david bach

The most common defense of the crowd getting loud while a player is facing a huge decision is that it's no different than a home crowd trying to freeze someone during a free throw or field goal. My rebuttal to that argument: Poker, chess, etc. are primarily mental sports that require deep focus. A crowd intentionally screaming in the middle of a massive decision can have a significant impact on someone's ability to think clearly. In physical sports, crowd noise can obviously affect performance too, but a) it generally has a much smaller impact on the physical abilities being tested, and b) we still draw a line when the crowd begins directly interfering with those abilities. We wouldn't let a fan hold a flag in front of a player's eyes while they're shooting a free throw or tug on their jersey before a field goal. At that point, you're no longer testing their ability to perform under pressure; you're actively impairing the skill we're there to watch. In poker, thinking clearly IS the skill. The stakes, cameras, rail, and magnitude of the moment already create pressure. That's part of the game. Intentionally making it harder for someone to think while they're facing a decision doesn't need to be part of the game imo. In between hands, I'm all for letting all hell break loose.