Tournament poker could be witnessing a revolution with the World Poker Tour (WPT) debuting an Action Clock at this week’s Monster WPT Tournament of Champions.
The Action Clock gives players 30 seconds to act once the pot has been counted and action is on them with the goal being to cut down on the often excessive lengths of time players often take to make even regulation decisions.
WPT Tournament Director Matt Savage told worldpokertour.com that the clock, which is built into each table, had been well received by the majority of players.
“The players have all told me that for the most part they are all in favor of speeding up the game,” he said. “I think the Action Clock has done that. It’s taken that to the next level where players are seeing a new dynamic but it’s also more enjoyable. That’s the ultimate thing.
“I’m super excited about it. It has been going very well – a lot of positive comments and people giving input as well. We’ll see how this goes here and probably use it some more on the World Poker Tour.”
Savage said he expects the Action Clock will improve the overall tournament experience.
“I think it just means that people aren’t going to be taking so much time and if you’re taking less time, you’re playing more hands. It’s better for the game overall. It’s better for the structures and in my opinion it’s better for the players. It may be something that poker needs.”
