One of poker’s more contentious figures has been ousted from the highest level of the game.
William Kassouf, notorious for his tendency to stall and engage in lengthy table conversation, has been banned from 2025 World Series of Poker events after his exit from Saturday’s No Limit Hold’em World Championship in Las Vegas.
Tournament Director Dennis Jones conveyed the ban to Kassouf, and shortly thereafter, security escorted the 43-year-old from the Horseshoe Event Center.
Kassouf, hailing from England, drew ire from many, including players, staff, and fans at the WSOP main event, which continues until Wednesday.
During the tournament, officials enforced a 10-second shot clock on Kassouf during his decisions, which certainly did not sit well with him.
On the sixth day of the event, this shot clock was implemented, leading to quite a stir among attendees and players alike.
The following day, Kassouf erupted when he was initially prompted to adhere to the shot clock, asserting that he wasn’t given ample time to decide.
This outburst led to a penalty for verbal misconduct, along with a warning of potential disqualification if his behavior didn’t improve.
Unfortunately for him, it didn’t.
Kassouf continued to argue with Jack Effel, the senior vice president of Poker Operations, and other players at his table.
After facing elimination, Kassouf remarked to his table: “Strange. You’re all pathetic. I’ll remember your faces. See you next year.”
Not long after, he received his ban.
Kassouf, who works as a lawyer, walked away from the event with a $300,000 prize.
“I’m here to play my game, my way. If others prefer to sit silently with headphones on, that’s their choice. I’m okay with that,” Kassouf said in an interview. “I didn’t delay anyone throughout the tournament; I took three minutes pre-flop and four minutes when I was deep in thought.”
