EPT event becomes contact sport resulting in player’s ejection

Italy’s Michele Nizzardelli was ejected after head-butting another player

A triple-knockout occurred during Day 1b of the European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague Main Event, with only one involving a losing poker hand. The other two were disqualified after a fight broke out at the table.

The incident involved two competitors playing together in an all-in pot in the PokerStars €5,300 buy-in No-Limit Hold ’em tournament, which is off to a solid start with over 1,200 entrants and registration remaining open until Day 2 begins on Wednesday.

Play was winding down as those at Table 12 were already tense from a previous hand that saw Michele Nizzardelli win a pot after a contentious check on the river. Ghattas Kortas’ short stack was all in after calling Nizzardelli’s three-bet.

After Nizzardelli hit a pair to earn his second consecutive pot, Kortas was eliminated and obviously furious at the situation. He then walked behind Nizzardelli, removed his hat, and started to walk away when the Italian reacted by shoving Kortas from behind.

Kortas stumbled forward and then turned towards Nizzardelli, who raised his hands to challenge his opponent, maybe thinking he could get another knockout.

Nizzardelli then threw a head-butt, catching Kortas on the nose and knocking him down. As the dazed Kortas asked other players if his face was okay, security would arrive to escort Nizzardelli out of the facility. His stack was immediately taken out of play, and he was disqualified from the tournament.

Following the upsetting incident at the Prague Hilton at the end of Day 1, 297 players remain of the 838 Day 1b entrants at the €5,300 PokerStars EPT Prague Main Event. A total of 1,250 entrants registered on Day 1, just below the 1,267 who entered in 2022, which should make the 2023 EPT Prague Main Event the biggest ever.