World Series of Poker officials told one player to butt out on Friday after he was caught lighting up while playing. The incident occurred during the $3,000 6-handed no-limit hold’em tournament at Paris Las Vegas.
The WSOP released a video showing a man smoking a cigarette at the table. Tournament staff and a security guard stood next to him. They told him he wasn’t allowed to smoke in the tournament area. He appears to briefly argue his case before discussing the issue with another security guard in Spanish.
Then, the player extinguished the cigarette in a water bottle before staff told him he was disqualified, and needed to leave the tournament area.
Pocketing Tournament Chips Against WSOP Rules
“The use of smoking devices in the poker room is strictly prohibited and will result in disqualification from the tournament,” the WSOP posted on X/Twitter.
In addition to violating that rule, the player also put his chips in his pocket when he got up from the table. A player in the tournament area at the time told Card Player that the tournament staff would’ve let the man keep playing if he simply put the cigarette out. But once he put chips in his pockets, they had no choice but to disqualify him.
Rule 38 of the WSOP tournament rules states: “Non-value WSOP chips are used for all Events and are the exclusive property of the Host Property and may not be removed from the Event area.
“Participants found to be transferring chips from one Event to another or from one Participant to another, or removing chips from play for any other reason, including but not limited to, taking chips as souvenirs, will be subject to penalty in strict accordance with Rules 40, 113, and 114.”
Watch the incident below:
Player REMOVED From $3,000 Tournament
The use of smoking devices in the poker room is strictly prohibited and will result in disqualification from the tournament.
Here’s what happens when that line gets crossed. pic.twitter.com/Ha7CfOpuWi— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) June 20, 2026
Smoking At WSOP Events Banned 24 Years Ago
Most US poker rooms banned smoking more than two decades ago. The Mirage and Bellagio in Las Vegas were among the first to ban smoking in 2001, and the WSOP went smoke-free a year later.
Before the changes, many rooms featured a haze of smoke as players puffed cigarettes and cigars. Poker Hall of Famer Tom McEvoy was a key advocate for cutting out the cigarettes and stogies. He argued that getting rid of the smoke would not only provide a more healthy atmosphere for players, it would also bring more players into the game.
He spoke with Card Player in 2024 about his poker life and getting smoking out of the game.
Smoking remains an issue in some casino states. New Jersey lawmakers failed to ban smoking in Garden State casinos in recent years. Additionally, the state’s Supreme Court Judges rejected an anti-smoking appeal. Lawmakers have made similar efforts in Kansas and Missouri.
However, Nevada does not ban smoking in casinos. Most properties have individual policies banning smoking in poker rooms and tournament areas. Individual properties can ban patrons from smoking on the casino floor. Park MGM banned smoking inside its property when it opened in September 2020.
