European Poker Tour Bans Solvers In Tournament AreaDealers To Slide Cards To Deter High-Tech Cheating |
|
Responding to some poker-related issues in the news, PokerStars and the European Poker Tour announced some key changes this week.
After concerns about the use of solvers during the World Series of Poker main event, the EPT has banned their use in the tournament area.
“No use of GTO-solvers/charts or similar anywhere in the whole tournament area at any time, also not for spectators,” PokerStars live event advisor and poker pro Kenny Hallaert said on Twitter.
Additionally, following allegations of high-tech cheating at European casinos, the tour also announced that dealers would now be instructed to slide cards across the table to players.
Solver Use, High-Tech Cheating Targeted
The solver ban comes after their alleged use by main event champion Jonathan Tamayo in between hands at the final table of World Series of Poker. Players reacted to photos posted of the winner consulting a solver being manned by friends on his rail.
Although technically not against the rules, some felt this took away from the “one player, one hand” mentality of the game. The EPT is now apparently looking to avoid similar scenarios in the future. Dominik Nitsche, who was one of Tamayo’s friends on the rail, objected to the banning of laptops while still allowing cell phones, which could also be used to run solvers.
“[The ban] doesn’t address the issue of people coaching on the rail using electronic devices though does it?” he responded on Twitter to the rule changes. “People on the rail can still access solver material and pass that information on to players.”
The procedural changes in dealing come after a recent slate of high-tech cheating in blackjack and poker games across Europe. Police in France arrested two men who allegedly used tiny cameras hidden in their cell phones, allowing for low-angle photos of the card faces as they were dealt.
These images were relayed to accomplices off site who told the players which cards were being dealt. Police allege the pair used microscopic earpieces so small they could only be removed using a magnet.
Casino staff said the pair always seemed to know which cards opponents held.
To prevent this from happening at their events, EPT dealers will now slide cards across the felt to each individual seat to prevent any player recording the bottom of the cards as they are dealt.
“We were considering removing all electronic devices from the table (including rail) for game integrity reasons,” Hallaert said. “Instead, dealers will be taught to slide cards instead of pitching over the course of the next EPTs.”
The tour also announced a few other changes including a shot clock time reduction to 15 seconds instead of 30. Additionally, tournaments will not redraw at the final two or three tables, but will instead have a random breaking order once the field has reached the final five tables.
Copyright © 2001-2024
CardPlayer.com. All rights reserved.
