Exactly. Because that is CASINO MONEY sitting in the table tray. Why shouldn't I exercise the same care with MY MONEY at the poker table?

i get backed for larger tournies and like to send a quick text or tweet to my backers/friends/fam to let them know how it's going. or occasionally want to have a quick convo without stepping away and taking a break. it's very irritating when i'm at a casino where you have to stand up to send a text. up, down. when i could stand up and text "i had Jh 9c" just as easily as I can sitting down. it's just pointless.

surely you can see that using a phone and storing info on it at a blackjack table raises issues that at a poker table does not

so would it be okay for players to use their iphones apps to determine pot odds, EV, all-in equity at the table?

if this was directed at my comment, then not while they are in a hand. i'm fine being told don't touch your phone while you have live cards. I just hate that while some toolshed needs 90 seconds to decide to call a $20 turn bet, I have to stand up to send a txt to my wife or whatever. It inconveniences me, and doesn't protect any other interests.

I think that's a decent argument for allowing communication devices only when you don't have cards in front of you. If there's any possibility that you could instead be texting, "I HAVE Jh9c," then that possibility should be eliminated.

I'm 100% fine with this. Just tired of being made to stand to send a txt or tweet or check an email, when I don't have a live hand.

That makes sense.

I'd prefer that they not be allowed at all--for the integrity of the game, for the speed of the game, and (selfishly) to force myself to pay more attention to the action--but I'd be fine with a compromise of "no use while in a hand" because I realize how important smartphones are to the general public nowadays.

I'm sure this has been discussed elsewhere, but what was Frank Kassela doing with his iPad during the WSOP? He seemed to have that blue glow on his face whenever he was on camera. Seems pretty easy to set up a HUD on such a device.

It must be exhausting to have to do that.

Apparently, your not the top athlete that you'd like to be in the "sport" of poker.

Well, I'm not for sure. But it's not the 'exhaustion' of the actual act of standing up, it's a combination of just the annoyance of it, and some poker rooms are crowded and it's a pain in the ass to back your seat up, move drink trays, etc, watch out for the guy making the fill, the new dealer, etc etc etc to send a 5 second text, when there is ZERO reason I can't do it sitting at the table. Name one benefit to having to stand to text? I already said I agree when you have cards, don't touch the phone. So now what is the benefit? If I am cheating, I can cheat standing up too, right?

The more you restrict phones from tables, the more you drive from the table people who have incomes apart from poker.

Welcome to the new mental disorder called A.D.D. or A.D.H.D. Fun , isn't it? And I don't even have it!!

So i fold stand up and text the hand I just folded to my buddy still in the hand isn't a problem for you?


I use my phone at the table, I text, I read i listen to music with it. But I would not object to having the use of these things prohibited at the table. Its way to easy for other people to cheat.

Well in Rapini's scenario, your buddy wouldn't be able to read your text until after he's out of the hand himself, since his phone can't be out.

Ok...douche-scumbag-cheat #1, and douche-scumbag-cheat #2 are out of a hand. DSC1 texts to DSC2 that he wants to change the squeeze to the player that is sitting next to him who is accidentaly flashing his cards to DSC1.

These goofballs are "out of the current hand" right? Without getting into the numerous ways to cheat while out of a hand, such as discussing how others play, changing squeezes, changing to J'S or better PFLOP raises...whatever. Communication devices should not be allowed at table, period. I'm starting to believe the people opposing the no communication device rule are actual anglers themselves.

As for live update texting to backers while in tourney. Your backers or friends can't wait an hour or so until break to get said update? Really? Regardless of the bs texting you see go on while watching the WSOP on television, it doesn't make it right.

Wow you're bitter.

Summary

Poker Players Over 40
I do not understand what you are doing with your phone that is so engrossing. You are always staring at it, touching it, fiddling with it, when I know you've got hundreds or thousands of dollars on the line in front of you. Since I can't conceive of a valid reason you'd ignore the game around you I'm going to assume you are cheating.

Poker Players Under 30
I cannot why what in the world you care that I'm using my phone. I don't like being out of touch, and my world is one of constant information. When I'm not in a hand I get bored, and read online, play games, text my friends, or fiddle with my phones applications. 99.9% of what I'm doing has nothing to do with the game in front of me, but I'm (mostly) adept at switching my attention back when it's time to play.
Take my phone away from me and I'm not long for this game, and my money is leaving with me.

You're loony a bit. Sometimes the breaks are 2 hours or more apart and sometimes on those breaks I like to do things like use the bathroom, eat, drink, etc. Also sometimes I bust before the first break, and they feel like they got more their money's worth if I can send em a chip count or too first!

OK, so your paranoid idea here. Say we say NO PHONES OUT AT TABLE. I go to bathroom. OMG I TEXT THAT THE SQUEEZE IS ON SEAT 4!!!! How does your rule stop that? Or I stand up and step away for 5 seconds. It simply doesn't stop it, and only punishes people using their phones for legit means.

Ha! I'm in my mid-30s, and I can go either way on it. Perfect!

They could both walk away for a food or smoke break and have the same discussion. There'd be no way to prevent it.

I'm not really following. You are saying the players should not be able to text when botha re out of the hand because they could be communicating plans on how to cheat in the future?

Well if you are going to have rules to prevent them from communicating that way I assume that they aren't allowed to both get up and go to the bathroom, or around a bank of slot machines to speak to each other. I imagine that in your poker room there is a first man walking rule. Oh and two players not in a hand aren;t allowed to whisper to each other or pass a piece of paper?

Granted, but I do see that being able to send secret messages to each other every hand would make it a lot easier to keep updates and adapt your strategy of cheating. Two folks standing up and and whispering to each other every hand would be more obvious to everybody. A smoke break discussion is along the lines of, "okay, overall, we should try to do this and this." A constant stream of texts can be, "he's done this and that in the past five hands, if he does something on the next hand and I give a signal, I want you to do this other thing."

Personally, I like the ban because as Rapini said, it forces me not to be distracted by my shiny toys all the time.

Also, it does slow down the game. People with phones or headphones insist that other people slow it down, but not them. Yes, I realize in their frame of reference, they're doing things immediately, but others have to wait for their frame of reference to catch up. Even an extra second or two of "sir, it's on YOU... okay, grab your cards and look at them now... no, you can't limp, it's a raise... that guy over there is who raised, you can tell because he's the first guy who has more chips in front of him, and I announced it at the time..." ... well, that adds up in a hurry.

That's how they had to do it in the "old days", you know, way back before the "moneymaker effect".I'm just saying, allowing the introduction of another POSSIBLE way of cheating at the table is absurd.There is a reason why many casinos do not allow communication devices at tables. Are they all wrong? Have they not researched or learned through experience that this is not a good idea?

Go home and play online if you need to stay in constant communication through IM. Like I've said before, poker is inherently boring. That's just the way it is. Sorry for you people that can't keep your attention unless your 123 tabling online. That's not my problem. I've been playing poker for 20 + years (still not over the age of 40 yet BTW), long before the "moneymaker effect". This issue didn't come up until after said effect. There's merit in not allowing communication devices at the table.

You 20 something internet junkies aren't going to change a legitimate rule. So Just stop trying. I didn't really care so much but now you've given me reason to complain every time I see it going on. Thank you

So just take your Aderol and relax would you please? Using phones at the table is annoying, rude, and a possible threat to the integrity of the game. And if you are cheating via cell, (not saying you are) I would suggest learning how to do it the "old fashioned" way, because I don't see the cell phone ban being lifted anytime soon.

So um, why should a poker room follow the advice of someone who WANTS young people with disposable income to stop playing poker?

And why would you want to drive away everyone but other bitter old nits?

Do you hate money?