World Poker Tour May Well Introduce ‘Shot Clock’ To Speed Up Play
Over the last decade Poker has featured more and more on our television screens, ever since Chris Moneymaker made history to become the first online qualifier to win the World Series of Poker (WSOP). Watching poker on TV can be entertaining, but the product we see is generally edited, with some hands taking an age to be completed as players agonise over their next move. That could all be a thing of the past as the World Poker Tour (WPT) are looking to introduce a ‘shot clock’ into play for the coming season.
Players were recently asked their opinion on how they would feel about a ‘shot clock’ being introduced to the tour to speed up play, with opinion appearing to be somewhat divided.
Adam Pliska is the President of the WPT and he had this to say regarding the proposed ‘shot clock’. Speaking to PokerNews he said, “The WPT is continuing to explore ways to improve the overall tournament experience. Mike Sexton, Vince Van Patten, Matt Savage, our tour management director Angelica Hael and myself have considered implementing a shot clock in a limited capacity for some time, but thought player feedback would be helpful in determining if this is one of the initiatives we should try and if so, in what capacity.”
The WPT have come up with various options for players to vote on. Firstly if they voted yes to the ‘shot clock’ where and when would it be used. The first option would be as soon as the money bubble has burst, with the second being once the final three tables were established, or finally once the final table has been formed. The proposed ‘shot clock’ would then see players have 30 seconds to act, then if they failed to act the hand will be declared dead, with each player also having the option of adding an extra 60 seconds to their clock.
One of the worlds leading players is in favour of the new ‘shot clock’ idea, and that player is Daniel Negreanu who said, “I think it’s an excellent way to get player feedback, and it’s an issue worth addressing.”
It looks as though the world of poker may be changing, at least as part of the WPT, but it remains to be seen if the new ideas are actually introduced this season. Some will say it is a good thing, while others will say not, but one thing is for sure it has certainly got people talking and it is a debate that looks set to run and run.
