I have been pointing out this stain on poker for years and I think its time the community made a stand if we want to bring poker to the masses online and have it treated more as a sport. I was discussing this with Matt Savage on my latest free podcast and he agreed in principle.

Players AT THE SAME TABLE with a financial arrangement that hinges on the outcome of hands SHOULD BE FORCED TO DISCLOSE. This goes for tournaments and cash games. There should be a board you register on in the casino. Its not my job to figure out who has these arrangements and they DO effect the outcome of the game.

Backers, horses, stablemates, swappers, bankroll teams and equity choppers amongst others should be legally required to register with the floor when they are at the same table. Dont tell me the common line, "me and my backer play each other tough when were at the same table". GOOD FOR YOU! Its not my job to guess which are the "good ones". Just register, you got nothin to hide, right?

Yes enforcement will be spotty but its the same with insider trading. A little enforcement will go a LONG way. Once a player has his tourney win confiscated and a felony on his record many MANY others will think twice about secret financial arrangements.

Most of the poker community is good people who either play on their own dime or will happily comply. New players to the game will see its a safe regulated "sport" not sharks waiting to team up on the fish.

Understatement of the year.

enforcement is spotty on most non-violent crimes. Its in no way a good reason not to have the law. If the was a law I guarantee there would be multiple convictions the first year and illegal secret arrangements would drop precipitously.

The guys who run in these teams would end up turning each other in when they inevitably have a falling out/ one steals from the other. This always happens. There is no honor amongst thieves.

What body is going to govern this?

The poker police?

Felony? WTF?

Good luck trying to explain this concept to lawmakers.

Even with "donations" I have to think there would be a few million other issues ahead of it on the legislative agenda.

The casino I'm assuming. Whether they actually care is another thing. It's a good idea in principle, I just don't think it will ever happen.

In a live setting, if they disclosed before hand, you could have them wear some kind of sticker/patch/wristband to see who is with who.

Id go with the actual police but hey, im wacky like that. at the early stages casinos could just make it a rule and it could be in the terms of service and tournament rules. It will get things headed on the right track.

I like the concept Limon, but you are in a dream world, man. It's just never going to happen or be governed properly.

Absolutely impossible to track and to be honest most games wouldn't go if this rule ever found some way to be enforced. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for this Limon. I hate seeing the same two people playing soft against each other heads up and playing "normally" in multi-way pots.

you act like its outlandish but there is currently a gaming bill coming out of nevada which says a lot of what I just wrote.

the idea we dont make sane laws because they are complicated to lawmakers is asinine. theres prob 10,000 pages of arcane laws covering insider trading should we scrap them because they are hard to enforce and too complicated for louis gohmert?

+1

thinking this might ever be a real law is delusional.

as far as being a rule a casino would enforce, casinos dgaf about players stealing/cheating each other as long as their money isn't at risk. maybe a few card rooms would post a message "requiring" this sort of disclosure, but the overhead of enforcing it and dealing with the aftermath of an incident is going to be far more than whatever benefit they see from it.

I was regularly on the wrong side of this in live games many years ago, and it sucks, but often it's the casino regulars blatantly doing this, and the floor people know them, know what they're doing, and allow them to do it.

This absolutely isnt true. If it was made part of the TOS and tournament rules for this years WSOP wed have at least on DQ and confiscation by tournaments end. Shyt would happen fast after that.

the difference is that the general public cares about insider trading

And a badge on a lanyard or a wristband.



Backer
Horse
Stablemate
Swapper
Bankroll Team Member
Equity Chopper

well, it is a real law coming out of nevada currently in a hamhanded way. so, i guess ill use my delusions.

We choose regulate poker teams in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.

i lol'd

That would work better than a board though

I don't think recs would care enough to go look at it.

I assume you're talking about the bill to outright ban staking arrangements. what you're proposing is a lot different and more nuanced. nuance is good but requires time and care from politicians. poker players get the short-sighted, heavy-handed approach from politicians.

I agree that just because it's hard to enforce doesn't make it unworthy, but I think you're delusional to think anyone cares enough to make your dream a reality.

which is fine but then they cant bitch to the media about secret pro "teams". a lanyard isnt out of the realm of possibility, casino "props" are already legally required to wear them in many jurisdictions.

Yes the nevada bill is lame and hamhanded thats why WE need to get involved.

and people DO care. I spoke with Matt Savage director of the WPT and he is going to bring this up at the annual TDAs meeting. Ive even been invited to speak on the subject.

Dont give up so easy friend. The arc of poker history is long but it bends towards justice.

co-signed!
This poll speaks for itself. Yeah, maybe felony is overkill, but you get the point.

+5
In.

Enforcement is impossible. I'm generally open about it if I have a share of someone or vice versa, but this is impossible to enforce

lol.

It's not even April Fool's. This is a comical idea...at best.

its actually pretty easy. probably easier than insider trading. most financial arrangements have a paper (text) trail because the participants want things clear AND DOCUMENTED. If the participants are required to register while at the same table and dont these arrangements will be made public from time to time by whistleblowers, jilted horses, butthurt ex roommates, etc.

A few tournament purses withheld/confiscated will go a long LONG way. and it will happen. It will become much easier/safer to just register.