In his latest video rant, PokerStarsfront man Daniel Negreanu (pictured) revisited the so-called First Card Off the Deck rule. An opponent of the directive, a rather civil Negreanu referenced a blog written by Dan O’Brien and explained, “The reason [the First Card Off the Deck rule] became such a big deal is because of the way the rule was implement and the trend toward stricter rules in marginal spots that aren’t player-friendly.”

Negreanu relayed a metaphor about what his experience at the table has felt like since the rule was put into place by the Tournament Directors’ Association: “It’s my view that this rule… sets up kind of like a prison guard/prisoner mentality where the players are being asked to sit down and be quiet, just like in junior high. It’s my belief that’s not what the amateurs want. The amateur players are looking for the social aspect of the game: they want to have fun and they don’t want to be reprimanded. My bigger concern is the trend toward rules that are stricter and less fun.”

Negreanu explained, “It all started with the no talking rule. The players want game integrity, but they also want a fun, friendly atmosphere to play in so they can enjoy themselves. Both are goals we should be aligned on.” PocketFives’ own Court Harringtonhas also emphasized the importance of keeping the game of poker enjoyable for all players in past feature articles on our site like this one.

Elaborating on the same point, Negreanu argued that the interests of amateurs should be top-of-mind: “This game needs to be created in such a way that the amateurs are happy because if they’re not happy, none of the pros eat… They are the most important aspect – the fans and the amateurs – to why poker is so successful.” Without new blood, liquidity in poker would decline.

Part of the reason for the introduction of the First Card Off the Deck rule was the potential for players to see opponent’s hole cards while having a bird’s eye view of the table. Negreanu, who has been playing for 20 years, hasn’t seen that happen: “Never once have I seen this be an issue where a player was gaining hole card information from walking behind players… I certainly don’t feel like it was a pressing issue.”

Negreanu gave a different example of how the First Card Off the Deck rule, even if enforced correctly, could still allow cheating: “The game integrity issue is the prime selling point that the TDA offers… I don’t think this rule addresses the intended purpose because people are still allowed to stand by their chairs, and if you’re standing by your chair, you can still lean over and see someone’s hole cards.”

Finally, Negreanu gave yet another example of a situation that could lead to a higher chance of cheating: “If game integrity and security were such a hot button issue, then there’s a much bigger one I can share with you right now. When a guy leans back in his chair with sunglasses on, that combination is way more likely to be able to steal hole card information from players down the line. Having said that, that’s not something I would push to ban.”

Check out Negreanu’s full video blog, which was released on Monday.

Want the latest poker headlines and interviews? Follow PocketFives on Twitterand Like PocketFives on Facebook. You can also subscribe to our RSS feed.