Summer restrictions at WSOP: Prohibition of phones and devices in late tournament stages
The upcoming 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) is set to introduce significant changes to its coaching and electronic device rules, aiming to enhance fairness and integrity.
Electronic Devices
Phones and all electronic devices are banned from the final three tables of all tournaments. Players must completely remove these devices from the table and are not allowed to use them during play. Devices can only be accessed during breaks or after elimination. This ban also applies to all featured or streamed tables, where no devices are permitted at any time.
Coaching
No coaching is allowed from anywhere within the tournament room. This rule prohibits any form of external advice or assistance to players during tournament play.
Use of Assistance Tools
Both players and spectators are forbidden from using charts, apps, artificial intelligence, or any other form of electronic assistance. This change addresses previous controversies where a player's rail was accused of using solver tools during heads-up play at the 2024 WSOP Main Event Final Table.
Penalties for Violations
- For players: Failure to comply with the electronic device ban and coaching prohibitions may result in disqualification from the tournament.
- For spectators: Although specific spectator penalties are not detailed explicitly, the rules prohibit spectators from using electronic assistance tools. Given the severity of the rule, violations likely lead to removal from the tournament venue or other disciplinary actions enforced by WSOP officials.
These changes aim to maintain the competitive integrity of WSOP events by preventing outside influences through electronic aids or coaching inside the tournament room.
It is important to note that these changes were first implemented ahead of WSOP Paradise in December. The WSOP now cites Nevada legal statute 465.075 to strengthen its rules, ensuring a level playing field for all participants.
The 2025 WSOP is scheduled to start on May 27 and run until July 16. Rule 63 and Rule 64 have been expanded from their previous versions, with Rule 64 now including seven separate subsections to cover these new regulations.
These changes have garnered mixed reactions from the poker community, with some players expressing disapproval, such as GGPoker pro Daniel Negreanu, following a controversial coaching incident at the 2024 Main Event.
Despite the controversy, the WSOP remains committed to upholding the highest standards of fairness and integrity in its events. Spectators are also prohibited from providing live real-time assistance or coaching to active participants in any WSOP event through direct or indirect communication.
During breaks or after being eliminated, players may access their devices. During streamed events, the WSOP reserves the right to remove all participants' electronic devices. An announcement will be made to participants once they have reached the final three tables to remove all electronic devices.
[1] Source: WSOP Official Tournament Rules 2025.
- To ensure fairness and integrity in the upcoming 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP), all tournaments will prohibit players from using any forms of electronic assistance, including charts, apps, artificial intelligence, or phones during play.
- Spectators are also forbidden from providing live coaching or real-time assistance to any active participants in the WSOP, whether through direct or indirect communication, aiming to uphold the highest standards of fairness and integrity in the casino-and-gambling events.
