Matt Savage Talks Changes to TDA Rules following Summit

The Tournament Directors Association (TDA) held its every-other-year convention, the TDA Summit, near the end of the World Series of Poker. Rule changes coming out of the TDA Summit are important for players to track, since they’ll govern many of the tournaments they play over the next two years.

Now, it’s important to remember these rules aren’t uniform. Many tours and properties use house rules. However, the TDA rules are the most widely used in the industry. Even if some tours and properties don’t copy and paste the rules exactly, they’ll often use them as a baseline.

With all of that said, PokerScout decided to dive into some of the rules that may have the biggest effect on play. World Poker Tour Executive Tournament Director Matt Savage explained the reasoning behind some of the changes.

Key Changes to Poker Rules Following 2026 TDA

If a player makes a passive action (check or call) out of turn, then the action changes, they can no longer make an aggressive action (bet or raise).

This rule helps prevent angleshooting, Savage confirmed.

Previously, a player could check out of turn, face a bet, and nothing prevented them from raising. A devious player could check out of turn, feigning weakness, in hopes of inducing an opponent to bet into them. That’s no longer an option, thanks to this change.

Another new rule that Savage credited to Aria’s Paul Campbell: players moving all in must push all of their chips in, or none of them.

Previously, some dealers and staff had instructed players to place chips in the middle to signify a bet. However, that could have created confusion in some instances if an opponent thought those chips represented the bet and wasn’t aware they were facing an all-in wager.

“The all-in procedure is cleaner and there to stop mistakes,” Savage said. “If nothing but an all-in chip or all the chips are in the pot, then there is no mistake. Also, the dealer does not think it’s only a bet.”

Players must also stack their chips in 20s “when available.” Previously, this was only recommended, and the exact rule said they had to be in “countable” stacks.

Chip Penalties in Poker

Perhaps the rule of most consequence is that TDs can now sanction players with “chip penalties” rather than orbit or hand penalties. Penalizing players with chip penalties prevents them from gaining an advantage in certain situations, such as being on a money jump and laddering.

Players being on penalty and missing their blinds could also have a significant effect on play, and the TDA wished to avoid that.

“Sometimes, it’s beneficial to be away from the table,” Savage said. “And it affects the players that are in the blinds or on the button when there is dead money in the pot.”

Asked for an example of what a chip penalty might do, Savage gave an example of taking five small blinds from a player who was walking around the room to dodge a big blind. He stressed that the chip penalties and orbit penalties aren’t mutually exclusive and could be combined.

What Hasn’t Changed in Poker Rules Following 2026 TDA

A longtime Savage pet peeve, players leaving one or a few chips behind when pushing mostly all in on the river remains untouched. This maneuver allows players to bet-fold when bluffing on the river and preserve their tournament life.

Wearable technology was addressed, but no new rule was added. Savage reiterated on social media that these techs are already banned. Tournament staff should keep an eye out for them, and if players suspect use, they should notify tournament directors “discreetly.”

Late registration was also a hot topic at this summer’s WSOP. Some tournaments with Day 2 registration doubled in size because of max-late entries. The benefits of registering late have become well-established. That has led to ever-greater percentages of entries coming in at the buzzer.

“We explained why it was bad and discussed some ways to get players to sign up earlier,” Savage said. “Told attendees to not keep registration open too long because players are taking advantage of the players that show up on time, generally recreational players.”

However, as in the past, the TDA did not agree on a hard-and-fast rule. For example, registration could be mandated to close when the starting stack is worth 25 big blinds. Some tours and properties rely on keeping registration open in order to boost entry numbers and revenue. So, these policies remain up to the house.

Image credit: World Poker Tour/Flickr (license)

Mo Nuwwarah

Deputy Editor

Mo has been reporting on the poker industry since 2013, excepting a foray into the sports betting space from 2021-2025. He's a regular in live tournaments and cash games at buy-in levels around $400-$2,000.