Adapting to Variations in the Rules

Poker tournaments at Bellagio in Las Vegas are always a pleasure. The Fontana Room is a beautiful venue, with a great view of the “lagoon” and fountains outside. The dealers are generally more competent than most tournament dealers. The house takes less than most other casinos do, and still provides free buffets to players who make it to the dinner break. And, many playing days go from noon to around 9 p.m., followed by dinner.

Late entries: One of the most popular rules innovations of recent times has been to allow players to enter a tournament late without penalty. I was first exposed to this idea in a conversation with Chris Ferguson and Howard Lederer several years ago. I’m not sure who suggested it, but we all agreed that it would be great. The World Series of Poker tried it, and it was an immediate hit with the players. Suddenly, players who needed a little extra rest or who thought the first few levels of the tournament were irrelevant could enter late with a full starting stack. Prior to this, late entrants were charged for the antes and blinds that they missed. The recent Bellagio tournament took it one step further. For the six-day main event, the WPT Doyle Brunson Classic, entries were allowed up until the middle of the second day. Many players took advantage of this provision and entered anywhere from a few hours late on the first day right up to the entry deadline in the middle of the second day. Included among the late entrants was the tournament’s namesake, the legendary Doyle Brunson.

All of this raises a question regarding tactics: Is there a best time to enter? As is the case with almost all poker questions, the answer is, “It depends.” Let’s first look at some of the factors that might lead you to begin at the scheduled starting time. You are good at playing with a very deep stack, and enjoy doing so. You are well-rested and have plenty of stamina. You don’t have anything else to do. This “anything” might be spending quality time with your significant other, or spending quality time winning money in the cash games.

The reasons for choosing to start late are basically the opposite of those for choosing to start on time. You don’t like deep-stack poker, or feel that you’re not too good at it. In limit tournaments, the first few levels are often so low that whatever results you achieve are relatively meaningless. You are tired and feel that the extra rest will benefit you more than a small increase in equity at the early levels. This is especially true at tournaments like the WSOP, where six weeks of two tournaments a day can leave anyone exhausted. Remember that Phil Hellmuth, one of the most successful tournament players of the last 20 years, has consistently arrived late, even when he has incurred a penalty for doing so. Clearly, being well-rested late at night, when the decisions are huge, is worth giving up a little bit in the early going. During tournament time, cash games are usually good and plentiful. Many players have a very high per-hour earn rate in these games, and prefer to spend some time making money in them before entering the tournament.

Crossing the line: I am now going to discuss a rule that I don’t like. Tables in many games and tournaments contain a line around the felt on the table, about a foot in front of the players. This is the betting line. Chips released on or across the line count as bets and raises, and those that don’t cross the line do not count as such. The rule is an attempt to resolve any question of whether or not chips moved forward have been bet. Unfortunately, it creates more problems than it solves. It also gives unscrupulous players another way to take advantage of their naïve opponents. First, let’s look at an innocent mistake. Player A bets 10,000. Player B wants to raise, and without saying anything, tosses in two chips — a 25,000 chip and a 10,000 chip. Somehow, his toss falls a little short. The 10,000 chip rolls across the line, but the 25,000 chip does not. The floorman is called to the table, and he rules that since the 25,000 chip did not reach the line, Player B has only called. Clearly, this is a miscarriage of justice. Now let’s look at an “angle-shooter” at work. Assume that the pot is now three-handed. Player A bets. Player B pushes a 10,000 chip forward, but not across the line. Meanwhile, Player B is watching Player C. If Player C appears to be calling or raising, Player B retracts his “bet,” which was never officially made since it didn’t cross the line. If Player C folds, however, Player B will continue pushing his chip across the line, calling the bet. There are many variations on this type of play.

Defense against errors and angle-shooting: Make sure that any action you take is clear. Either make a verbal declaration (verbal declarations are binding) as you toss in the chips or make absolutely sure that the exact amount you want to put into the pot crosses the line. Secondly, make sure that you know what the player acting ahead of you has done before you reveal your intentions. If it is unclear whether a bet was made or how much was bet, have it clarified before you act. Do this even if you intend to fold. If you fail to do it when you are folding, your opponent will know that your failure to inquire signals a fold. I would suggest that tournament directors and floormen consider eliminating this rule, or at least penalizing players who take advantage of it.

Steve “Zee” Zolotow, aka The Bald Eagle, is a successful games player. He currently devotes most of his time to poker. He can be found at many major tournaments and playing on Full Tilt, as one of its pros. When escaping from poker, he hangs out in his bars on Avenue A — Nice Guy Eddie’s at Houston and Doc Holliday’s at 9th Street — in New York City.