Just not to let this year’s WSOP pass entirely in the spirit of excitement and fair competition, six thugs attacked and beat up Big One event runner-up British Sam Trickett, most likely out of pure envy.
One of the most successful young live cash game players, Sam Trickett, who is also a talented live tournament player, added another great result to his already impressive portfolio on 3 July: he finished 2nd in the most expensive tourney in poker history, the $1,000,000 Big One for One Drop event. He earned $10,112,001, rocketing his total live tournament winnings to a whopping $16,471,099 and making him 4th on the all-time money list after Big One champion Antonio Esfandiari ($23,245,828), Erik Seidel ($16,945,834) and Phil Ivey ($16,691,415).
His success was the most likely of the possible reasons six men walked up to 26 years old Trickett and beat him up at the entrance of a club on 5 July, and spit his girlfriend Natasha Sandhu in the face. The poker pro reported on the incident via Twitter:
“Was having a great day until 6 guys did this to me.Seriously Wtf? Couldn’t be more angry… #cowards”
Later he added: “Is this what happens if ur successful? literally beat the shit out of me and spat in @NatashaSandhu face all over nothing…”
Sandhu also commented the affair in a tweet: “It wasn’t a mugging or anything just over nothing, sam is fine..gonna spend some quality time together now :)”
Sam Trickett and Natasha Sandhu
In December 2011, 2010 WSOP Main Event champion Jonathan Duhamel was attacked in his home, although that was a clear case of planned robbery.