World Series of Poker officers advised one participant to butt out on Friday after he was caught lighting up whereas enjoying. The incident occurred in the course of the $3,000 6-handed no-limit maintain’em match at Paris Las Vegas.
The WSOP launched a video displaying a person smoking a cigarette on the desk. Tournament workers and a safety guard stood subsequent to him. They advised him he wasn’t allowed to smoke within the match space. He seems to briefly argue his case earlier than discussing the problem with one other safety guard in Spanish.
Then, the participant extinguished the cigarette in a water bottle earlier than workers advised him he was disqualified, and wanted to depart the match space.
Pocketing Tournament Chips Against WSOP Rules
“The use of smoking devices in the poker room is strictly prohibited and will result in disqualification from the tournament,” the WSOP posted on X/Twitter.
In addition to violating that rule, the participant additionally put his chips in his pocket when he acquired up from the desk. A participant within the match space on the time advised Card Player that the match workers would’ve let the person maintain enjoying if he merely put the cigarette out. But as soon as he put chips in his pockets, that they had no selection however to disqualify him.
Rule 38 of the WSOP match guidelines states: “Non-value WSOP chips are used for all Events and are the unique property of the Host Property and will not be faraway from the Event space.
“Participants found to be transferring chips from one Event to another or from one Participant to another, or removing chips from play for any other reason, including but not limited to, taking chips as souvenirs, will be subject to penalty in strict accordance with Rules 40, 113, and 114.”
Watch the incident under:
Player REMOVED From $3,000 Tournament
The use of smoking gadgets within the poker site is strictly prohibited and can end in disqualification from the match.
Here’s what occurs when that line will get crossed. pic.twitter.com/Ha7CfOpuWi— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) June 20, 2026
Smoking At WSOP Events Banned 24 Years Ago
Most US poker rooms banned smoking greater than twenty years in the past. The Mirage and Bellagio in Las Vegas have been among the many first to ban smoking in 2001, and the WSOP went smoke-free a 12 months later.
Before the modifications, many rooms featured a haze of smoke as gamers puffed cigarettes and cigars. Poker Hall of Famer Tom McEvoy was a key advocate for reducing out the cigarettes and stogies. He argued that eliminating the smoke wouldn’t solely present a extra wholesome ambiance for gamers, it could additionally convey extra gamers into the sport.
He spoke with Card Player in 2024 about his poker life and getting smoking out of the sport.
Smoking stays a problem in some on line casino states. New Jersey lawmakers didn’t ban smoking in Garden State casinos lately. Additionally, the state’s Supreme Court Judges rejected an anti-smoking attraction. Lawmakers have made comparable efforts in Kansas and Missouri.
However, Nevada doesn’t ban smoking in casinos. Most properties have particular person insurance policies banning smoking in poker rooms and match areas. Individual properties can ban patrons from smoking on the on line casino ground. Park MGM banned smoking inside its property when it opened in September 2020.
