Dealer started a fight in a dispute over the blinds

At Michigan's Davison Poker Room, a No-Limit Hold'em tournament with a $20 buy-in nearly ended in serious injuries. A verbal spat between a dealer and a player escalated into a full-blown ground wrestling match.

Player Eric "Bobby" Knopp, who had recently worked as a dealer at the 2026 WSOP, decided to dispute the size of the big blind. After posting the BB at 4,000 chips, he was told by the dealer that the levels had already gone up and he needed to add up to 6,000.

Knopp argued that the hand had started before the level-change signal, which meant the blinds should stay the same. During the argument, Knopp got personal, shouting at the elderly dealer:

Shut up!

The dealer instantly rose from the table, grabbed the player by the neck, and took him down to the floor. When the two were pulled apart, the dealer delivered a tirade:

You think I'm some kind of sucker?! Thought I'd just take it?

I'll find you, son. You just got worked over by an old man!

Before mouthing off to the staff, make sure the dealer across from you didn't dabble in freestyle wrestling in his younger years.

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