Did the 2024 World Series of Poker champion cheat?
If you watched the World Series of Poker final table last week, you may have noticed eventual champion Jonathan Tamayo talking to a team of people on the rail in between hands, including one with a computer. And if you’re a casual observer like myself, you may have thought nothing of it.
As it turns out, those trips to the sideline weren’t as innocuous as we thought.
Since Tamayo’s $10 million triumph, some within the poker community are accusing his team of using poker solvers, as summarized by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The ethicality of that is now being called into question. Allow me to explain.
Jonathan "@driverseati" Tamayo gets a DOUBLE UP by flopping a straight!
But has to check the sims immediately afterwards
pic.twitter.com/LKmU6AbfFr
— PokerNews (@PokerNews) July 18, 2024
A poker solver, or simply a “solver,” is a piece of software that calculates optimal strategies for certain scenarios inputted by the user. In other words, they tell you how to play your hand.
While I can’t say for certain Tamayo’s team used solvers, no one from that side has denied it. In fact, the person on the computer — four-time WSOP event winner and owner of the DTO Poker Trainer app Dominik Nitsche — has actually been on X defending his actions and even trolling his accusers.
Tamayo was often seen consulting with Nitsche, who is believed to have been running simulations on his laptop. Also a part of Tamayo’s team was 2015 WSOP main event champion Joe McKeethan, who is believed to have been watching the delayed PokerGo stream of the tournament on his phone.
— Dominik Nitsche (@DominikNitsche) July 18, 2024
Well, kinda? According to the Review-Journal, WSOP rule 64c prohibits participants from using “betting apps, gaming charts, or any poker information tool while involved in a hand.”
But as I see it with my novice understanding, the usefulness of Tamayo being fed information from solvers between hands is limited. Getting information on how past hands should have been played could definitely influence how he might approach future hands, but that’s it. Essentially, it was just another tool in the coaching toolbox, and there are no rules against post-hand coaching…
But there is a gray area. While the rule book only prohibits the use of solvers while involved in a hand, there were apparently in-house announcements before the start of each WSOP tournament prohibiting solvers “at any point in time.”
Announced at start of each @WSOP event:
“We do ask you to please do 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.” https://t.co/wrhOTvJb4Q pic.twitter.com/hsMjrj5iiL
— James Chen (@ChipBurglar) June 4, 2024
That’s what people are trying to figure out. Regardless, the optics are bad.
You could argue that since he wasn’t the one on the computer running the software, and because it wasn’t being used while he was actively in the middle of a hand, he didn’t break the rules.
It’s also tough to hold someone accountable based on announcements they can say they didn’t hear, especially when the rulebook isn’t as specific. But the poker community is divided.
Nitsche argued on X in a back-and-forth with poker pro Daniel Negreanu that nothing in the WSOP rulebook prohibits the use of real-time assistance (RTA). To which Negreanu responded with video of the announcement.
He concluded that what Nitsche did was wrong, “completely outside the spirit of the game, gray and shady at best.”
You know it is prohibited to use these tools online correct?
You know this.
So why would you think it would be totally kosher to use them live?
Did you not think it worthwhile to ensure you were not doing anything nefarious by asking the floor for approval?
Announcements…
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) July 20, 2024
Fellow pros Bryan Paris and Doug Polk also thought the computer was bad optics, though Paris made it clear Tamayo earned his win.
“Having this extra feedback between hands is helpful but a far cry from the automation of the game. Even with this feedback, Tamayo very much earned his victory,” he wrote.
Guess I'll chime in on this
The optics are bad but with this sort of money in play people are going to push every edge they can. Dom and Joe did nothing wrong here but the rules around this should probably be changed in the future to make a better viewing experience.
People… https://t.co/kwj9a9jHVl
— Bryan Paris
(@bparispoker) July 20, 2024
Poker pro Patrick Leonard pointed out how computers and coaching from the rail have always been a part of the game. Though he said he’d also like to see all electronics banned in the future.
Every year I've watched the WSOP FT, the most prominent members of the community have been there with Laptops or/and headphones. Seiver, Deeb and everybody else we respect and trust. It was never an issue previously. Players would ALWAYS go to their rails between hands and get… pic.twitter.com/8XN1qrKtTl
— Patrick Leonard
(@padspoker) July 19, 2024
Tamayo hasn’t been as outspoke on X, though he did credit Nitsche and McKeethan after his win, saying “Joe and Dom actually helped. If they weren’t here, I likely do not win this tournament.”
Runner-up Jordan Griff said on Polk’s podcast he may have said something to the tournament supervisor if he had confirmation Tamayo’s team was running sims. But he credited Tamayo for winning their heads-up battle.
