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

It was quite practical when I played in South Dakota a few years ago. If you wanted to LOOK at your phone, you stood up and stepped away from the table.

I was in a small tourney, and it felt weird to go an hour without looking at my phone, but I made it. At the break, I pulled out my phone, and dealer informed me that I couldn't do so at the table.

"Not even at the break?", I asked, surprised.

"Not even at a table that's not being used," he told me. No devices at any table of any kind.

As a poker dealer myself, I have since DREAMED of this law becoming universal. My job is to keep the game moving, and nothing--nothing!!!--confounds this mandate more than electronic devices.

(No, I'm not worried about cheating. Taking phones away will not hinder at all any pair of players signaling/communicating cards. In fact, they're doing us a favor if they use their phones to do this, as they are documenting the evidence against them.)

if the casinos saw a stat on what it cost the rake per hour, per day, per year ... it would be enforced no movies, no playing on line while at the table. Not sure how they can best enforce phone as they are appendages now. Probably hopeless all around. Come to think of it, it's just part of life now. Everything is subject to a little slow down because of the digital bonanza.

I quickly read that as "digital bronze age"

Once, long before we had cell phones, I worked in a terribly-run room, where every player complaint about anything was resolved by making a New Rule.

I came in one day to find out that players were no longer allowed to read magazines or newspapers at the table. Someone must've whined to the manager about how they slow down the game. WE WERE GIVING THEM THE MAGAZINES! "Here, have a magazine--but you can't read it! Not here!"

I asked the manager if there were any plans afoot to remove the televisions suspended all over the room, as they were a far greater distraction for the players than magazines.

She looked at me like I was the screwy one.

I mean, the other day I went to the casino just to watch the Blues game because I don't have cable. So I tried to pay $50 to last long enough in a tournament to watch the end of the game (which, as it turned out, was some time in the second period), but I ended up cashing, too.

That said, the game definitely did distract me, and I played slower and worse. That's my bad, but come on, it's the playoffs!

Players on their phone, watching TV or being slightly distracted in a different way are the bread & butter of poker rooms. Obviously not the ones who have to be reminded every single time it’s their turn but the ones who are break-even to slightly losing players who make sure the table stays full and the rake keeps dropping steadily.

I think I would have used my $50 to go to a bar and watch the game. Plus food and adult beverages.

I don't drink, the food is overpriced, not many bars around here would have the game, and I hadn't played live poker in almost a week. Plus, there's no EV from a bar

Sorry, it seemed like you were complaining about that being your only way to watch the game, trying to last with $50 in a tournament. And I find it hard to believe that a casino would have access to a sporting event that a bar would not, overpriced or not. Sunday's game (that was pretty much over in the 2nd period as you said) was on network NBC.

I thought he meant he got knocked out of the tournament while the hockey game was in the 2nd period, lol.

And I've lived in a lot of warm-weather places, Tom, where they look at you like you're a space alien if you ask the bartender to put a hockey game on tv.

Those guys were either lying or idiots. In Elgin the rule has been strictly enforced at the poker room since at least 2011 when I started playing there. To not be aware of it for 6 or 7 years? No one from the gaming board visited that boat and noticed it? Doesnt add up to me.

I love the no devices rule at the table since I'd rather have the hassle of getting up once in awhile to check out my phone than to be at a table with 8 other losers who cant get their nose out of their phone for 5 minutes in a row.

When I'm at a "Devices allowed room" it's all I can do to stop myself when I have the nuts from pushing $35 out on the river and whispering "all-in" to the dealer and hoping they call not knowing it's an all-in. Yes, an angle, and douchy but you're either at the table to play or not. Pay attention. Consider my play a penalty for the countless times you held up the game for not following the action the past few hours.

Zero sympathy for the phone zombie crack-addicts. Get over yourselves, if you're playing 1-2 or 2-5 your life is NOT so important that you must check your phone constantly and take calls all day long

Ironic you bring up Elgin. I've had a new young player come in lately and the other day he asked about electronic devices at the table. I told him he couldn't use them because of IL gaming regs. So he told me that he is allowed to Vlog at Elgin as long as he signs something ahead of time. Made no sense to me, and my casino manager happened to be standing right next to me equally surprised.



Wow.

And when I am called to the table you will only win $35. Don't be a douche.

"you're either at the table to play or not" says the guy who wants to play a different game than everyone else.

I agree - they are idiots!

OR - third option:

It's a testament of how good the Illinois Gaming Commission is at educating casino staff, and/or enforcing their rules