The World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) Main Event at Harrah’s Cherokee took an unexpected turn Sunday when a man, seemingly overwhelmed by rage, flipped over three poker tables, leaving stunned players and tournament officials scrambling to restore order.
Tables Overturned, Players in Shock
It happened on Day 2 of the $1,700 buy-in Main Event with 65 players still in contention. A video posted on X by four-time Circuit ring winner David Moses captured the aftermath—multiple tables toppled, chips scattered, and players standing in disbelief.
“Somebody’s banned for life,” Moses said in the video, summing up what most in attendance likely felt.
Security quickly intervened, escorting the man out of the tournament area. Though his identity has not been confirmed, social media has been buzzing with speculation.
“God Told Me to Do It,” Witness Says
One witness at the event told PokerNews that the man shouted, “God told me to do it” as he flipped the tables. The chaotic scene forced tournament officials to pause the Main Event as they assessed the damage and worked to reconstruct the stacks of affected players.
Moses later shared his take on X, suggesting two possible solutions:
- Attempting to reconstruct stacks using a mix of camera footage and player agreements.
- Having all 65 remaining players agree to an even chop of the remaining prize pool.
Neither option was ideal, but officials had no choice but to address the situation quickly while ensuring fairness.
Video Shows Wild Confrontation
Another video, shared by World Poker Tour (WPT) Executive Tournament Director Matt Savage, offered a clearer look at the moment the chaos unfolded. It showed a man with long dark hair lifting and flipping a table before being subdued by multiple players.
As they pinned him down, the man shouted, “Get off of me! I’m not hurting anyone!”
Savage, a longtime tournament director, called the situation a “tournament director’s biggest nightmare” and emphasized that such disruptions require honesty, patience, and cooperation from all involved.
WSOPC Harrah’s Cherokee: A Premier Poker Stop
Harrah’s Cherokee is one of the busiest stops on the WSOP Circuit, regularly drawing large fields. The current 18-ring series, which began on February 13, is scheduled to run through February 24 in Cherokee, North Carolina.
While poker tournaments are known for emotional highs and lows, incidents like this are rare. However, when they do happen, they present a logistical and ethical challenge for officials trying to maintain order and fairness.
With the event back on track, all eyes are now on WSOP officials as they determine the next steps. One thing seems certain—whoever the man was, he likely won’t be playing another hand in a WSOPC event ever again.
