2008 WSOP Rules: Phil Hellmuth & His Friends Know Them, But What About The Little Guy?

We here at NWP only deliver hard-hitting news stories, as you are well aware by our intense Iceman coverage this year. Recently I got involved in a screaming match with Phil Hellmuth during a hand in which he is on his cell phone while peeling his first down card. After much fanfare floorman Robert Smith decides to declare Phil's cards live. During this 10 minutes of shenanigans Phil Hellmuth looked me right in the eye and almost screamed "STOP FUCKING COMPLAINING" again with Robert Smith standing watching the whole scene play out. After this scene plays out when I ask Robert Smith for a copy of the WSOP rules he tells me there are none in the Rio and I have to get them from the internet. While it is tough to find on the site, here is a link to the 2008 WSOP Rules. As you can see #87 clearly see states that you have a dead hand if you are on your cell phone. Rule #35 states that any profanity directed at another player (not "Fuck, I lost" but "you fucking piece of shit donkey") would result in a penalty. Now here is where I'm going to blow your mind: Phil's hand was declared live because WSOP rule #87 HAS BEEN CHANGED according to Robert Smith (and verified by other tournament directors) in some last minute meeting involving Jack Effel. (Robert was certain to tell me to take it up with Jack Effel if I didn't like the ruling) and it is now only a courtesy to your fellow players (whom you are trying to tilt and beat them for their chips) not to be on the phone during WSOP play. During our altercation, Phil "I know the rules" Hellmuth is trying to bet me money that his hand is live with him on his phone. Of course *he* knew the rules, because he was at the meeting where #87 was 86'ed, as he told me about a dozen times. But what about the rest of us mortals? Don't we as regular, rake-paying players, shipping Harrah's many millions of dollars each year have a right to know the rules? Earlier this WSOP I had a question about the "F-bomb" rule and "the cell phone rule" because this shit changes every year and I am a big favorite to be involved in a situation where it will affect me, so I asked Robert Smith for a copy of the 2008 WSOP rules. He told me I had to look them up on the internet. So of course I asked NWP to find it (ty PotatoSalad) then printed it out and carry it with me at all times when I am playing. But it turns out some of those internet-rules have been changed and only the top pros that make up the player committee and the Harrah's officials privy to that meeting know the full, complete rules. How the fuck am I supposed to know that rule #87 was changed? It's not on the Harrah's website and Robert Smith, who I ended up discussing this at legnth with is not given any power to help me - he is told to tell me to look on the internet for the rules. A floorman at the Rio will not, cannot even if they wanted to give you a copy of the rules to look over. Robert Smith, while fairly rude imo, made a correct ruling on the live hand but only handed the great Phil Hellmuth a warning for telling me to stop fucking complaining. Robert Smith is not the issue here - we as players must hold Harrah's (Jack Effel / Jeffrey Pollack, who's WSOP Commissioner parking spot is oddly always empty...) responsible for informing all players of all rules upon request. I will leave you with another story concerning WSOP rules that pissed me off: I meet a basketball player that is new to poker. He enters a $500 main event satellite and has only played live poker a few times. He is moved tables, no one gives him a rack. He puts chips in pocket. Obviously for this man his first Rio / WSOP experience ends in disaster. Not because of a beat, but because of a rule that he sure as hell doesn't know (and of course met the same fate of "look it up on the internet" after asking to see the rules). If Phil's hand is live and my ballerish friend is disqualified completely then we need to see the complete, accurate list of rules ASAP so we can change them again. We must be fish-friendly. Take the intimidation out of the game and we all get more money. This is not 'Nam. There are rules. But before I mark it zero I deserve to see a copy of them. OFFICIAL THREAD ABOUT 2008 WSOP RULES AND HOW WE CAN'T GET A COPY OF THEM