The World Series of Poker announced its rules for its 2021 event that is scheduled to be held at Rio starting next month. Rule 115, first reported by Kevin Mathers, seems like it has the potential for being a major headache for players that could cost them their tournament buy-in.
Update 1: After a backlash from players, the rule has been changed to exclude asymptomatic players that are vaccinated, according to a WSOP tweet.
Update 2: WSOP will require players to be vaccinated to attend. All unvaccinated people will be forbidden to enter the WSOP playing area. This includes employees, spectators and vendors.
WSOP 2021 Rule 115
In accordance with guidelines promulgated by the Centers for Disease Control, [Rio] reserves the right to remove any Participant from any WSOP Event at any time prior to or during the WSOP Event, in its sole and absolute discretion, for any health or safety related reasons, including but not limited to, if Participant is determined by [Rio] in its sole discretion, to have received a positive test result for COVID-19 or come into close proximity (within 6 feet for 15 cumulative minutes) of any person who has tested positive for COVID-19, or if Participant refuses to undergo any health and safety screening required by [Rio] to participate in a WSOP Event.
If Participant is removed from a WSOP Event pursuant to this paragraph, and for no other reason, Participant shall not be entitled to any compensation or remuneration of any type other than what Participant had already been awarded prior to being removed from the WSOP Event.
However, for the avoidance of doubt, should Participant be disqualified for any additional reason or reasons that subject Participant to penalties pursuant to the Official Rules, those penalties shall apply. Further, in the situation where one or more Participants is disqualified pursuant to this Paragraph, [Rio] reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to determine whether to proceed with any WSOP Event as scheduled or to postpone or reschedule a WSOP Event, or any portion of a WSOP Event, to a later date.
Source: WSOP 2021 rules
From my interpretation of this, it seems easy to conclude that a player can be disqualified for reasons beyond their control. If WSOP seats a player that later tests positive, anyone within six feet of that player will be removed from the tournament and disqualified, or a major change to the event schedule will be made. The same can be said of a dealer, who interacts with 100 or more players most days, testing positive. The player, through no fault of their own, loses the buy-in and forfeits. The money remains in the prize pool. WSOP keeps the admin fee.
I am not aware of any other Las Vegas poker tournament series that has these rules. And it appears being vaccinated does not get a player out of the potential disaster.
This seems like a recipe for disaster
First, it seems patently unfair to remove a player from a tournament through no fault of their own. If WSOP management deems a player to be too high of a risk to play, that player deserves a refund of the equity in the tournament. A player entering an event with a buy-in of thousands of dollars deserves some sort of protection from an arbitrary decision that cannot be appealed, based on my interpretation of the “sole and absolute discretion” language. If WSOP says you may be sick, it seems like that is too bad, even if it was an employee that may have given it to you. In my opinion, that is passing all the responsibility onto customers.
I immediately saw ways to angle shoot this. I will not give people ideas, but they are not difficult to come up with, and impossible to refute, if asserted. And after my problems with WSOP in the past, it is hard for me to give them any benefit of the doubt.
Just cancel the 2021 WSOP
I understand the predicament. The delta variant is wreaking havoc on the country. The WSOP needs the safest playing environment possible.
It seems clear to me that having a series that runs for two months with multi day tournaments during a pandemic that is worsening by the day is a bad idea. If disqualifying players for reasons beyond their control is the solution, then the event should be cancelled. It seems patently unfair that some players may lose based solely on where WSOP seats them and how event organizers interpret data.
I imagine this rule by itself will greatly damage attendance beyond the pandemic concerns. It seems like an unnecessary variance risk most poker players are not willing to take, especially with so many other poker tournament options available in Las Vegas.
The WSOP poker site can be used for events like it has been over the last 17 months. There is no health risk there. It seems possible that there could be two WSOP events in 2022 to make up for this, assuming we can ever get control of the pandemic. Whatever it is, punishing customers for issues beyond their control is definitely not the answer.
Last Updated on August 27, 2021 by John Mehaffey
