Drew McIlvain Disqualified From WSOPC Tunica After Winning Event #3 For $27,552
February 18, 2012 1:11 pmEarlier this week, 23 year-old food and beverage manager Drew McIlvain from California, won the WSOPC Harrah’s Tunica $555 NL Event for $27,552.
However, a few days later things couldn’t have turned out worse for Drew McIlvain, after being escorted from Harrah’s Tunica on Day 1a of the $1,600 Main Event accused of collusion, something which McIlvain vehemently denies.
Giving his take on the incident, VP of Corporate Communications at Caesars Entertainment, Seth Palansky said:
“If we’re going to go through the process, not allow a player to continue playing, and escort them from the property, it’s because it’s very cut and dry that an offense was committed. My understanding is that Tunica has banned him from the property..”
Drew McIlvain, nevertheless, has an different explanation of what took place, even responding with a protracted post on the TwoPlusTwo forum. In his account, Drew McIlvain talks of a player at his table who lost a big hand to another player after he made a straight on the river.
Apparently, the losing player had around 15k of chips left, and a few hands later when McIlvain was taking a stretch away from the table, the other player tapped him on the shoulder, and said:
“Next time I’m in the small blind I’m going to go all in…It doesn’t make sense for me to get a room for another night with such a short stack. I want you to have them.”
Drew McIlvain then explains that he was “like okay, whatever,” but couldn’t tell if the man was serious or bluffing. Nonetheless, as McIlvain, continues in his post:
“..his plan was when it was sb to BB, and thats not how he gave me his chips. Not even a lap later, i am Under The Gun, I have 88, i make it 3k, folds around to the BB, he min clicks it back to 6k. Im all in for like 10k more. He calls, with k4 diamonds. He has outs, flop is 23q turn 5, giving him up and down, river is clean. i win.”
Apparently, the man then shook hands with McIlvain before left speedily, with his wife seemingly trying to hurry him along.
Immediately after, Tournament Director Bill Bruce tapped McIlvain on the shoulder and lead him away from the table saying that the hand looked “awfully suspicious.” After McIlvain gave an account of what took place, he was later disqualified.
Drew McIlvain says he will now appeal the decision, and commenting on the incident, explained: “I’m truly disappointed in the way things went down. This is not what I expected coming into trying to make this a career. It’s the sickest beat I’ve ever taken. If you think getting aces beat by kings is bad, try getting disqualified from the main event for colluding with someone that you don’t even know.”