Do Rails Slow the Game?

by Katkin, Jun 4, 2009 | 1:25 am

While watching the action at the $1,500 NLH event tonight, I’ve noticed the floor isn’t actively enforcing the rail, letting spectators get right up close to the action.

WSOP media director Nolan Dalla says this was commonplace in the old days of the WSOP down at Binion’s, and he thinks it actually helps to speed the game along as players make looser calls or bigger bluffs in order to impress the bystanders.

I’m not sure if Nolan’s theory is right or not, but if you look at the speed of final tables from 10 years ago vs. today, he may have an interesting point.

Tags: 2009 WSOP, 500 NLH, binions, Nolan Dalla, tournament operations, WSOP

2 Comments to “Do Rails Slow the Game?”

DanM says:
June 4th, 2009 at 1:27am

Hmm, intriguing notion … perhaps someone who watched one of those sequestered games a couple years ago might have an opinion on the matter.

Think it might apply online, too? If so, the online sites could calculate some sort of time ratio to the number of observers actively chatting.
DanM says:
June 4th, 2009 at 1:29am

P.S. Katkin, welcome aboard! I’ll be giving all the Pokerati newbies a proper introduction ~~some time before the main event, maybe, hopefully~~ soon!