WSOP Removes Shot Clock From Main Event Final Table

The 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event final table is days away, and tournament organizers have made a notable rule change. On July 30, the WSOP announced on social media that the shot clock would not be used at the final table.

Instead, players may still call the clock on an opponent if they believe that player is taking an unreasonable amount of time to act. Tournament staff can also call the clock but will generally refrain from doing so except in exceptional circumstances.

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A Reversal After Day 7 Controversy

The decision comes less than a week after tournament officials introduced a 20-second shot clock on Day 7 of the Main Event. That move was a response to excessive tanking at the tables. Under that rule, players were given six 30-second time-extension chips to use as they saw fit. If a player failed to act before time ran out, their hand would be declared dead.

The shot clock was implemented because of a hand that drew widespread attention. Poker pro Loren Klein faced a decision with Kc-4h on a board of 6-A-7, all hearts. He took roughly 15 minutes to decide while trying to survive until the next pay jump. Tournament staff eventually told him he had one minute to act. Klein called with his last chips and lost to Tyler Gaston's Ac-6d, exiting in 72nd place for $105,000. The next pay jump, one spot higher, was worth $125,000.

Mixed Reactions to Rule Changes

Many players understood the reason for the shot clock, but they objected to the way the rules were changed so late in the tournament. The Main Event had been played without a shot clock for more than a week, and only with the final table in sight did officials add a strict time limit. For players facing significant pay jumps, the shift from open-ended decision time to 20 seconds plus extensions felt sudden.

Now the WSOP has changed course again. The final table will not use a shot clock, which many players and fans will welcome. With the smallest pay jump at the final table worth $250,000 and poker's most coveted title on the line, rushing players seems counterproductive.

Still, the reversal itself bothers some observers. Changing tournament rules twice in the final stretch sets an unusual precedent, regardless of the reasoning.

The WSOP added that it still reserves the right to introduce a shot clock if necessary. For now, however, the final table players will be allowed to take their time, within reason.

What This Means for the Final Table

The absence of a shot clock should allow players to think through complex decisions without the pressure of a ticking timer. But it does not mean unlimited stalling. Players can still call the clock on opponents, and staff retain the authority to intervene in extreme cases.

The final table is expected to feature significant prize jumps, starting at $250,000. With that much money and a WSOP bracelet at stake, the tournament's decision to relax the time limits is a notable development in poker's ongoing debate over pace of play versus deep thinking.

For now, the 2026 Main Event will conclude the way it began: without a shot clock.