Poker participant Justin Bonomo mentioned Wednesday he was threatened with disqualification from the WSOP Paradise Tremendous Fundamental Occasion for sporting a keffiyeh, an Arab headdress.
Justin Bonomo pictured sporting his controversial keffiyeh, which expresses his help for Palestine. The participant has been requested to not put on it at Thursday’s televised ultimate desk or face disqualification. (Picture: WSOP/YouTube)
The distinctly patterned black and white selection keffiyeh that Bonomo was sporting on the desk is a standard Palestinian garment and has been worn as an emblem of solidarity with the Palestinian folks.
As Bonomo received deeper within the match, he urged on social media the keffiyeh was bringing him luck.
Bonomo was all the way down to the final 16 gamers within the $25K occasion on the Atlantis Resort within the Bahamas when he was instructed to ditch the headscarf as a result of the WSOP didn’t need something political on the televised ultimate desk.
Poker Politics
The 39-year-old American did make the ultimate and can return immediately to play for a $6 million first prize, begrudgingly minus his scarf. On Wednesday night, nonetheless, he requested his X followers whether or not anybody within the Bahamas might get him a Palestinian flag, so watch this area.
The request for removing of Mr. Bonomo’s keffiyeh as soon as he reached the TV manufacturing desk was merely a matter of broadcast clearance,” the WSOP mentioned in a press release on Wednesday night time. “Our future distribution platforms for Tremendous Fundamental Occasion don’t permit clothes deemed controversial or political in nature.”
Part 54d of the official WSOP rulebook states: “Host Properties reserve the fitting always to impose a ban on any attire deemed objectionable by Host Properties, in its sole and absolute discretion. Host Properties reserve the fitting to refuse entry or continued participation in an Occasion to any Participant who doesn’t adjust to the aforementioned attire guidelines.”
Charity Match Controversy
Bonomo’s public present of help for Palestine could stem from the WSOP’s determination to carry a charity match to lift cash for IDF Widows and Orphans, a nonprofit devoted to supporting the households of fallen Israeli troopers.
Bonomo described the choice as “monstrous” and labeled the Israeli Protection Power (IDF) a “genocidal terrorist group” that had “obliterated Gaza.”
However based on fellow participant Mike “The Mouth” Matusow, who operates on the alternative finish of the political spectrum, it’s Bonomo who’s supporting terrorism.
He shouldn’t be allowed to play poker tourneys!” Matusow tweeted. “Can’t anticipate Trump to throw individuals who help terrorism in jail! Possibly Jihadomo can be first!”
Bonomo isn’t the primary poker participant to fire up controversy with a pro-Palestine garment. Again in 2014, Oliver Busquet impressed PokerStars to revise its gown code after he wore a “Free Gaza” T-shirt to the EPT Tremendous Excessive Curler Occasion in Barcelona and received the entire thing.
“Gamers have many channels to precise their views on world politics, however our tournaments usually are not an acceptable place,” PokerStars mentioned afterward.
Busquet urged it was “price having the dialog about whether or not it’s acceptable or not.”
