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Will Kassouf Banned from WSOP for Disrupting Main Event

Will Kassouf was removed off the premises and banned from the rest of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, which consists of five more tournaments, after he was eliminated Saturday night at the Paris & Horseshoe Las Vegas.  Officials claim that the controversial British poker pro broke WSOP regulations governing player conduct by trash-talking his opponents and playing slow.

However, Kassouf's 2025 Main Event run will largely be remembered for his WWE-style table talk, which included calling opponents "pricks" and making offensive remarks during eliminations. Kassouf started Day 6 in the Top 10 with about 7 million chips.

Additionally, Kassouf received multiple penalties for tanking, which is the act of taking too long to act.  For instance, he needed over ten minutes on Day 2 to choose how to play a powerful hand (king-high flush).

The 2025 WSOP regulations' Rule 40 forbids actions that interfere with gameplay or give an unfair advantage, while Rule 107 mandates that players take prompt action to preserve the flow of the game.

Kassouf was given a one-round penalty on Friday after he and another player argued over the clock being called on him too soon.  WSOP Vice President Jeck Effel reprimanded Kassouf after play ended, telling him to "take your one-round penalty and shut up." He also threatened to have security escort him out of the venue and disqualify him if his interruptions persisted.

On Saturday, Kassouf lost in 33rd place with $300,000 when chip leader Kenny Hallaert's king-five on the turn beat his pocket sevens.

“He’s a PokerStars professional sponsored player,” Kassouf then announced to the crowd and livestream audience. “King-five, well played. What an absolute disgrace — a fucking joke.”

A chorus of "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" burst from the railings as he continued to refer to all of the people at the table as "little bitches."

After being told of his ban, security brought Kassouf to the payment desk, accompanied by two Las Vegas police officers.

Division of the Poker Community

On social media, Kassouf's piece received both praise and condemnation.  While critics viewed it as disruptive and unethical, supporters claimed it enhanced the game's entertainment value and revealed the boredom of silent play.

Sam Coe tweeted: “This is without a doubt the most entertaining few days of poker I have ever watched. Will Kassouf should be cherished, but of course the poker nerds are seething because they can’t muster even 1% of the charisma. The WSOP is completely out of line with some of these rulings.”

Poker pro Derek Kwan strongly disagreed, tweeting: “Anyone defending Kassouf right now need to watch the stream. He gets dealt a hand, and instead of acting, he’s just arguing with everyone, table mates, floor, anyone, even though no one is looking at him or addressing him. He’s burning 30-40 secs pre with 85o just yelling at the air. He’s been warned a million times, the floor has to spend all their time at his table, table mates are playing prob 20% less hands and prob all playing worse *against each other* because of this insanity. It’s all just way way out of line.”

Due to his ban, Kassouf is unable to participate in the following events: the $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed Championship (Event #94), the $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack (Event #95), the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #91), the $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty (Event #92), and the $1,500 The Closer (Event #97).

His eligibility to compete in the WSOP Paradise, which will be held in the Bahamas from December 4–18, is uncertain.

Wednesday is the last day of the WSOP Main Event.