Jonathan Tamayo
WSOP Issues Major Rule Change to Electronic Device Use Ahead of Paradise Series
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise series is just days away, and poker players attending need to be made aware of a rule change that will impact the use of electronic devices at the table.
Play begins in the Bahamas Dec. 6, and the series features 13 live gold bracelet events (plus two online). The second annual festival at the Atlantis Paradise Island is highlighted by the record-setting $25,000 WSOP Super Main Event starting Dec. 9, the first ever $50 million guaranteed prize pool.
Jonathan Tamayo won the WSOP Main Event for $10 million this past summer in Las Vegas. Controversy surrounded the victory after poker fans noticed his rail, which included poker pros Joe McKeehen and Dominik Nitsche, had a laptop open with apparent real-time assistance (RTA) software visible.
Tamayo would occasionally converse with his rail during the final table, and that led some to question if he had an unfair advantage. But no one has presented any evidence to prove he broke any rules or won the tournament because of an edge gained from his rail. Still, the WSOP didn’t have a rule in place to prevent potential controversies such as this to arise. They do now, however.
Kevin “kevmath” Mathers shared a screenshot of a new rule on Electronic Assistance and Coaching that would essentially prevent rail assistance, at least during the WSOP Paradise series.
“Players and spectators are not allowed to use charts, apps, or any other form of electronic assistance in the tournament room. Failure to adhere to this policy will result in a penalty up to disqualification for the player and removal from the tournament room for the spectator. Spectators are also prohibited from providing live assistance or coaching. Failure to adhere to this rule will result in a penalty for the player and removal from the rail for the spectator. Non-players on the rail must adhere to the WSOP Terms & Conditions, including no viewing of live streams on an electronic device,” Rule 63b reads (full WSOP Paradise rulebook).
The rule, however, does not specify the penalty a player would receive should they use RTA tools during play. It only states the player would be penalized “up to disqualification,” meaning the tournament director or floor supervisor on duty at the time would likely have sole discretion to determine the severity of the penalty.
If this rule had been in place during the 2024 WSOP Main Event final table, Tamayo’s rail would have been removed from the tournament area. The same can be said about any person in the crowd viewing a feature table livestream.
There are a few other additional new rules for the series in the Bahamas, including banning electronic devices at the table altogether when a tournament is down to three tables. Players are also not permitted to place their cell phones or any electronic devices on the table or table rail during play.