I received an email question about casino rules about cell phones at cash poker games.

To the best of my knowledge, cell phones are always allowed to be used at a cash game, but I think most casinos have a rule that you can't talk on the phone or use the phone for texting while you are in a hand. If you have specific information about this, please share.

Most casinos do not allow the use of cell phones during tournaments, and if you need to make a call, you must get up from the table. The reason for this is that there is no time for "delays" in a tournament where everyone is fighting the clock... and as the clock ticks blinds and antes go up.

The Bicycle Casino near Los Angeles allows tournament players to send text messages on their cell phones. I'm not sure if other casinos allow this?

In other casino games such as blackjack, many casinos now prohibit the use of cell phones because there can be programs or apps that can be used for card counting, strategy information, etc. But strategy cards -- often sold in gift shops -- usually can be used at the games.

Players are often asked to step away from a craps table when on their cell phone, but I'm not sure what the reason is.

Cell phone use is prohibited in sports books and this is to comply with federal laws about booking bets from off site or from other states outside Nevada. As I write this, sports betting books only operate in Nevada.

If there is a general rule it is this: the same way it is rude to talk on your cell phone during a dinner in a fine restaurant, it's probably rude to be talking or using a cell phone while in a hand at a cash game. Use of a cell phone in a tournament is usually prohibited, period.

Of course, you should always ask for each casino's rules.

Of course the new wrinkle is that now cell phones are allowed and used for booking bets in Nevada because of new rules, but this is a new area and I am not familiar enough to write about it.