Posted by The Captain | Filed under Bloggers Corner
Heralded by months of speculation on policy and change, the WSOP is finally here. With that, anyone who’s made a quick cruise through the boards has probably come across entire threads dedicated not only to what is happening, but whether it’s good or bad and why. While some of that’s interesting and some people have valid opinions on their topic of choice, one striking aspect of it all is how upset people get over tournament rules. In particular, I’m talking about player conduct.
I was surprised to hear it brought up because it was old news, but the “f-bomb” rule was one of the first things being kicked around. Never mind that this is addressed in terms of abusive behavior and language, but it was being decried by the same types who argue for multiple posts about what is or isn’t allowed at the table at a home game. I could go on, but it’s no longer irony once you explain it.
The crux issue of the folks engaged in this type of debate was a fear that one entity ultimately had the power to take action of any nature against a player who acted out of accordance with Tournament Rules. They can dictate what can and can’t be done?! That’s ridiculous – it will ruin everything.
First of all, settle down, junior. Specific actions that I’ll loosely define as uncool have been identified as not acceptable at the table: not going ballistic at your competitors or dealer, cheating, breaking any laws, or behaving like a jackass. Of course that’s just my paraphrase, but it seems simple enough to me and I think that you get the point.
When you look at it purely from a media coverage standpoint, it’s not a wonder that the powers that be have clearly stated that all calls regarding player conduct – specifically abusive language or behavior – have been addressed as “at their discretion.” Coverage of someone acting way out of line is only going to generate debate about the legitimacy and professional efficacy of poker in general.
Looking further into it, there are a couple of lines that cover situations that might arise outside of the realm of expected chicanery:
“Where a situation arises that is not covered by these rules,” the folks in charge “shall have the sole authority to render a judgment, including the imposition of a penalty, in accordance with the best interests of the Tournament and the maintenance of its integrity and public confidence.”
As sure as there are thousands of players involved in the various events, there is an exponential number of “unique” situations that might arise and require some form of ruling. There’s no way to predict what someone might do – who would have thought that Mr. Peanut would get taken out by The Mouth?! All joking aside, if there isn’t language like this in place, it leaves the door open for all manner of controversy. While I’m no fan of most vestiges of authority, you can’t have total madness at the WSOP and expect it to maintain professional credibility.
At the end of the day, when someone agrees to pony up and play in an event, they explicitly agree to abide by the set rules – there’s not a lot of room for debate. For those of us keeping watch from the rail, keep in mind the repetition of the phrase “best interest of the game” as well as the words “fairness” and “integrity.” With all of the media coverage that the WSOP will receive – from our mighty blog to ESPN – the WSOP and poker in general need to be portrayed as a professional endeavor. The last thing that anyone needs is for the masses to be presented with a scene fit for coverage by Jerry Springer or Geraldo.
Nothing is going to be taken away or lost as a result of the regulations regarding player conduct. We’re still going to have a field of players ranging from the greatest professionals to the most grabasstic amateurs. There will still be table talk, heated battles, mad prop bets, and everything else that makes the WSOP what it is. Whether entrants are of the chip and a chair or chip and a prayer variety, we will see and read about some good poker.
Have a fine weekend.
The Captain
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May 30th, 2008 Play Poker on Full Tilt Poker
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