5 New WSOP Rules That May Change Poker Forever

14 Jun 2025

Beginner

This material is for beginner players

The WSOP just dropped major rule changes for 2025, and players are not happy. From electronic bans to controversial media crackdowns, these updates could reshape poker as we know it. Here are 5 changes you probably did not know.

Rule 16 is crucial for players who typically sign up but delay joining the game. If you are not in your seat by the beginning of the level following the first scheduled break, your chips will be taken off the table and you will be disqualified from the tournament. 

The good news is that your entry fee will be refunded and excluded from the prize pool if you fail to show up on time. All funds placed on safekeeping due to no-shows must be claimed prior to July 17th, or they will be considered forfeit.

Following the controversy surrounding Jonathan Tamayo during the 2024 Main Event, a new rule has been introduced that’s generating a lot of buzz online. Electronic devices are now completely banned at the final three tables of any WSOP tournament. The one exception is that if you are playing in an online bracelet event on WSOP.com, then you are allowed to have your smartphone with you. 

This could lead to frustration from other players who are not allowed to keep their phones. Still, it’s possible to monitor the situation and make sure the device is only used to play online, not to search for spots on tools like GTO Wizard. That said, it might just not be great optics.

A regulation known as Rule 64F was also implemented. This rule forbids any player without official media credentials from recording or broadcasting continuous video or audio at any point during a tournament, regardless of whether they are participating in the hand.

The sole exception to Rule 64F allows for recording an all-in moment, but only after the action at the table has concluded. This decision was met with backlash as many prominent figures in the poker community voiced their criticism. Rampage openly stated: “Officially, my sign to quit poker”, after WSOP denied him media credentials.

Matt Berkey chimed in with irony, wondering if there was a betting market on whether Daniel Negreanu received preferential treatment, adding that he’d like to place a wager on “yes”. Negreanu responded firmly, saying: “I have never had a media credential, I never film hands where I still have action pending, and just like everyone else, I won’t have access to it for the final three tables”. 

He also noted that the only benefit he receives is a break room, which he says he more than deserves after nearly three decades of promoting the WSOP. Some speculate that Rampage’s denial may be related to his recent WPT affiliation, though this might just be a coincidence.

This one is designed to encourage players to maintain exemplary behavior throughout the summer. Under this rule, the WSOP can bar competitors before, during, or after a tournament for infractions such as cheating or abusive behavior. Furthermore, anyone excluded from casino facilities is not eligible to participate in any WSOP event.

In previous years, players would only redraw for the button at the final table. However, Rule 85 introduces a slight change. At the start of an event, the button will begin in the seat with the first chip stack to the dealer’s right. There will also be redraws for the button when there are 3, 2, and 1 tables remaining. 

Tournament play will use a dead button, which is defined as a button that cannot be advanced due to the elimination of a participant or the seating of a new participant into a position between the small blind and the button.

Rule 116 may spark the most debate in the entire rulebook. The 2024 rule prohibited players from discussing strategy with an outside source, such as a poker coach on the rail, while in a hand. This has now undergone a significant change. Players are no longer allowed to discuss strategy with anyone at any time while the tournament clock is running and participants are not on a break. The only time a player can legally receive coaching during a tournament is during an official break.

These measures have reignited the debate about how to balance security, professionalism, and creative freedom in poker. While the WSOP aims to eliminate any perception of cheating or unfair advantage, many content creators who contribute to the game’s growth feel their freedom is being limited. Let us know in the comments what you think.