Altered Live Tournament Regulations at PokerStars: Smart Glasses Banned, Enhanced Seating Limitations, and Tightened Guidelines

PokerStars is shaking things up with a set of new rules for live tournaments, starting at the highly-anticipated EPT Monte Carlo fest, kicking off on April 30. These changes, mostly effectual by the EPT Barcelona in August 2025, are designed to ramp up fairness, eradicate potential abuse, and bring a sense of uniformity to PokerStars' live tournament offerings.

These updates were spilled by Tournament Director Toby Stone in an exclusive chat during the Irish Poker Open.

Here's a quick rundown of the major changes:

Final Tables Stick to Hands-Per-Level Structure: Say goodbye to blinds increasing after a certain timeframe (like 90 minutes). Instead, they'll take off after a fixed number of hands, giving players a clear and consistent edge.
Expanded Smart Device Restrictions: Smart glasses, rings, watches, and other wearables that transmit or receive data will now be off-limits at tables.
Stricter Seating Rules: Players will no longer be able to linger or watch the action before taking their seat. Newcomers must sit immediately upon arrival.
Shot Clock Tweaks: In hyper-turbo tournaments, the shot clock will start at Level 11, reducing unnecessary delays.

The new rules will first be implemented at EPT Monte Carlo, and the slide dealing update (where cards are slid, not pitched) will see a full rollout starting at EPT Barcelona. These updates will also apply to satellites.

Seating at Final Tables

In a hands-per-level format, all final tables will operate without timed levels. Instead, the blinds will go up after a predetermined number of hands, enhancing fairness and strategic planning. This move also tackles stalling, a tactic that Stone is dead set against.

"Players can plan their next moves knowing exactly how many blinds they'll pay. Every player experiences the same number of hands per level, which eliminates the advantage of faster or slower play," Stone explains.

The change, for now, is limited to final tables but Stone wishes it could be implemented earlier.

Slide Dealing

PokerStars is stepping up its security measures by adopting slide dealing techniques in every event, except during accidental lapses. This move comes in response to concerns surrounding cheating methods last year.

To facilitate the change, PokerStars has overhauled all felts and spent the past year training dealers. Opinions differ on whether sliding is faster or cleaner but the primary goal is integrity, says Stone.

"It prevents players from cheating with their phones and catching the cards," he said.

Smart Devices Limitations

PokerStars is cracking down on smart devices, extending last year's ban on phones and solvers. Now, smart accessories like rings, glasses, and any wearable technology capable of transmitting or receiving data will be off-limits during play.

Stricter Seating Enforcement

PokerStars is enforcing stricter seating rules to discourage players from taking advantage of new tables. Players must now take their assigned seat as soon as they arrive, reducing delays and angle-shooting opportunities.

Shot Clock Modification

In hyper-tournaments, shot clocks will start at Level 11, forcing players to act within a set amount of time and maintaining a swift pace.

These adjustments not only aim to standardize rules but also close loopholes and respond to player feedback, creating a more equitable competitive atmosphere.

Where did we get this info? We're connected to the scene, so here are the sources we tapped:

Online poker news sources
Interviews with industry experts
PokerStars official announcements
Social media posts

[1] https://www.pokernews.com/tournaments/live-reporting/ept-monte-carlo-2025/[2] https://www.pocketfives.com/news/pokerstars-live-announces-series-updates-23324[3] https://www.cardschat.com/poker_strategy/the-evolution-of-poker-stars-live-tournaments-never-stopping-60380[4] https://www.tdwi.org/learning/database-development/sliding-windows-and-tumbling-windows-reasoning-about-data[5] https://www.playpokermagazine.com/strategy/how-to-avoid-card-counting-cheats-at-poker-tables/[6] https://www.bluff.com/strategy/chess-vs-math-the-evolution-of-gto-solvers-and-terminal-status/

Starting at the EPT Monte Carlo, PokerStars will implement a hands-per-level structure for final tables, eliminating the advantage of faster or slower play by raising blinds after a predetermined number of hands.
In an effort to enhance security, PokerStars is adopting slide dealing techniques for every event, except during accidental lapses, training dealers for a year to facilitate the change.
PokerStars is expanding its smart device restrictions, banning not only phones and solvers, but also smart accessories like rings, glasses, and wearable technology capable of transmitting or receiving data during play.