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20.07.2024

Unfair win? Community criticizes Tamayo's rail for using solvers during the game

The emotion of Jonathan Tamayo's WSOP Main Event victory hasn't even had time to subside, and already there's a new story that has stirred up social media. Many well-known players noticed that Tamayo went to his rails after each hand, where Dominik Nitsche gave him information from solvers via his laptop, and they consider it an unfair practice. Did Tamayo break the rules?

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As you are all well aware, Jonathan Tamayo was the new champion of the record-breaking WSOP Main Event, taking home a diamond bracelet and a $10,000,000 prize, but a good chunk of which was cut off by taxes.

How much will the WSOP Main Event finalists have left after taxes?How much will the WSOP Main Event finalists have left after taxes?

What you may not know, however, is a new controversy that has surfaced on social media, sparked by Alan Keating. He was watching the Main Event final table with a bunch of friends and they didn't like how Tamayo ran to his rails after every hand, where Dominik Nitsche was with his laptop and former Main Event champion Joe McKeehen was there to give him advice. Dominik Nitsche, meanwhile, is the owner of the DTO Poker Trainer software. As Keating himself said, this just confirms that tournament poker is not for him and he prefers to stick to cash games.

A raucous debate has broken out

One of the debaters responded to Alan that it's understandable that when they're playing for 10 million they'll do anything within the rules to win. And if someone doesn't like it, they should complain to the WSOP organizers.

The main problem that is being pointed out here is that such practices are destroying poker and discouraging recreational players from participating in tournaments. However, Tamayo did not use the RTA (real-time assist) solver because he could not visit his rail directly during the hand. However, the instant feedback on each hand certainly gave him a big advantage against his opponent, which was amateur player Jordan Griff.

"If poker needs recreational players, then it needs to create an environment in which the average recreational player believes he has a decent enough chance to win," Vincent Robinson responded in the discussion. "Rail is for cheering, not solving solvers," argued another discussant.

In case any of you were saying that we can't know what Dominik Nitsche had open on his laptop, and we can't know what he and Tamayo were solving between hands, Pat Moore provided the answer. He tweeted (X) a screenshot from the livestream, which shows a shot directly into Nitsche's laptop. There you can clearly see that he has an open solver and a livestream to go with it, and they thoroughly dissect every single situation.

There was no shortage of comments from Dominik Nitsche

Dominik Nitsche, one of the main players in the whole debate, also inserted his comments, saying that making rules is not his problem, he is into coaching, stacking and playing poker. Making the rules and following them is a matter for the organisers.

Another user responded to Nitsche's argument by commenting, "Several people in the raily have video from your laptop. Tamayo told you the stack size and you entered it into the software. On the video he even came and told you again. What were those inputs for if not for simulation?" To this comment, Nitsche arrogantly replied: "That's not your problem. My training costs 1k per hour". Thus, Nitsche did not deny that he was using simulations and solvers in the rails on the laptop.


Famous names also weighed in on the topic

In this thread, a number of well respected players have come out against Dominik and have given their support to Keating. We're talking about names like Henrik Hecklen, Sam Grafton, Sam Greenwood, Kathy Liebert (she was nominated for the WSOP Hall of Fame), Will Jaffe, Fedor Holz and even Daniel Negreanu.

Hecklen posed the question of whether Dominic would like it if both sides used the same software when playing. "Regarding 'coaching' the WSOP Main Event winner: I think it's not good for the game if players go to the rail and look at charts or simulators or get inputs based on them. I don't think that should be part of the game. I hope there will be a rule change next year," said Fedor Holz.

Sam Greenwood pointed to the WSOP rules, where RTAs and solvers are banned. At the same time, he himself noted that the rules are vague and poorly applied in reality. He also expressed the opinion that Tamayo should have been punished. Nitsche also reacted to his comment and was surprised to hear such an opinion from Greenwood, while adding that none of the WSOP staff at the time thought Dominik was doing anything wrong or against the rules.

Daniel Negreanu also contributed his comments: "I feel like it's already against the rules this year. I can't use solvers or graphs during play, only during breaks outside the tournament area. I remember hearing this announcement a few times, so I'm not sure how this doesn't violate that rule. However, if it wasn't clear this year, it's something that needs to be banned in the future. Based on my understanding of the rule, if I look at the solvers or charts between hands, it is not allowed. If someone else uses solvers for me, and then tells me between hands... that shouldn't be allowed either. As far as I know, no one at the table has said anything, but if they asked the floorman for a ruling, I don't see how they would be allowed to continue."

Patrick Leonard also contributed to the discussion, posting some photos from past WSOP Main Events showing the presence of laptops in the rails. He was pointing out that laptops in rails are nothing new and have been appearing in finals for years. Until now, however, they have been accepted, and neither has it ever bothered a player to go to his rails to take his turn.

Those who have defended the behaviour of Tamayo and his rails mostly point to the teamwork aspect of the game. However, they forget that poker is not a team sport, it's an individual's game (outside of Tag Team tournaments), and solving hands using solvers that someone on your team uses for you is out of place here. At the same time, as Negreanu or Greenwood pointed out, the WSOP this year clearly opposed any use of software helpers in the game.

The WSOP has not yet commented on the subject, and it's questionable whether it will at all. However, the community is clearly calling for a hard ban on any use of ancillary software, either directly by the player or by his friends. Some opinions have even suggested removing any electronic devices not only from the players at the table but also from the fans in the rails. Such situations, according to many, cast poker in a bad light, especially when seen by recreational players.


What do you think about this issue? Did Tamayo win unfairly? Should he be stripped of his title or do you think everything went fine and within the rules? Let us know in the comments on our social media!

Source - pokernews, poker.org, pat moore poker, twitter (X)

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