The once-formidable poker player is becoming poker’s persona non-grata
Ali Imsirovic, a once-prominent figure in the poker world now known for his controversial past, was removed from a tournament in Florida on Thursday evening. He had been participating in the $1,200 buy-in RunGood Poker Series main event at bestbet Jacksonville, where he held the chip lead heading into the dinner break. But by the time players returned to their seats, Imsirovic’s stack had been taken off the table, signaling his disqualification from the event.
Neither bestbet nor the RunGood Poker Series has publicly commented on the decision, leaving the reason for his removal unclear. Still, the poker community quickly speculated that the action was likely related to Imsirovic’s past conduct, which has followed him closely since 2022.
That year, multiple high-stakes professionals accused Imsirovic of unethical behavior, including ghosting, multi-accounting, and using real-time assistance during online play. In 2023, he released a video admitting to multi-accounting and confirmed that GGPoker had confiscated $320,000 from his account.
Following the allegations, large tours such as the PokerGO Tour and the European Poker Tour moved to suspend Imsirovic from competition. Despite the backlash, he continued playing in live tournaments, mostly holding to the World Series of Poker and the odd stop such as bestbet Jacksonville. In fact, two of his recent tournament cashes came at bestbet, including a good showing at a World Poker Tour event last spring.
This recent removal isn’t the first time a venue has acted. In February, Champions Club in Houston ejected him from an event, making it the first known property to enforce a personal ban.
While details behind this latest incident remain unknown, it adds to the ongoing scrutiny surrounding Imsirovic’s return to the tournament scene and the broader discussion about integrity in poker.
