Can’t we all just get along?
There are places in life where you have a lot of people in close proximity to each other. There are also places were people have a lot of money on the line. A live poker tournament is at the intersection of the Venn diagram, which can sometimes lead to conflict as tensions rise and tempers flare.
Sometimes, it’s just someone getting frustrated by the lack of personal hygiene of the person sitting next to them, resulting in complaints to a floor manager. Sometimes, someone takes issue with an opponent slow rolling them and words are exchanged.
During Day 1B of the EPT Prague Main Event this week, things escalated way beyond what is normally seen in a poker tournament. According to reports, there was already some bad blood between Michele Nizzardelli and Ghattas Kortas from the previous hand, which Nizzardelli won. But even then, all that ever really happens is that players jaw at each other. It’s still immature, but whatever, people argue in life all the time.
Boy, that escalated quickly
So, annnnywaay…in the hand that led to the fracas, Nizzardelli re-raised pre-flop with A-K offsuit and Kortas, a short stack, called all-in with Tens. The flop was K-4-7, giving Nizzardelli top pair. A Queen and Jack on the turn and river did nothing for Kortas and he was knocked out of the tournament. In an official, poker sense, anyway.
As PokerNews reported, Kortas was angry and as he left the table, he walked behind Nizzardelli and snatched the man’s hat right off of his head. Nizzardelli shoved Kortas from behind, sending him stumbling. Kortas then wheeled around and confronted Nizzardelli, who positioned himself for fisticuffs.
But instead of throwing hands, Nizzardelli threw heads, headbutting Kortas smack on the bridge of his nose, sending him reeling to the floor. Security got there quickly and led Nizzardelli out of the tournament room.
Nizzardelli was promptly disqualified from the EPT Prague Main Event and his chips were removed from the tournament.
And he wasn’t the first player to be ejected from a major poker tournament this week. Across the ocean at WSOP Paradise, the Atlantis Paradise Island Casino removed last year’s EPT Prague Main Event winner Jordan Saccucci from the property. The WSOP did not argue with the decision.
Though no reason was given publicly for why Saccucci was kicked off the property, it likely has to do with his alleged role in a spree of burglaries in Ontario. Saccucci and three other men were recently arrested for the crimes, but it appears that he is out on bail.
