From poker champion to villain
Joe McKeehen made poker history in 2015 when he won the WSOP Main Event and took home a whopping $7.6 million. He is seen as an analytical and cold-blooded player who has earned his place among the elite. His reputation was somewhat tarnished by his involvement in last year's Laptopgate affair, where he and Dominic Nitsche were "advisors" to Jonathan Tamayo in the WSOP ME final table. Well, his latest tantrum has caused many to start remembering him in an even worse light.
The incident took place at the Parx Big Staxx tournament. According to eyewitnesses, McKeehen walked up to the table, ripped open his bag of chips, scattered them across the table, and in a fit of rage, threw the bag and registration papers directly at the dealer. This moment was caught by several players, who later harshly criticized him on discussion forums.
Player JamesBond007$$$, who was there, later described the situation on the popular 2plus2 forum and added: "As he was leaving, I asked the dealer if they were friends, because I was sure that this was his way of playing a joke on her. She said no.. I have no idea who he is.I couldn't believe how badly he treated her. Then when he came back and found out she hadn't thrown his empty bag away, and he told her she could throw it away because he wasn't going to do it."
Poker star under fire for criticism
McKeehen's behaviour has not gone unchallenged. The poker community, which has been battling negative stereotypes for years, was outraged by his outburst. Players and fans alike expect a certain standard of behavior from professionals, and this incident disappointed many.
Meanwhile, his reputation hasn't been the best for years. In 2016, he kicked off a series of attacks on WSOP management and poker media via the social media site Twitter. In doing so, he kicked off the criticism for a triviality such as changing the WSOP start time from noon to 11:00am. Many on social media called his reactions arrogant and several professional players, led by Daniel Negreanu, warned him that he should be more careful about his tarnished reputation. However, his relationship with the media hasn't improved much since then. This is confirmed by a thread on the X network, where critical comments about him are piling up, along the lines of, "How can a man like that coach?" or "He'll have to unblock a lot of people to have someone to coach...."
Welcome new #CLCcoach Joe McKeehen! He has EIGHTEEN 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆TITLES including this one (⬇️) and can teach you about closing on https://t.co/vJGIYFBKoW pic.twitter.com/RyuvTbHvhV
- Chip Leader Coaching (@clcpoker) November 9, 2017
Will the poker community forgive him?
McKeehen hasn't publicly apologized yet, which has only added fuel to the fire. Many are wondering if such a player can be a role model for younger pros, or if his talent can cover up his inappropriate behavior. Poker is not just about strategies and skills. It is a game that demands discipline and respect. And if professional players forget these values, they can very quickly fall from the stars to the very bottom.
McKeehen's case is just another reminder that success in poker is not just about how many chips a player can get, but also about how he behaves at the table. The poker community is now waiting for his reaction. Will they forgive him, or will he go down in history as a talented player with problematic behavior? Time will tell.
Source - VIP-Grinders, Twoplustwo, Wiki, WPT, NewYorkPost