New Poker TDA Tournament Rules

The rules of tournament poker play saw its latest set of changes last week when the Poker Tournament Directors Association released 21 edits to current rules, 1 new procedure and 1 new rule.

Here are the top five changes likely to affect players in the bigger events. With many smaller tournaments tending to follow suit also, these are well-worth remembering to avoid controversy or confusion.

1. Declarations. Card Speak at Showdown.

“Any player in the hand or not, should speak up if he thinks a mistake is being made in reading hands or awarding the pot.”

This is number 12 in the rule book, and the last four words in bold have been added to effectively ensure that what was once considered a grey, ethical area is now a rule – you must speak out if you see a mistake being made.

2. Tabling Cards & Killing Winning Hand

“At showdown a player must protect his hand while waiting for it to be read.”

Number 13 in the book and one which has caused huge problems in poker rooms across the world. The dealer doesn’t realise that your pot-winning hand is still alive and they end up in the muck before you’ve collected the pot! The simplest way to prevent this from happening is to use a card protector – don’t remove it until the cards have been tabled or the chips are on their way to you.

3. Non All-In Showdowns

“A non all-in showdown is uncontested if all but one player mucks face down without tabling. The last player with live cards wins and he is not required to show his cards.”

This has always been considered a sensible, even standard idea, but often doesn’t happen in practice. Winning bets on every other street don’t require showing your hand so why should this change on the river? The new rule, number 16, now brings the sensible idea into the book.

4. Calling for a Clock

This rule, number 27, works in tandem with part of rule 2 which covers ‘Player Responsibilities’. Combining “Calling for a clock when warranted” and “any player in the event may request a clock” should have a positive effect.

There are many players who don’t want to call a clock on someone for a variety of reasons, but recent examples of players on the bubble tanking for 5 minutes or more while holding 7-2 offsuit in the hope that someone will go bust before them, have spurred the TDA on to dealing with the issue. Now it should be easier to call a clock on someone because you don’t have to be at their table to do so!

5. Methods of Betting: Verbal and Chips

“A: Bets are by verbal declaration and/or pushing out chips. If a player does both, whichever is first defines the bet. If simultaneous, a clear and reasonable verbal declaration takes precedence, otherwise the chips play.”

Although this is an apparently sensible rule - number 37 on the list - the definition of what is ‘simultaneous’ is still open to question and interpretation, most often when a player ‘throws’ his chips onto the table rather than shoving them across the felt. Much simpler would be a rule calling for a verbal raise only, or alternatively tightening up the rules to prevent ‘tossing’ chips out.

The Poker TDA describe themselves as “an open-source, non-aligned, voluntary organization dedicated to improving the poker tournament experience.” For a full list of the new rules click here. The new rules were debated back in June at the Poker TDA summit VII held at the Aria resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Source: Via Pokernews