First chess, now poker

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event is the biggest poker tournament of the year, with 10,000+ individual players gathering in Las Vegas to compete in the two-week, $10,000 buy-in event.

Last week, 38-year-old Jonathan Tamayo took home the 2024 WSOP Main Event title along with its $10 million cash prize.

But his actions during the event’s final days have sparked controversy – causing many in the poker world to take up a chip from the table and put it on their shoulder instead.

The issue? Hand after hand, Tamayo would rush to the crowd to consult with two friends, one of whom had set up a laptop a few feet away from the action and was using a program known as a poker “solver” (based on pictures taken at the event)...which is exactly what it sounds like.

• Poker solvers are software programs that suggest the best line of action for different poker hands in various situations – basically the technological equivalent of analyzing messages to/from a crush alongside an esteemed council of friends.
• They can be also recalibrated for specific scenarios to help determine whether a player made the optimal decision in previous hands (though in this instance, Tamayo was unable to receive advice mid-hand on what play to make).

Is using a solver like this against the rules? Not clear – the poker world is just as divided as America.

• Poker legend Daniel Negreanu and other top players in opposition cite a WSOP rule that was implemented at tournaments earlier this year, which asks players not to use poker solvers “at the table or in the tournament area” or face “a possibility of being disqualified.”
• However, other poker pros argue Tamayo’s actions are technically allowed under WSOP rules, since no regulations exist about players consulting solvers brought by their cheering section.

👀 Looking ahead… WSOP organizers have yet to issue any comment about the solver controversy. But a growing number of influential poker figures are now pushing for an explicit ban on players receiving in-game help from solvers moving forward.