These used to be banned while in a hand. Now I see people facing a bet, picking up their phone and scrolling, like they're looking at odds charts or something. Is that crap allowed now?!?

I’ve never seen someone check their odds in the middle of a hand. That’s gotta be some kind of tell. I say allow it, haha.


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Most rooms that still have actual posted rules seem to still have a ban on the use of devices while in a hand. Not sure I would raise the issue in the specific hand but would definitely inquire once the hand was done.

If they want their computer assistance, then they can go home and play online.

Personally, it would be nice to go back to banning all devices at the table, but alas, that ship has sailed and we are stuck with anti-social nits who slow things down by being on their phone in a hand (or worse, speaking in a non-English language and have to be reminded that it is English-only while at the table and in a hand).

Really?

So you can tell exactly what someone is looking at or texting? It's ok to pick up your phone in a live hand and text your friend at the table asking him what he folded, whether or not you should call a bet, or collude in other ways?

It's not only about checking equities, bud. Using a cell phone while in a live hand is supposed to be banned. The problem is a lot of dealers don't enforce it.

No, it’s clearly not okay to collude. If he can see his screen, you can see it as well. If he’s calculating his odds of his straight or flush, that’s a pretty good tell for you to play against, bud.

Not unless you're sitting right beside him. Why does that matter anyway? Its against the rules in most rooms to be using your phone at all during a hand.

If hes actually using his phone to try to gain an advantage or hes slowing the game down, ask the dealer to make him stop or call the floor.

The problem is you can't allow someone to use their phone, while in a live hand, for one thing and not the other. Is the dealer supposed to ask to see their screen to verify what they're doing on their phone? And I don't know what kind of a tell this would give bc both great players, bad players, and every kind of player in between may or may not use equity apps.



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Dunno where you play but where i am its not allowed, and ive rarely seen anyone do it. sometimes they get away with it for a hand or something, but if they do it again they getting called out by the dealer for sure.

if its like clearly someone watching a movie/show and it just stays on as they play me in a hand i dont care, as they arnt interacting with it.

i literally cant remember someone was jabbing away at a phone against me during a hand like its so rare, 99% of people just dont do it or put the phone down.

Not sure if it’s officially allowed, but various rooms in Vegas at least don’t stop players from doing it.

One of the oddest things I’ve seen was a Hispanic guy on his birthday who was talking on the phone in Spanish almost nonstop except for when he was in a hand. At that point he would tell the other person he had to switch to English for a minute.

Most Vegas rooms.

Tournaments:
-You can text at the table while not in a hand.
-You can text while in a hand, "as long as you do not slow down the action", take that as you will. Dealer may tell you to put it away.
-You may not take/make phone calls at all while at the table

Cash:
-You can text when not in a hand.
-You can text while in a hand, if it's multi-way action and you are slowing down the action, the players will probably say something to you before the dealer does.
-You can make/take a phone call at the table, both in a hand or not in a hand.. I find this irritating as hell and rude, and there should really be a rule saying to leave the table like in tournaments.

You cannot ban phones from poker. It's just not practical to think you can.

You should not be allowed to use your phone at all if you have a live hand (preflop is different, if you're waiting to fold, but even then, so often I will have to tap the table in front of players who have totally zoned out pre and are immersed in their phone while waiting to fold).

Rules about electronic devices are set by state law. Each state varies. Illinois' laws about devices are pretty stringent. Technically our rule is that you must be a table-length away. Pretty hard to enforce, especially in certain areas of the room but we do the best we can with it. It's tough when the competition across the border in Indiana allows players to do whatever they want at the table.

To the OP, maybe the state gaming board where you are recently changed their rules and that's why you're seeing more people using devices. I'd ask the manager.

So, which is it? You can or can't or shouldn't be able to? I'm confused.

IMO phones should be allowed as long as you're not holding up the game. If you're really texting your buddy at the table about what you have or you're cheating in some way with your phone, you will be caught. Plain and simple, pretty dumb to try it. I know I will catch you and I think most dealers and floorstaff are smart enough to figure out when something isn't right.

I'm guessing the first 2 are the rule, and the third is what he would prefer the rule be.

Makes sense. I'm sure you're right.

This was the past weekend in Vegas, where you can pretty much do anything you want at low limits. I don't play very often so I thought maybe the general rule had changed wrt to phones. Several times players were in long conversations in the middle of hands (as in the call lasted 3 or 4 hands) and the dealer had to keep prompting them on their action.

Then I thought I saw someone pick up their phone while in a hand, scroll through something, and then act. I though it was my imagination, so I carefully watched the next time. It was obvious, the guy was heads-up, and when the opponent bet, he picked up his phone, did some scrolling, acted, and put the phone back down until the next street.

That may be your room's rule, but it isn't the law.

Only thing that comes close in the RGA is 230 ILCS 10/18(d)(3), but it would require a very specific interpretation which would mean any time you have a cell phone with pokerstove or similar installed you're committing a felony. You won't find anything in the rules (86 Ill. Admin. Code 3000) either. Trust me, I've looked.

I don't know the citation, but I do know the only reason for our rule is because of the Illinois Gaming Board.

No phone use with live hand

Must push back if talking on the phone ... GL

Yes, I don't know the citation either, but the dealers/floor all indicate that the ban on electronics at the table is due to a rule by the Illinois Gaming Board. You also cannot be on your phone in the pit games either.

Anytime a poker room employee doesn't know why they have a certain rule, they will almost always blame the gaming commission. It's an easy out.

At the Par-a-Dice in E. Peoria, they did not observe this rule until about 2 years ago. It seems that it has been an Illinois Gaming Board rule for some time, but was not observed because the management at Par-a-Dice was not aware of it. Then, about 2 years ago someone pointed out the rule, and they have pushed that rule ever since.

As I said, it is a rule not only in the poker room, but it is enforced elsewhere too. I have been warned once while playing blackjack to step away from the table to use my phone.

Almost all casinos enforce a similar rule around pit games, where it is their money on the line. In general the same rule does not exist at the poker tables, where they are not banking. I have no specific info about IL, however.

I pride myself in being quick to act ... since I suck it won't matter if I take any time. I'm usually reading the news if I'm on my phone and it doesn't slow me down.

Where I play it used to nullify the bad beat...but not anymore. It seems like anything goes.

That's normally something to say to players to actually abide by certain rules. If you threaten to take away the bad beat they will comply.