After the controversial conclusion to the WSOP Main Event, where Jonathan Tamayo’s victory was overshadowed for many by ‘Laptopgate’, PokerStars have announced changes to the EPT’s rules and regulations, banning solver technology from their live events.

With GTO technology or solvers banned from the tournament area in its entirety in Barcelona, are PokerStars the first of many brands to enforce the ban, and if so, how can they make sure players don’t access GTO help during gameplay?

Kenny Hallaert Announces Changes Ahead of EPT Barcelona

“No use of GTO-solvers/charts or similar anywhere in the whole tournament area at any time”

With the Estrellas Festival underway already and EPT Barcelona about to start in the Catalan former capital of culture, the announcement that GTO-solvers or charts will not be allowed anywhere in the tournament area was made by Kenny Hallaert on X. Having recently being announced as a PokerStars Team Pro, the WSOP Main Event finalist and former tournament director Hallaert has wasted no time adding his experience and nous to ‘Stars roster. Here’s how he made the announcement:

“Changes regarding some rules and procedures that will come into play [at] EPT Barcelona,” he wrote. “We were considering removing all electronic devices from the table (including rail) for game integrity reasons. No use of GTO-solvers/charts or similar anywhere in the whole tournament area at any time, also not for spectators.”

Other changes spoken about by Hallaert in the post, which has already been viewed close to 50,000 times, include dealers who will be ‘taught to slide cards instead of pitching over the course of the next EPT’s’, which received favorable feedback from stars such as Steve O’Dwyer.

Shotclocks are affected too, with time reduced to 15 seconds on the first action in the hand instead of 30 seconds – including if there has been other action before your turn to act. That prompted some mixed reactions but timebanks thereafter will remain at 30 seconds each. There will also be no table redraws in EPT events once the final two or three tables are reached. Instead of this, a random breaking order from five tables remaining will push play towards a conclusion.

Nitsche Questions Language of Ruling

“That doesn’t address people coaching on the rail using electronic devices though does it?”

If there was going to be one player who would question the minutiae of the ruling, it was likely to German WSOP bracelet winner Dominik Nitsche. If you recall, Nitsche was one of several players on Tamayo’s rail with the laptop that so offended people when the World Championship reached its conclusion. Tackling a number of people’s gripes in the aftermath of Tamayo’s victory, Nitsche sought to clarify some details today from Hallaert.

“So [rule] #9 means no phones anywhere on the rail right?” he asked.

“Phones are still allowed on the rail.” Hallaert responded.

“Why? Anyone with basic tech knowledge is perfectly capable of either using Teamviewer or simply getting a third party to run simulations for them.”

“We don’t want to ban the use of phones at the tables (for now). The use of solvers in any way is not allowed.”

“That doesn’t address the issue of people coaching on the rail using electronic devices though does it?”

“People on the rail can still access solver material and pass that information on to players.”

“Spectators are also not allowed to use any GTO-like material.”

The ruling which is expanded to the following paragraph, breaks things down as following:

“Players are not permitted to use at the table or anywhere in the tournament room area at any time game theory optimal (GTO) solver software, GTO charts (whether used on an Electronic Device or otherwise) or any AI tool or similar algorithmic software that is capable of affording the user a competitive advantage in the Tournament. We also don’t allow any spectator to make any use of electronic devices with solvers inside the poker tournament area.”

Nitsche said that ‘the rule is poorly written. “A device with a solver in them” can refer to mobile phones and tablets like it can to laptops. Ban one of them and you need to ban all. Only banning laptops makes it look like you care about the optics more than integrity of the game.”

Hallaert accepted this argument, but did then state that while spectators can still use their mobile phone ‘not any solver related software’ was the rule that applied to GTO Software.

“But how do you police what people are looking at on their mobile screens?” Nitsche fairly asked and it’s a reasonable question.

Will ‘Stars ‘Solver Ban’ Be Enforceable?

“If we want to create a fair environment, we should have rules in place that are actually enforceable.”

For a long time, the banning of solvers is something that poker fans and recreational players have called for. To most observers, the ‘optics’ of solver tech being on the rail are awful; they suggest that the great game of poker can be ‘gamed’ itself, that solvers give players an unfair advantage. Hallaert’s reply to Nitsche admitted that actually enforcing the ban may take some work.

“In my opinion, if we want to create a fair environment, we should have rules in place that are actually enforceable. And yes, I’m fully aware that people would absolutely hate having their mobiles taken [off] them.”

In theory, reactive gameplay to directly counter GTO plays would theoretically counteract any benefit given to those with the technology at their fingertips. Hallaert was questioned multiple times about the specifics of the ban area, and he confirmed that this included it to be defined as ‘the area where tournament poker is being played, including spectator area’.

How quickly PokerStars enforce this at the forthcoming EPT Barcelona Main Event is likely to be an indicator not only as to their stance at future events but the leading action of other operators as they approach rule changes in forthcoming series such as the WSOP Paradise festival, which will take place in December, or even WSOP Europe, which kicks off in less than three weeks time, taking place between September 18 and October 9.

The battle to maintain integrity in live poker events whilst keeping up with the technological advancements the game is already raging.

Photograph courtesy of PokerStars, the home of the European Poker Tour.