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Justin Bonomo informed his X followers that he’d been threatened with a disqualification deep in the $25,000 World Series of Poker Paradise (WSOPP) Super Main Event for wearing a keffiyeh.

The $50 million guaranteed record-breaking tournament, at the time of publishing, was down to 15 of 1,978 players during Wednesday’s Day 4 session. Bonomo, second all-time behind Bryn Kenney with $64 million in The Hendon Mob cashes, was sitting in ninth place with 60,300,000 chips. Michael Addamo was in the lead at 153,700,000.

WSOP officials explained the reasoning for the DQ threat in a statement:

“The request for removal of Mr. Bonomo’s Keffiyeh once he reached the TV production table was simply a matter of broadcast clearance. Our future distribution platforms for Super Main Event do not allow garments deemed controversial or political in nature.”

Poker Pro to Be DQ’ed Over Palestinian Scarf?

Bonomo has repeatedly expressed pro-Palestine views on social media during the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Doing so has caused many within the poker community to publicly trash him. Daniel Negreanu and Mike Matusow are among the high-profile players who’ve called him out for his views.

But that hasn’t stopped the 39-year-old poker legend from sticking true to his beliefs. Those public views, however, could get him in some hot water as he chases the $6,000,000 first place prize, which would bring him to within $3 million of Kenney’s lifetime cashes.

The high roller with three World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets claims WSOP staff informed him that he’d be disqualified from the tournament if he refused to take off his keffiyeh, a traditional square scarf worn in parts of the Middle East.

The keffiyeh has become a Palestinian national symbol. Three college students from Vermont were shot during Thanksgiving weekend in 2023, two of whom were wearing a keffiyeh. Their families claimed the crime was “fueled by hate,” according to CNN.

Bonomo wasn’t the only player in the Super Main Event to wear the scarf. Michael Acevedo wore matching attire on Day 1.

“I like your style,” PokerNews live reporters caught Acevedo commenting to Bonomo, who was seated at the same table.

Matusow took his anti-Bonomo stance even further than having his peer banned from a WSOPP event. He went so far as calling upon incoming US President Donald Trump to have the high-stakes pro jailed over his beliefs.

Both Bonomo and Matusow received mixed responses from their tweets. Some agreed Bonomo should be banned over the keffiyeh, while others referred to it as “absurd” and “outrageous.”

What Does the WSOP Rulebook Say?

The opinion of poker fans on the possibility of Bonomo’s attire leading to a disqualification doesn’t matter in terms of a decision being made. According to Section 54(d) in the WSOP rulebook, it appears the host property has a right to deem wearing the keffiyeh as grounds for disqualification.

“Host Properties reserve the right at all times to impose a ban on any apparel deemed objectionable by Host Properties, in its sole and absolute discretion. Host Properties reserve the right to refuse entry or continued participation in an Event to any Participant who does not comply with the aforementioned apparel rules,” the rulebook states.

A $10,000 buy-in charity event was held last week at the WSOP Paradise to raise funds for IDF Widows and Orphans, a decision that angered Bonomo. The event brought in approximately $140,000, according to CardPlayer Lifestyle founder Robbie Strazynski, an Israeli citizen.

This isn’t the first time political attire has caused threats of disqualification from poker tournaments. PokerStars banned displays of political statements in 2014 during European Poker Tour (EPT) events. Two players who teamed up to win the Tag Team event at the 2021 WSOP wore “Free Palestine” shirts during play, but the images were excluded from the winner photos.

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