Daniel Negreanu has suggested some rule changes that he believes would not only improve player/viewer experience, but also protect against cheats and angleshooters…
Negreanu has spent the last couple of weeks at GGPoker’s WSOP Paradise festival in the Bahamas, and although he didn’t do quite as well as he’d hoped for at the tables, he came away with some ideas.
Poker rule changes I would vote for:
1. No face covering of any sort.
2. No Sunglasses.
3. If a player bets 90% or more of their stack, it is an all in.
4. No card protectors allowed on the table.
-Improve player/viewer experience
-Protect the game
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) December 21, 2024
All very straightforward on the face of it, but you might be wondering why exactly he thinks some of these are important, or currently problematic?
Prevents cheating or recipe for disaster?
Let’s work our way backwards, because the “no card protectors” sounds like a strange one. However, as the GGPoker ambassador explained:
“Tiny cameras can be placed inside card protectors and see the cards being dealt. Nothing outside of chips and cards should be on the table.”
For those who hadn’t considered that (yours truly included!) the technology exists to do just that, and sometimes the answer can be a simple one.
“Yes – nothing allowed on table or rail,” was fellow highstakes pro Brian Rast’s opinion, while Daniel explained that chips can be used to protect the hand. However, it’s not clear that would avoid disasters such as the famous one below):
Negreanu’s solution? “In 30+ years I have never had a dealer kill my hand. Hold the cards with your hand. Use chips as card protectors. There is no need for any other tools to protect your hand.”
90% = All-in!
The biggest discussion around DNegs’ rule change ideas was reserved for number 3 on the list, which he says would solve a recurring problem he encountered in the Bahamas…
Twice in 3 days I saw #3 used as essentially a legal angle.
1. On turn player bets 2 million leaving back a 5k. Other player doesn’t see the chip back, calls, turns hand up. Hits the river, guy gets to save the chip
2. FT guy jams all but a chip. BB calls and shows his hand.…
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) December 21, 2024
Sometimes known as the “fake all-in”, the move has become very popular in recent years in MTTs. The idea behind it? Well, there are a few (besides DNeg’s angleshoot fears).
Basically, though, if you shove all-in, get called, and lose… you’re out! If you leave a chip behind, however, you can still fold if your opponent shoves (or thinks he has called an all-in!).
That means there is still a chance of laddering up or a “chip and a chair” revival when you are behind, while still having almost the same positive effect when your hand is winning.
Rast disagrees with DNegs here, however, stating: “I think this is a bad way to change the game – and I can also see complications around the 90% line that become annoying in practice.”
Others also disagreed, poker Twitter/X fan Patrick Muth posting: “I am a non pro and I have eyes and pay attention and notice when someone leaves 1 chip behind. It’s a game of paying attention.”
Glasses and masks and…
And what about the face coverings and sunglasses of Negreanu’s options 1 & 2?
Well, the sunglasses in this high-tech age could just as easily be used for cheating, special coatings revealing marked cards, for example, or using Google and Samsung’s joint AndroidXR project-type technology.
Recent cases of cheating and alleged cheating have turned the “paranoia-meter” up and it could even see mobile phones banned completely, a la chess tournaments.
The face covering issue has been done to death, so let’s just say that some people want to hide from germs or scrutiny, while others believe that the latter is against the spirit of the game.
Christoph Vogelsang’s hoodie-snoodie garb and Ike Haxton’s facemask both come to mind, the latter triggering an awful lot of people…
- “I 100% agree with 1 & 2. Had a guy that wears a cloth mask. Pulls it down during breaks and when he talks to people on & off the table. Shouldn’t be allowed to wear it at all.” -@grc62
- “I agree with these 100%. Using COVID as a reason to cover your face, in 2024, is particularly ridiculous and should be outlawed. -@chamath
Well, what do you think of Daniel Negreanu’s rule change proposals? Good? Bad? Stick to playing? Let us know on our social media channels!
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