It takes a lot for someone to be called away from the poker table, much less a table that you’ve paid $250,000 to sit at, but that’s exactly what happened prior to Day 2 of the $250K Super High Roller Event. Jason Koon, who had bagged 1,740,000 chips - a touch over his starting stack of 1,500,000, requested to withdraw from the tournament as he found out his wife was going into labour.
Official Ruling
According to the WSOP, “Prior to the end of registration in event 40 with more than a starting stack, entrant Jason Koon requested a void and refund so as to accompany his wife to the hospital who had gone into labour.”
The WSOP official went on to say, “Request was granted. Issuing a refund before the end of registration is clearly within the discretion of tournament officials and common practice at WSOP. We wish Jason Koon and all our WSOP dads a happy Father's Day.”
Rules and Precedents
While it may seem strange for a player to be allowed to receive a full refund after participating in the event, a precedent for this has been set, specifically in this event. During the 2021 $250K Super High Roller, players agreed that anyone who tested positive for COVID-19 would be refunded their full buy-in.
While this wasn’t an agreement laid out by the WSOP, it shows how tight-knit the super high roller community is, and it’s willing to look after its own. We don’t know for certain how the other players feel about this decision, but we imagine that Jason Koon’s impeccable ethics and general respect in the poker community, coupled with the fact that Jason Koon finished the Day with more chips than he started with made things more palatable.
Missing the WSOP
Jason had already announced his intentions to miss this year’s WSOP to focus on helping out with his newborn, but we’re sure he wasn’t expecting to get the call this early! Speaking on The Chad & Jesse Poker Show, Jason said, “This year is special for me because I don’t get to play the Main Event, so it’s bittersweet,”
When explaining the reasoning behind his decision, Jason said, “My wife and I are expecting our second son in a week. So I’m shutting everything down, I’m going to be hanging out at the house and rooting for my friends to win bracelets this summer.”
This will be Jason’s second child, and we here at Natural8 wish him and his wife all the best.
With Jason Koon now out of the picture for the rest of the WSOP, what does this mean for the high-stakes tournament scene? Will someone be able to take advantage of his absence and bag themselves a bracelet? Stay tuned for all the latest WSOP news and events.
