[jfk]

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Why would you applly this a a phone call and not a waitress taking a drink order, or the food server taking an order, or your wife that wants money for a machine. Why single out one item that isn't really a disturbance anyway.

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Very fair question.

Most or at least many players wait for convenient times in which to order, receive or pay for food. If food and/or server arrive at a time which is not convenient, in general both the player and the server allocate a priority to the play of a hand. The server can leave and come back, or leave the food and collect later or whatever is appropriate.

I'm sure everyone can think of several contrary examples but it seems reasonable to say that this is generally true.

Phone calls come at arbitrary times which often aren't convenient. As cell phone use becomes almost universal many people now give less pause to inconveniencing others in their use. We've all involuntarily overheard many conversations at the table. I can think of none which have qualified as true emergencies. Most would proably be fairly characterized as frivilous.

As players see others use their phones at the table with increasing frequency it increases the likelihood of general use and lowers the bar for what players consider to be worthwhile calls to answer. When anyone answers or makes a call at the table it has an erosive effect on the no cell phone rule. As players are less inhibited about cell phone use (and wasting playing time) more players feel they have license to get on the phone.

As I see it, answering a cell phone is nearly always a selfish act which slows down the game. There are many other distractions (which Randy pointed out) at the game which slow play but it seems that governing cell phone use is both an easy and fair way to promote faster play.

It is not reasonable or fair to expect a floor or dealer to determine the importance of a call and whether or not a player may answer. As such, it seems easiest and fairest to ask players not to answer/speak on the phone while at the table.

Many players would never or rarely consider using a phone at the table. Many players think there's nothing wrong with it. The debate about cell phone use is polemical and this can manifest itself into disharmony at the table. Since feelings are so strong and abuse (in my view) is so common, the most manageable solution is to forbid their use while seated.

This is easier for the dealers, easier for the floor and at the end of the day easier for the players. They will understand, resepct and abide by such an easily understood rule if it is fairly and universally enforced.