Every year, tens of thousands of people will travel to casinos to have the chance to watch a professional poker tournament live. When watching a professional poker tournament, there are certain rules and procedures that need to be known ahead of time to prevent embarrassment, and possible eviction from the area.
Get There In the Afternoon
Professional poker tournaments fill up very quickly first thing in the morning with fans. Between 11:00 and 1:00 many of the spectators will break for lunch. This is a peak opportunity to see what is going on since there will be fewer people around.
Flash Photography
The World Series of Poker, the World Poker Tour, and the European Poker Tour do not allow flash photography inside the poker tournament areas. A person will be warned once about the use of flash photography, and then be escorted off of the property at the second offense. Remember that the players are trying to concentrate on the game, a flash from a camera can distract them.
Don’t Cross the Lines
Upon arriving at a professional poker tournament is that there will be stanchions and ropes to keep the spectators away from the players and play tables. Under no circumstances should these lines be crossed by spectators. While the players are allowed to cross these lines, a spectator will be immediately escorted out for doing so.
Don’t Yell Anything to Players
Most of the professional poker tournaments have strict rules to refer to when fans yell comments to the players. There can be a concern that a fan is trying to pass messages about what other players might be holding and could lead to the player being eliminated from the tournament.
Casino Chips
When viewing a professional poker tournament, spectators that are holding casino chips will be watched by security and the tournament proctors. The worry that a person might pass chips illegally to a player is a major concern as it has happened in the past. People with chips in hand will be asked to get rid of the chips, or to leave.