A Look At The Poker Tournament Shot Clock DebateDoes The Game Need To Be Sped Up For Television Audiences? |
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David Sands has retired, and yet, the poker tournament shot clock debate rages on.
During last week’s World Poker Tour L.A. Poker Classic main event, the players in the field were asked whether or not they felt that poker tournaments should implement a shot clock into the game, speeding up the decision making process and preventing the rampant Hollywooding that’s flooding the circuit today. The result was surprising. An overwhelming 80 percent of those polled believed that a shot clock should be used.
The WPT’s own Mike Sexton, a long-time advocate of a shot clock, believes that the tour may put them into service as early as 2015.
The benefits of a shot clock are obvious. When players make their decisions faster, the table is able to see more hands and as a result, the structure of the tournament improves. Short stacks can afford to breathe a little easier and be more patient. Players will no longer be forced to call the clock on their opponents and stalling, especially close to the money bubble, will be minimal.
The downside of a shot clock is the logistics involved with implementing them into the game and the initial cost for the casino or tour. Dealers will need to be trained to handle the additional job responsibilities, or more floor staff will be needed to police the time banks. Amateur players may also be intimidated by the new rules and avoid playing live poker as a result.
A poker purist would argue that the game has always and should always be self policed. After all, if it ain’t broke, why fix it? An optimist, however, may believe that a shot clock could spark the next mini poker boom. Here, were take a look at some of the pros and cons of the shot clock debate.
30-Second Shot Clock With Two 60-Second Time Banks
According to the WPT, the proposed shot clock would give players 30 seconds to act every turn, with an additional 60 seconds given for difficult decisions.
Pros: Players who learned the game online will be very comfortable with this process. The game is sped up and by the time the field has reached the money, the stacks will be deep enough to support more than just preflop poker.
Cons: Whose job is it to make sure a player doesn’t exceed their time limit? Is the dealer watching a tournament clock or does each player have a timer in front of them? Can a dealer declare a hand dead or will the floor have to get involved?
Shot Clock During Re-Entry Period Only
The shot clock would only be used during the registration period of re-entry and re-buy tournaments exclusively. Play would resume normally after the field is set.
Pros: Players looking to build a big stack or bust during the re-entry period would be able to see more hands and more entries may occur as a result, inflating the prize pool. Decisions made at the smaller blind levels shouldn’t take a long time anyway.
Cons: Players looking to avoid the shot clock may wait until just before the registration period ends, creating a flood of new players for tournament staff to seat.
Shot Clock In Major Tournaments Only
This idea would limit the shot clock to only participating big buy-in tournaments.
Pros: The players in these events are more seasoned professionals who could easily adapt to the rule change. Time is money and players who routinely put up thousands of dollars in buy-ins don’t want to waste theirs.
Cons: Amateur players who would have otherwise played in a major event are now intimidated and decide to stick to the lower stakes. As a result, the game experiences little growth at the higher stakes.
Shot Clock In Televised Events Only
Only televised events, or televised final tables would implement the shot clock.
Pros: Anyone who has watched an unedited, full live stream or broadcast of a poker tournament knows that 95 percent of the hands can be a little boring to even a poker savvy individual, let alone a newcomer. Throwing a shot clock into the mix would at least keep the action moving and might attract some new eyeballs.
Cons: A shot clock added into a tournament only when the cameras show up, which is generally late in the event or at the final table, would be putting pressure on the players at the worst possible time, when the big money is up for grabs.
What do you think? Should poker tournaments implement a shot clock? Let us know in the comments section below.
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