Had My Seat, All My Chips, Went For the Flush, and I Got DQ'd!

Had My Seat, All My Chips, Went For the Flush, and I Got DQ'd!
By Al Spath


The expectation when entering a WSOP event is to play well, make it into the money spots, maybe get lucky enough to win the darn thing, and maybe get on camera with a classic interview. Well, two out of three was achieved in less than hour's worth of play.

This is how the player (Larry S), and he said it went down something like this:

Got checked in, seat 8, table 5.

Went into casino and played a little BJ, made $100, went back to the poker area.

Tournament started at just past noon.

They gave up 1000 in chips to start.

This was a $1000 entry rebuy NL hold'em tournament.

Several players re-bought before the 1st hand was dealt. One player had not shown at our table when tournament had started. I was the button for the1st hand and the blinds were 25/25 on the 1st level (1 hour).

After 35 minutes, I had not seen a flop. Best pocket holding by that time were (J 2 off). Then things changed a little. I made a few good hands and slow played a flush and soon had over $4500 in my stack, and others took more rebuys. I had decided at the start that I would not rebuy, unless I was within a few players of the cut for cashing.

Then they told us our table was going to break. Tables 1 - 4 had already done so. We had been at level 2, (25/50 blinds), for about 10 minutes. I had no less than twice the stack of any player at my table. They brought around red cards with new table assignments. Mine was table "25," seat #5.

I asked the dealer if it was ok to go to the bathroom while we moved. He said yes, but go to my new table first. I asked about the chips and he said, "take them with you." So I went to table 25, put my red card on the table, put my sweater in the seat, and said I would be right back.

Upon my return, a player was about to sit in my seat. I said I was in that seat and a floor person was there instantly. He asked where I had been. I told him the truth; I had gone to the restroom. He said that leaving the tournament room "with the chips" was a violation, and that my chips were now dead. I explained the conversation I had with the dealer.

The dealer was called over, and he stated that he had told me to take the chips "to the table." I asked for a director to be present and told what had happened. The director came over, both the dealer and I explained the situation, and the director said: "my chips were dead," but if I wanted to, I could rebuy. However, my existing stack of $4,300 was dead.

So, bye-bye Larry.

Then who should walk up but Landon Moore and another internet cardplayer that I knew. He was/is in fact doing video coverage for a Poker Magazine. I told him the story as he did a live camera interview.

End of this report. I made a very costly error.

So there you have it, he went to john, took his chips, flushed his toilet, got disqualified, and did his interview in less than 2 hours. What an adventure and he can tell anyone that will listen forevermore, that over 2000 entrants were not able to knock him out of a NL WSOP event, in the summer of 2005.

And who said what "Happens In Vegas, Stays In Vegas."