Just hours after placing second in the 2012 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Big One for One Drop, U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett (pictured) was riding high, loving life after winning over $10 million. He Tweeted, “Thank you everyone 4 ur support, ur all legends! Time to go drink until my organs hurt."As it unfortunately turned out, Trickett was playing the role of fortune teller that night.
When the revelry was over, Trickett was leaving a club with his longtime girlfriend, Natasha Sandhu, when six men allegedly attacked him. He seems to be no worse for wear, but sustained a number of scrapes and bruises on his face, evidenced by the picture he posted on his Twitter account that you can see at the top of this article.
Along with the picture was the message, “Was having a great day until 6 guys did this to me. Seriously. Wtf? Couldn't be more angry... #cowards.”
It does not appear that the attack had anything to do with the immense sum of money he won just a little while earlier. As he posted a short time after broadcasting the photograph, “Is this what happens if ur successful? Literally beat the shit out of me and spat in @NatashaSandhu face all over nothing.”
It is not clear what this “nothing” was, as neither Trickett nor Sandhu has divulged any details about the incident, nor can any police reports be found at this time. Sandhu Tweeted a similar message as her boyfriend: “It wasn't a mugging or anything just over nothing, Sam is fine.”
Of course, the poker community rumor mill has been churning and there has been plenty of speculation as to what the “nothing” was all about. We won’t get into the various rumors, but the most reasonable theory was that it was simply the end result of some sort of alcohol-lubricated dispute.
Trickett was one of 48 people who coughed up $1 million to buy into the Big One for One Drop at the WSOP. He began final table play second in chips, just behind eventual winner Antonio Esfandiari (pictured). He spent time as the chip leader at the final table, but went into heads-up play against Esfandiari facing a 5:2 deficit.The end came when Trickett committed his chips with a flush draw against Esfandiari’s flopped trips and couldn’t catch any of his outs. He looked crushed after the loss, but his sorrow seemed to wear off fairly quickly.
Just after the end of the tournament, he Tweeted, “Lost HU kind of angry at my self for taking a high variance line on the last hand but ah well! $10m should ease the disappointment.”
Trickett is not the first big WSOP winner to be the victim of an assault. Shortly before Christmas of last year, 2010 WSOP Main Event champion Jonathan Duhamel (pictured) was robbed and beaten in his home. The assailants stole Duhamel’s prized WSOP bracelet, a Rolex watch presented to him by PokerStars, and $115,000 cash. The bracelet (severely damaged), Rolex, and half of the cash were eventually located and returned.In 2004, two men at the Bellagio attacked that year's Main Event champ, Greg Raymer. The pro fought off his attackers, saying later he felt that he would have been killed had they been able to drag him back into his room, where he had approximately $150,000 in casino chips. The two men were eventually apprehended and are now in prison.
