WSOP implements ‘shot clock’ for Main Event to speed up play

WSOP has introduced a shot clock for the Main Event in an effort to accelerate play. Stalling has long been a point of contention, with players frequently taking excessive amounts of time to make decisions during hands. After observing several participants in the Main Event engage in prolonged time‑wasting maneuvers—including one player who stalled for more than 15 minutes on Day 6 in hopes of securing a wage jump—tournament officials acted on Sunday. When Day 7 of the $10,000 buy‑in No‑limit Hold’em World Championship commenced at Paris Las Vegas, the remaining players were informed that a “shot clock” would be employed to speed up the action. This marks the first time the Main Event has featured a clock on players, although the device has been used in recent years at WSOP Europe and on other tours such as the PokerGo Tour and the World Poker Tour. “It should person decidedly been done earlier in this tournament,” nonrecreational poker subordinate Shaun Deeb said. Under the shot clock rules, each player receives 20 seconds to make a decision or is forced to check their hand. If a player is facing a bet and fails to act within that window, the hand is ruled dead unless a time‑bank chip is used. The time bank grants an additional 30 seconds to act, and every player was allotted six time banks at the outset of play. Tyler Gaston, the Day 6 spot leader, offered several observations. “I think the Main Event, specifically, has truthfully overmuch unit