Recent months have been disastrous for the poker fraternity as everyone is debating over whether a player should use any type of Real Time Assistance (RTA) on the rail, even if there aren’t any rules stopping everyone from using RTA. Although WSOP hasn’t responded to this, PokerStars’s European Poker Tour has announced a ban on Solvers at the EPT Tournament Area.
This debate started after Jonathan Tamayo’s victory at the 2024 World Series of Poker Championship Main Event. Tamayo’s team — Dominik Nitsche and Joe McKeehen — allegedly used RTA on the rail, giving an unfair advantage to Tamayo. This sparked a series of debates among the poker community, as well as pros.
There is no strong response from WSOP to the controversy, but EPT has announced a ban on solvers in the tournament room area. Along with that, PokerStars announced several new rules that players are obliged to abide by.
Solvers Ban in EPT Tournament Area
To secure the integrity of the game, EPT has announced a ban on GTO Solvers/chars or anything similar in the touranment area at any time. As per the new rule, players are not allowed to use any GTO Solvers software, GTO Charts, or any AI tool in the tournament room area. The rule not only applies to players but also to spectators.
The EPT still permitted electronic devices in the poker room area. Players may use devices like phones, tablets, and laptops. But they can’t use them while playing a hand. Besides that, EPT has prohibited players from broadcasting the tournament while playing.
Toby Stone, the Tournament Director for the EPT, addressed the issue with police solvers in a big tournament. Enforcing the rule is also very challenging. “We’ve got cameras, but we can’t be zooming in on people’s phones to check that they’re not using any solvers,” Toby Stone commented.
Stone added the rule is easy to enforce in the important stages of the tournament, such as the final table or on the final day. So, it is easy to look at them if they are running over to the rail to look at an electronic device.
Shot Clocks in the European Poker Tour
There is also a chance in shot clocks. Players will now have 15 seconds to act in a hand, instead of 30 seconds. Time banks will still be worth 30 seconds each. Stone says that players can expect more short clocks in the future.
