William Kassouf - The Hemorrhoid of the 2025 Main Event
William Kassouf's 2025 Main Event Day 7 was the biggest meltdown in the history of the WSOP.
Day 7 of the 2025 $10,000 World Series of Poker Main Event will live in infamy due to William Kassouf’s inability to control his emotions, his temper, and game play. Emotions spilled over from Friday night’s controversy and from the start of play Saturday, Kassouf was confrontational, argumentative, and ultimately got himself banned from any other WSOP events this summer.
William Kassouf continued to be a hemorrhoid of the 2025 Main Event and inexplicably, he has been at the Feature Tables for the last three days. His tablemates, viewers on PokerGO and tournament officials had enough of his antics by Saturday morning.
Late Friday night, when play concluded, Tournament Director Dennis Jones warned him that he would be on a shot clock if his stalling behavior continued. Early in play, Kassouf was given a one-round penalty for arguing with a player that the clock was called on him too quickly.
Kassouf wanted to have words with WSOP boss Jack Effel and their conversation went south fast.
Effel had choice words for Kassouf in a conversation that was anything but private. "This conversation is over; there is nothing else to be said here. Take your one-round penalty and shut up," Effel said. "If you follow me or if this continues, I will have security escort you out of here and you will be disqualified."
That wasn’t enough for Kassouf. He got into a heated argument with two separate floor supervisors before Jack Effel arrived with corporate security. Kassouf argued with WSOP for well over 30 minutes, never making any headway and then he missed action when his table broke because he continued to argue with staff. Effel threatened to put him on a ten-second shot clock for the remainder of the tournament.
Then, he played the next two levels as an emotional mess. He continued to argue with any floorman that would listen. He incurred a one-round penalty following another confrontation with players at the Feature Table.
His ire turned to whoever would stand in front of him and during all this team he only had a 14 big blind stack. He missed hands, argued with fans on the rail and spoke to anyone holding a camera.
All of this, at the Feature Table area on the live stream. The social media backlash of his antics was harsh and mostly one-sided.
Full disclosure: Video clips were posted on my Twitter X of much of the incident, but I was asked to take them down by the WSOP and PokeGO.
Uniformed security was required to remove from the stage. PokerGO boss Mori Eskandani told his production staff to cut his mic and take him off camera.
Upon returning from his penalty, Kassouf played less than an orbit before his final hand. Kenny Hallaert opened the action, Kassouf was in the small blind and had the clock called on him after a few seconds by Pedro Padilha.
"Does he get a warning for calling the clock after five seconds?,” Kassouf asked Jones. “I'll give you $10,000 if I don't have a hand (to Padilha). You give me $10,000 if I have a hand. Put your money where your mouth is."
He moved all in holding pocket sevens and Hallaert snapped him off with Kh 5h. “He’s raising with king five and calling my shove?” Kassouf said. “He’s a PokerStars professional sponsored player. King five, well played. What an absolute disgrace – a fucking joke. You’re all pathetic.”
The crowd, in turn, cheered for his elimination, singing “Say hey, goodbye!”
“See you all next year!” Kassouf said. “I’ll remember all your faces for next year.” He continued his tirade until security removed him from the stage. He talked to more media for another 20 minutes in a tirade.
Then, Jones informed Kassouf that he was going to be escorted to get paid out and banned for the remainder of the Series.
Photos courtesy of PokeOrg.