World Series Of Poker International Main Event Champion Denied Entry Into U.S. For Final Heads-Up Match

Damian Salas received the $10,000 World Series of Poker fundamental occasion worldwide remaining desk earlier this month for $1.55 million. The Argentine was scheduled to play the winner of the home remaining desk Wednesday night for a further $1 million.

That match will probably be placed on maintain for a couple of days after the 2017 WSOP fundamental occasion seventh-place finisher was denied entry into the United States amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rumors had been swirling round social media all day however had been by no means confirmed by the WSOP employees. After Joseph Hebert received the home remaining desk, nonetheless, the official WSOP updates acknowledged that the heads-up match between Salas and Hebert would happen on Sunday, Jan. 3 at 5 p.m.

Poker Atlas’ Information Director Kevin Mathers, famend for his Twitter prowess, tweeted Monday afternoon that based on a overseas poker media group, Salas was not allowed contained in the U.S. borders as a result of he had been in Europe lower than 15 days in the past.

Despite exhibiting adverse COVID-19 checks and an exemption certificates processed by the WSOP, Salas was turned away by U.S. officers. Salas bested the worldwide remaining desk within the Czech Republic on December 15.

Salas will probably be eligible to enter the U.S. on Saturday, Jan. 2 and the match will happen the next day. It will nonetheless be filmed by ESPN for a televised broadcast.

The improvement was the second piece of COVID-19-related dangerous information popping out of Monday’s fundamental occasion, highlighting the immense problem of operating the reside portion of the hybrid occasion throughout a pandemic.

Earlier on Monday, high-stakes professional Upeshka De Silva examined constructive for COVID-19 and was disqualified from the principle occasion. The Texas native was simply essentially the most achieved participant remaining with greater than $3 million in reside match earnings. He was coming into the ultimate desk eighth in chips, however these chips had been taken out of play and De Silva was awarded ninth-place cash value $98,000.