include new technologies and shall be as updated by the TD.
D: Betting apps, charts, and other poker strategy tools may not be used at the table. Nor may players receive or use poker strategy data from another person or source.
Point D is the most relevant to this discussion as it strictly prohibits the use of any type of extraneous poker strategy assistance with smart devices. If poker tournament directors enforce this rule consistently it should go a long way to eliminating much of the debate surrounding the use of these tools.
Face Coverings at the Poker Table
One of the other main topics that was addressed with the new 2024 TDA poker rules was the topic of face coverings at the poker table.
Traditionally, face coverings were always banned at the poker table but 2020 and Covid made things more murky with the rules regarding it. Players continued to wear Covid masks in addition to hoodies which in some cases could obscure the player enough to where their identity was not clear.
Rulebook Wording
The new rule states:
4: Player Identity
Players must be clearly identifiable at all times. Tournament staff may request a player to remove any item (sunglasses, hood, or other facial covering) which inhibits their identification or is a distraction to other participants.
This rule should cut down on the amount of players who wear outfits that are intentionally designed to obscure their face to the point of covering up or even hiding their identity. It will be interesting to see how strictly this rule is enforced. Surely each tournament director will have a unique interpretation of it and will have to use their discretion wisely.
While these were the two most prominent rule changes to the 2024 TDA rule update, it also addressed a few smaller bits and bolts that the most detail-oriented players will be sure to take a glance at.
- Big blind first calculation if a player foes not have enough chips for the big blind and big blind ante. Different tours had different rules for this and the TDA made it more uniform.
- Enforcement if smart device rule is broken. Verbal warnings which escalate to round penalties. Disqualification possible in extreme cases.
- Phones and other smart devices may not rest on the table.
- Players with live hands may not interact with devices while hand is in play.