Savage Rules! When does 'speech play' cross the line?

Players must protect other players in the tournament at all times. Therefore, players, whether in the hand or not, must not:

1. Discuss contents of live or mucked hands
2. Advise or criticize play at any time
3. Read a hand that hasn't been tabled

One-player-to-a-hand is in effect. Among other things, this rule prohibits showing a hand to or discussing strategy with another player, advisor, or spectator.

Jamie Gold talking when he should for once, at the 2023 WSOP Main Event

Melissa Haereiti

Now, this rule goes all the way back to the early 2000s with the inception of the TDA. It was broken by 2006 WSOP champion Jamie Gold so many times people say it's the 'Jamie Gold Rule,' but it existed before and basically says that you cannot discuss the contents of your hand.

In my opinion, the rule does not need to be changed.

Talk TV

Many people look back to the golden age of poker on TV when they saw Daniel Negreanu, Layne Flack, and others talk players out of their chips. I’m not here to tell you that table talk isn’t allowed because IT IS. But you cannot say what you actually have in your own hand because that is essentially showing your cards face up. 

There are situations in tournaments that happen all the time where people will outright say what their hand is. They'll say something like, "I have two aces; don't call me." You might have a friend on the other side of the table, and he folds his hand. Sure enough, he does have aces. 

That is collusion and not allowed. 

The question for years has been, 'Can I lie about the contents of my hand?' and the answer is still NO. I agree that table talk makes the game more interesting, but discussing your own hand creates problems. The one time it's legal – and many players don't know this – is when you are the last two players in the tournament (which many have actually misconstrued to mean heads-up at any time). 

Your decisions affect every other player in the tournament until there are two remaining.

People that want to change Rule 67 want to allow players to say whatever they want about their own hands. That makes it more fun for the players, yes, but it also creates some problems. 

It's a rule that is challenged every year at the TDA Summit, but I don't think we need to change it at this time.

Daniel Negreanu loves to talk at the poker table.

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Milestone satellites

However, there is a new issue that's popped up, with milestone satellites. I'd like to hear how you would rule it.

Milestone satellites are a great way to win your way into a tournament. You win your seat when you reach a certain number of chips. 

In this specific situation, a player had two aces and enough chips to hit the milestone if he won the upcoming blinds and antes. He showed that he had aces in a bid to get the other players to fold. 

That is breaking rule #67, but the standard penalty is to miss future hands. However, the player wasn't in the tournament anymore because he'd hit his milestone, so there was no way to give him a penalty.

I do challenge this. I think it should get some kind of significant penalty. 

What do you think? I want to hear what you do out there. Let me know in the comments below. 

Matt Savage is the WPT Executive Tour Director, founder of the Tournament Directors Association, and a much beloved and respected member of the poker community. Matt is a five-time GPI award winner and a nine-time Poker Hall of Fame nominee.

You can follow Matt on X. For more info, visit PokerTDA.com and WPT.com.