Phones and other electronic devices will be banned entirely in the late stages of this summer’s World Series of Poker events.
The WSOP staff released its 2025 rules yesterday, along with its announcement that players must use their new WSOP+ app. The most noteworthy and heavily discussed rule change was Rule 64.
Rules 63 and 64 heavily restrict the use of phones and electronic devices at the table, and in some instances, outright ban them. Most of what Rule 63 states was already in place for last year’s series.
However, Rule 64 changes a lot.
Adding Nevada Statutes To Rulebook
The first subsection of Rule 64 directly quotes a Nevada gaming statute, NRS 465.075. The law states, “Use or possession of device software or hardware to obtain advantage at playing game prohibited.”
The statute states that a device that can do any of the following is unlawful:
- Projects the outcome of the game;
- Keeps track of cards played or cards prepared for play in the game;
- Analyzes the probability of the occurrence of an event relating to the game; or
- Analyzes the strategy for playing or betting to be used in the game
Additionally, the fourth subsection of the rule bans coaching from the rail.
“Participants and spectators are not allowed to use charts, apps, artificial intelligence or any other form of electronic assistance in the tournament room that could give a participant an advantage over another participant.”
A few sentences later, it explicitly bans any form of coaching.
“Spectators are also prohibited from providing live real-time assistance or coaching through direct (speaking) or indirect (text, e-mail, through any electronic device, etc.) communication to an
Jonathan Tamayo at the final table of the 2024 WSOP main event
active participant in any WSOP event.”
In one of the last subsections, the rule gives WSOP staff the right to remove electronic devices from play altogether. Players would only have access to phones on designated breaks.
However, it doesn’t stop at players. In situations where players’ phones are confiscated, spectators’ phones will also be taken away.
“No devices will be allowed to be used on the tournament rail during these late stages of streamed events and no coaching from the rail will be allowed…”
This rule change is likely in response to last year’s WSOP main event final table, where poker pros Joe McKeehen and Dominik Nitsche were looking at data on a computer on the rail in support of eventual champion Jonathan Tamayo.
Many in the poker community reacted strongly to the final table visuals, and some believed it was a form of cheating. Several of these rule changes were implemented last December during the WSOP Paradise stop.
No Vlogging WSOP Events
Even though the initial rule changes seemed like a response to “laptop-gate,” social media influencers caught a stray as well.
Rule 64(f) states that participants without an official media credential are “prohibited from using any electronic or other devices to record or capture continuous video or audio footage at any time during tournament play.”
The rule makes an exception for players filming their own all-in situation. While the majority of entrants won’t care too much about this, a handful of poker’s social media personalities won’t be allowed to create content in WSOP events.
Ethan “Rampage” Yau, a popular poker vlogger, expressed his displeasure with the rule Tuesday.
Officially my sign to quit poker, thanks @WSOP pic.twitter.com/pfqkG0Lrzo
— Rampage (@rampagepoker) May 6, 2025
Other Rule Changes
There were a handful of other rule changes for the 2025 series. Here are the other changes:
- Players not seated by the end of the first break are considered a no-show and will have their chips taken out of play and their buy-in refunded.
- Cancelling a tournament registration should be done before the start of the event on the app. Players who need to cancel after the start of the tournament must do so in person.
- Entrants are assigned a table and seat through a random computer selection. Late registrants or, as a result of a computer failure, manual selections may occur. Staff also reserves the right to add a chair to a table.
- Tables will draw for the button with three, two and one table remaining in the tournament.
Players deemed to be dodging the blinds while switching tables will be given a one-round penalty.
