Rule Changes Introduced at European Poker Tour Barcelona
The 2024 European Poker Tour (EPT) has landed in Spain, marking the 20th anniversary since the tour first visited Casino Barcelona during its debut season. Competition got underway on Monday, August 26. The last day of festivities will be Sunday, September 8. In the interim, 62 tournaments will see millions awarded in prize money.
The fallout from the World Series of Poker Main Event has seen significant changes to PokerStars live event rules. ©PokerStars
Greeting players on arrival in the popular Spanish venue was a host of new rules and alterations to tournament play at this and all PokerStars Live events. The changes appear designed to enhance game integrity and the player experience and have come in response to recent controversies – namely, happenings at the 2024 World Series of Poker Main Event final table.
New Sliding Cards and Redraw Rules
Tournament Director and PokerStars Ambassador Kenny Hallaert announced the changes on his social media. A Tweet outlined four critical ‘rules and procedure’ changes, beginning with a change to shot clocks. These are now reduced to 15 seconds – instead of 30 – on first action in the hand. Timebanks will still be worth 30 seconds each.
The change aims to reduce stalling tactics, especially near the bubble or pay jumps. Hallaert made the reasons behind the second change very clear. “We were considering removing all electronic devices from the table (including rail) for game integrity reasons. Instead, dealers will be taught to slide cards instead of pitching over the course of the next EPTs.”
The Belgian’s other rule changes are a revised redraw process: Redraws at the final two or three tables are now a thing of the past. Instead, a random breaking order will be implemented from five tables left onwards.
Banning Solvers to Solve the Problem
Seemingly introduced in direct response to the controversy at the WSOP Main Event – where real-time assistance via solvers were in evidence – the most significant change to PokerStars live tournament rules is a ban on solvers and charts. The new and specific rule is worded as follows:
“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.”
The Healthy Poker Party That Makes Stars Wealthy
The changes have only marginally distracted from PokerStar’s celebration of 20 years of the European Poker Tour. The series was devised by the inaugural Poker Million winner and TV director, John Duthie, and in 2004, PokerStars were the event sponsors and not proprietors. Sweden’s Alexander Stevic was the inaugural winner and took away an €80,000 prize.
Since its debut, more than 100,000 players have contested one of the subsequent 143 EPT Main Events, with the tournaments offering more than €575 million in prize money. To date, EPT Main Event champions have come from 30 countries, collectively winning over €110 million.
