July 4, 2024 – Over the weekend, the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas hosted the ninth biennial summit of the Poker Tournament Directors Association (TDA).

The summit, which was attended by tournament directors, players, and other interested parties, had the same goal as always: standardizing and enhancing poker regulations to make the game more enjoyable for both novice and expert players.

Major Poker Pros Take the Floor

The topic of how to encourage more women to play the game and how to make the game more welcoming to new players was one of the many topics of debate. Longtime poker pro Katie Stone and big stakes grinder Victoria Livschitz were among those who took the floor to share their thoughts on this subject.

The recent "controversial" verdict, which, depending on your perspective, caused Daniel Negreanu to take to X in outrage and label it the "dumbest ruling I've seen in a while," was also on the agenda. The discussion at the time focused on what happens when a player who is raising folds accidentally before their raise is called, as we noted.

TDA's Matt Savage discussed a ruling with PokerOrg and reiterated at the Summit that it protects innocent player mistakes and aligns with TDA rules. Negreanu was invited to argue his case but did not attend. Player Matt Waxman attended and contributed to discussions.

“The most miraculous part is when TDs decide that, even though they don’t agree with the majority, they are going to follow the procedure, so that the players have a consistent experience, wherever they play a poker tournament. This is a testament to the professionalism and goodwill of all involved. I was incredibly proud to be part of the entire experience.” Savage adds.

Poker TDA members can attend the TDA Summit for free. Visit their website to find out more about the Poker TDA and to register for the upcoming event in 2026.