One thing everyone can count on at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) is that it will never be without controversy. Be it food, restrooms, or temperature, there are always issues that raise the dander of the players. The 2012 WSOP is no exception. So far this year, there has been one issue that has turned into the hot button topic of the poker festival: the “verbalize your action” rule at final tables.The rule itself was not particularly well known until the final table of Event #5, $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold’em, which concluded Friday night. As stated in Rule 88 of the official WSOP tournament rulebook, “Participants at all bracelet event final and feature tables are required to verbalize each action in the form of ‘Check,’ ‘Bet,’ or specific amount, ‘Call,’ ‘Raise,’ or ‘All-In.’ Violators will receive a penalty in accordance with Rules 39, 102, and 103.”
The penalties can include anything tournament officials deem appropriate, from forfeiture of chips to being forced to miss hands or orbits to disqualification from the tournament.
Apparently, tournament officials told the last few players left in the event that they must announce all actions and allegedly even threatened penalties for non-compliance. Third place finisher Jonathan FatalError Aguiar (pictured) vented his frustrations on Twitter the next day, writing, “The @wsop final table rule [requiring players] to announce every single action and bet is possibly the worst rule in poker history @wsoptd.”He continued, saying that no mention of the rule was made until after PokerStars pro Daniel Negreanu busted from the tournament in fifth place. Aguiar also added that at one point, a floor man threatened to end the tournament with three players remaining if the finalists did not want to obey the rules.
It would have been controversy enough if the discussion remained limited to the merits of the rule, but then it got taken up a notch. Seth Palansky, Vice President of Corporate Communications for the WSOP, re-Tweeted a Tweet originally posted by poker player Shawn Daniels that read, “@JonAguiar @wsop @wsoptd Why are you the only one who cries all day every day about everything? Adapt and stop sounding like a complete bitch.”
To make matters worse, the message showed up on the Twitter feed on the front page of WSOP.com and remained on the site for hours until somebody finally took it down. Needless to say, this caused an explosion in the poker community, with players everywhere admonishing Palansky and the WSOP for the lack of professionalism.
Aguiar, being the subject of the Tweet, didn’t take kindly to it either, Tweeting back, “@wsop @wsoptd @wsopprguy Hey guys, keep disgracing your brand, you've already run the WSOP into the ground, Benny Binion would be disgusted.”
Palansky apologized in an interview with QuadJacks on Sunday, saying he had intended to “favorite” the Tweet and that he has had personal issues with Aguiar in the past. He also Tweeted an apology on Monday: “Sorry for the offensive RT/language on @WSOP account. It was wrong & a bad moment. Love the WSOP & the players. Sorry for damage done.”
Palansky said that poker reporters Jay whojedi Newnum and Jessica Welman would manage the @WSOP account going forward. Palansky’s account, @WSOPPRGUY, appears to be closed.
WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel (pictured) addressed the "verbalize actions rule" in a separate interview with QuadJacks on Sunday. He said that the rule’s intent was to make final broadcasts, both on television and online, easier to follow, especially for casual fans. He said that it will not be mandatory for players to announce their actions, although players will be encouraged to do so. No penalties will be levied.In other WSOP news, many of you may have heard about the 9 hour, 25 minute heads-up match between Aubin Cazals and Warwick Mirzikinian in the semifinals of the $5,000 No Limit Hold’em Mixed-Max event on Sunday.
As previously reported on PocketFives, Cazals and the winner of the other semifinal, Joseph subiime Cheong, agreed to postpone the finals match until Tuesday, as Cazals was dead tired and Cheong had entered a separate $1,500 event. They were not allowed to do so, however, partly because Nevada Gaming Commission regulations forbid changes to a tournament’s schedule once it has been submitted.
The other reason, however, that WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla (pictured) gave was a little dicier. “You can't postpone things into Tuesday because the sports book had taken action on it,” Dalla told PocketFives in an exclusive statement.Cheong was not thrilled with the sports betting reason, Tweeting that it was “absurd.” The two players eventually decided to play at 9:00am on Monday, a time that was moved to Noon once Cheong was eliminated from another tournament.
Finally, there has been some buzz about David “All-American Dave” Swanson, a health and fitness coach who delivers healthy, prepared meals to a number of poker players at the WSOP. The word is that the Rio wants to start charging him for bringing food to the WSOP, something that has many players up in arms, as they don’t want to be forced to eat what the Rio has to offer.
It sounds like it is not the WSOP itself that is standing in the way, as Effel Tweeted, “Nobody is trying to ban Dave. We are working with him so he can continue serving. I support 100%.”
Swanson has also confirmed that things are being worked out, Tweeting, “They are being very understanding and working with me. I believe everything will be copasetic, just getting things in order.”
