Upeshka De Silva has been disqualified from the 2020 WSOP Main Event Final Table following a positive test for COVID-19.
The three-time WSOP gold bracelet winner spent 10 days in quarantine and still tested positive. Six days later he tested negative only to test positive the following day.
One of the final 9 for the @WSOP main event tomorrow at the Rio has tested positive for Covid-19 and has been disqualified.
Upeshka De Silva aka @PadawanPesh says he quarantined on Dec 10th – tested positive on the 20th, negative on 26th, and positive on the 27th
— Joey Ingram 🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽 (@Joeingram1) December 28, 2020
Upeshka De Silva Disqualified from World Series of Poker
Early yesterday morning the story was broken on Twitter by podcast king Joey Ingram. Ingram posted a short list of possible solutions but none were serious contenders.
Options I see:
- Other 8 players agree to postpone the final table
- WSOP postpones
- Play event online
- ICM payout
- Play online until Upeshka busts
- Nothing
Upeshka De Silva now faces the end of his run in the WSOP Main Event US leg with ninth place money of $98,813.
Just like with Peiyuan Sun who failed to arrive at the Kings Casino for the international leg final, the rules are clear. Disqualification and minimum final table prize money.
So I never had a fever checked every day, had slight allergies like the 15th and 16th but went away, didn't think I could have gotten it since I had been quarantining since the 10th but dec 20th I go to take a shower can't smell the soap… I feel 100% and I'm grateful for that
— Upeshka De Silva (@PadawanPesh) December 28, 2020
Final Table starts tomorrow at NOON so had to get this story out tonight.
9th place is $98,000 and 1st is over $1,500,000@PadawanPesh also made a WPT FT earlier this year that’s been delayed due to Corona. pic.twitter.com/XcLVTmCt35
— Joey Ingram 🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽 (@Joeingram1) December 28, 2020
Zero Tolerance for Upeshka De Silva
The tone of De Silva’s tweets betrays how distraught he is at the thought of missing out.
For what it’s worth, there still hasn’t been any official announcement from the WSOP organisers. Could a solution be found. It’s highly unlikely, it has to be said.
De Silva also doesn’t sound like he is happy with the testing protocols put in place by the WSOP. Responding to Joey Ingram he said,
“Thx joey , this whole experience has been an absolute shit show, I know I’m drawing slim for options but I want to get the story out at the least about how this was handled and the protocols that were put in place. I have insight on how both wpt and wsop have handled covid fts”
He is also waiting to resume a WPT final table that was postponed early last year. It would be a travesty if he was to miss out on that opportunity as well.
Damian Salas Barred From Entering the US for the $1 Million Heads-up Finale
As if things weren’t going badly enough, Damian Salas, the winner of the international leg final table, was prevented from entering the US yesterday.
The Argentinian was in Europe less than 15 days ago to complete his popular victory at the Kings Casino, Rozvadov, Czech Republic. Apparently this invalidated his “certificate of exemption” issued by the WSOP to travel.
“I was going to travel to Las Vegas on Saturday via Dallas. But 15 minutes before leaving for the airport I received a notification that in Dallas they did not recognize my certificate and that they would not let me in.”
Talk about poor timing.
Now the $1 million heads up finale is scheduled to take place two days later than planned on January 2 2021, unless yet another calamity strikes the WSOP 2020.
Don’t forget to check out the latest poker news to see if Upeshka De Silva finds a solution to his troubles and if Damian Salas finally makes it into the US.
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