I think almost everyone now has seen the 2024 WSOP Main Event heads-up match. Or at least seen clips on social media (mostly of Jonathan Tamayo on the rail with his laptop… I mean friends). Ever since he was crowned champion, it’s been impossible to ignore the swarm of tweets from the poker world. Daniel Negreanu and Alan Keating had plenty to say about what Tamayo did and how wrong it was. I have to agree with them. Going to the rail at every available opportunity to make sure your play is optimal ON THE BIGGEST STAGE OF THE YEAR is honestly off-putting. And even worse, no one did anything to stop him.
So here’s the thing: Heads-up, Tamayo had so much more experience than Jordan Griff, who at the time had around $50K in lifetime earnings. Can you just put yourself in Griff’s shoes really quick? He’s up against someone with an impressive resume of a $2+ million Hendon Mob and almost two decades of experience over him. As if that isn’t enough of an edge, you have to watch him ‘double checking his work’ on a laptop on the rail to make sure he’s playing perfectly heads up. Yeah, I’d be shitting bricks.
But that aside, WSOP... guys, come on. I remember sitting in my chair listening to this three-minute rant from you guys about how you can’t use solvers at the table before the start of every tournament. You kept emphasising and threatening harsh penalties if caught using solvers.
Now fast forward to the Main Event, the biggest live stage of the year, and while heads-up for the bracelet, you have a guy going in between hands to a computer on the rail. The floor guy is standing right there the whole time watching and nothing is said or done. What kind of message is this sending to the rest of the poker world?
Don't blame Tamayo
Do I think Jonathan Tamayo thought that what he was doing was cheating? Absolutely not. I don't think he thought he was cheating. I don’t think the people on his rail thought they were cheating either, because they were literally doing it out in the open, in front of everyone. You can’t cheat out loud, especially when no one is stopping you.
The bottom line is that the floor should have said something. They effectively ignored the rule that they’ve been announcing at the start of every tournament this summer. The problem is that the wording in the rule they announced regarding the use of solvers in the tournament area is unclear.
It said: “We do ask you to please not use any type of poker solvers at any point in time at the table or in the tournament area. If you're found using one of these poker solvers, there's a possibility of being disqualified from this tournament.”
What do they consider the tournament area? Is that literally just the final table? Does the rail count? Is it the entire room? No one knows.
Do I think solvers should be allowed in live tournaments? Do I think players should be allowed to check up on GTO play in between hands? Absolutely not. Do I think Tamayo was cheating, though? No, because no one did anything to stop him when they had multiple chances, and the rules aren’t clear.
So, WSOP, do better. Sorry, but this one’s on you.
