Harrah Gets Tough With Swearing Offenders
Written by RogerCP | Monday, March 16th, 2009
Harrah’s have released the rules that will be in place for WSOP 2009. There have been changes made in the code of conduct. These changes have been made in order to avoid spats at the table like the ones Phil Hellmuth and Scotty Nguyen were involved in.
The hot topic for discussion at poker forums is the no profanity rule. The rule states “Harrah’s prohibits the use of obscene or foul language in any public area of the casino at any time. Any player who uses such language or makes a foul, profane, obscene, or vulgar statement, or speaks abusively or in an intimidating manner to another player, a dealer, or tournament staff member will be penalized.”
Last year players were not prohibited from using foul language unless it was directed at a particular person. Jenny Woo of Gambling 911was vociferous in her opposition to this change. She emphasized, “That’s a f***ing shame! What we love about poker is that the game is so raw. It’s not as if the kiddies should be watching. It’s typical of sports even when we were growing up to yell cuss words and swear both on and off the court and behind the bleachers.”
There are some other rules, though not new, that are likely to be in the limelight. One is the anti cheating rule that prohibits any form of cheating including collusion. Last year there were murmurs of collusion when Nguyen told Erick Lindgren, “I tried to protect your hand.” Another is the excessive clebration rule that says, “Excessive celebration through extended theatrics, inappropriate behavior, or physical actions, gestures, or conduct will be subject to penalty.” This rule is known as the Hevad Khan rule because it was introduced after Khan’s celebrations at being assured of $1 million in the WSOP 2007 Main Event, where he lifted chairs and taunted his opponents.
Last year the rules were not implemented in a fair and transparent manner. Many felt that Hellmuth got away with “murder” because of his stature. This year Harrah’s will maintain a database of infractions to keep track of habitual violations. It will also impart special training to floor personnel. The biggest deterrent will however be Harrah’s decision to ensure that violations of the code of conduct are aired on ESPN. Both Nguyen and Khan felt the need to apologize to their fans after their unseemly behavior was aired on television.
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· Written by RogerCP · Filed Under Poker Gossip · Comments Off
