Five Years After Infamous WSOP Incident, ‘Naked Bandit’ Talks Mental Health

5 years in the past, one of the notorious incidents in World Collection of Poker (WSOP) Principal Occasion historical past befell. It occurred on Day 1c at Desk #317 within the Rio’s Pavilion Yellow part in Stage 2. That’s when the poker world was first launched to “The Bare Bandit,” who was disqualified after throwing his footwear on the supplier and knocking down his pants.

Between July 24-27, the then-45-year-old Ken Strauss, the person behind the nickname, had related incidents at a number of different Las Vegas casinos together with ARIA, Venetian, Purple Rock, and Trump Worldwide Lodge, the place he was finally arrested and subsequently led to him being charged with terroristic threats.

Strauss, who skilled a psychotic break of kinds, was deemed incompetent to face trial, and after remedy, managed to keep away from jail time in a cope with prosecutors that sentenced him to probation. Underneath the ruling from District Decide Mary Kay Holthus, Strauss needed to endure psychological well being remedy, not go to Clark County, or have any contact with Las Vegas casinos for 2 years.

That was the tip of the Bare Bandit, but it surely was the beginning of the lengthy street to restoration for Strauss, who not too long ago sat down with PokerNews for an in-depth chat for Psychological Well being Consciousness Month.

Taking Duty

Strauss is from Pennsylvania, which is the place he was when he spoke with PokerNews’ Chad Holloway.

“You realize, 2019 was actually a difficult 12 months as a horrible occasion occurred to me in Las Vegas on the Rio. First off, earlier than we get into speaking about all that I simply wish to apologize to the WSOP, the resorts, the casinos in Las Vegas, and to the non-poker those who have been affected by my actions. I take full accountability and accountability for what occurred and finally settle for the results, not simply legally however socially for what occurred as properly. I simply actually am sorry and I am doing a lot better proper now.”

So, what precisely occurred on that fateful day 5 years in the past?

“I might undoubtedly say three issues attributed to what had occurred,” Strauss defined. “One was I wasn’t actually taking excellent care of my well being. I used to be going to quite a lot of sporting occasions, poker tournaments, not maintaining a healthy diet, and positively, by all that, it prompted quite a lot of well being points and psychological well being points finally.

“Secondly, due to the sporting occasions I went to in Pittsburgh, I form of grew to become a recognized [person] on this space. Like all of the media, sports activities media, information media obtained to know me and from that, I form of obtained hooked on that way of life and I simply stored eager to do increasingly more and extra and, , finally I obtained burnt out from doing all of the video games and touring.”

Learn the DQ hand as reported within the PokerNews Stay Updates right here.

To place it in perspective, Strauss claimed to attend both sporting occasions, poker tournaments, or leisure occasions a minimum of 300 days a 12 months. What’s extra, between 2015-2019, the Penguins, the NHL staff that performs in Pittsburgh, performed 69 postseason video games. Strauss attended 68 of these video games, lacking just one due to a buddy’s wedding ceremony. Nevertheless, that was removed from the one contributing issue.

Strauss continued: “I might say the one huge factor that occurred was in 2018 when my childhood synagogue had a mass taking pictures. It was a giant story and I did not actually take that too properly as a result of although I am not likely spiritual, it was nonetheless my childhood synagogue and I obtained actually indignant from it, and speaking to some individuals after, it simply form of made me angrier as time went on.

“In the midst of June 2019, I used to be only a sizzling mess and I should not have ever gone to Vegas to start with, however I nonetheless went and sadly a psychotic episode occurred. That form of ties in with the third factor being that I used to be simply form of getting burnt out of what I used to be doing day after day and I simply finally misplaced my marbles on the mistaken time on the grandest stage of poker.”

The Fallout

Whereas the Bare Bandit was on full show throughout social media, what they didn’t get to see was the quick aftermath.

“After I obtained introduced in, I used to be within the reserving room and I noticed cameras in there, like video cameras, individuals have been like recording a TV present,” stated Strauss. “So, I did not even understand it was jail, I believed I used to be at a actuality TV studio and I went into the entire course of considering I used to be on a actuality TV present and once more, my head wasn’t totally there.

“I wasn’t allowed in any of the casinos. I wasn’t allowed in Clark County for 2 years and I needed to search psychological well being remedy, which I did and that was just about it.”

“I used to be in Clark County Detention Heart for a short while. I obtained interviewed by some docs and whatnot and, , they declared that I used to be incompetent. I believe I am on a actuality TV present and so they stated, hearken to your self, you are going with us to the hospital. So, I obtained out of the detention heart and went to a state hospital remedy heart. I used to be in there for fairly some time, about three to three-and-a-half months.

“I had a buddy, who lives in Boston, come out and get me in Las Vegas. He needed to clarify to me what occurred as I actually didn’t keep in mind a lot of it. [The district attorney and I] agreed on a two-year casual probation. I wasn’t allowed in any of the casinos. I wasn’t allowed in Clark County for 2 years and I needed to search psychological well being remedy, which I did and that was just about it.”

The final time Strauss was in Las Vegas was for his closing court docket look in March 2020.

“The night time I used to be flying residence from Vegas, that is when the entire Tom Hanks getting COVID occurred and it is most likely one of many final flights that occurred for some time. I used to be fortunate to get out of there. So that is the final time I used to be in Vegas.”

Like so many others, the pandemic had a unfavorable impact on Strauss’ psychological state, and from March 2020 till April 2021 he was hospitalized 3 times.

“Nothing as unhealthy as what occurred in Vegas, however simply, , those who have been watching out for me have been form of involved and stated perhaps moving into for a checkup simply to ensure you’re all proper. Then I obtained probation and went by that course of and had a terrific therapist by that.”

As for a attainable return and whether or not or not he’s even allowed at some venues, Strauss stated: “So far as I do know, I’m nonetheless banned from the WSOP and from Caesars and MGM properties, perhaps Station properties … if there is a technique to get reinstated, I am all for it.”

The place’s He at As we speak?

In 2021, Strauss moved into a brand new apartment in Pittsburgh and slowly handed his probation time. A 12 months later, he acquired a name that his brother had handed away. The information got here lower than a decade after Strauss misplaced his mom and father in 2013 and 2014 respectively, the previous to most cancers and the latter to issues with pneumonia and a number of sclerosis.

“My household of 4 grew to become simply me, myself, and I. Going into 2023, I used to be beginning to understand that I gotta get out of this funk. I haven’t got a complete lot of mates proper now. I have never actually contacted a complete lot of individuals and I wanted to search out some inspiration and went on-line.”

It was on-line that Strauss got here throughout a pair of public figures that he credit with inspiring him to higher his life. The primary was Pam Rose Martinez, higher recognized to WWE followers, of which Strauss is a giant one, as Bailey.

“She is simply very, very optimistic on social media and she or he’s a giant sports activities fan. She’s nice at her job, and through the holidays she’s giving again and serving to much less lucky individuals out and simply looks like an actual fantastic individual.”

Strauss, who had met Bailey in passing a few years prior, really had the possibility to thank her in individual for being an inspiration to him as this 12 months’s Wrestlemania was in close by Philadelphia.

“I obtained an opportunity to see her and thank her for being such a optimistic affect for me I informed her briefly about my mother and father, my brother, and that I had some struggles myself and she or he simply actually appreciated it. I am going to inform you there is no higher feeling than thanking somebody who actually helped and impressed you.”

The opposite individual Strauss credit is American broadcaster Kaylee Hartung, maybe finest recognized for being the NFL sideline journalist for Amazon Prime.

“She did an interview most likely about 18 months in the past. After I was form of down in a funk, I did a Google seek for psychological well being sports activities tales and this interview got here up of her, and her interview was unbelievable. She misplaced her dad at age 10, misplaced her finest buddy at age 13, and one way or the other she overcame all that at such a younger age to change into who she is correct now … On the finish of the interview, she stated one thing that basically hit residence with me when she stated, ‘You simply obtained to guess on your self.’ I am watching the interview and I’m going, ‘You realize what? She’s completely proper.’”

The interview impressed Strauss to achieve out to individuals he had fallen out of contact with.

“Some individuals responded, some individuals did not reply. I get it, , all people dealt with that information in their very own means. I am very lucky and blessed for the individuals which are on my facet and people are my actual mates. I am very grateful for that.”

Not solely did Strauss reconnect with individuals, he discovered the motivation to start out touring once more together with to a wrestling conference in North Carolina and a vacation journey to Florida, the place he performed in his first dwell poker event in years.

“I did not win however I stored all my garments on,” joked Strauss, who additionally went to Seattle for a Penguins recreation, his first in 5 years. “That is the happiest I have been in an extended, very long time and I am simply very grateful for the individuals which were by my facet.”

Remaining Phrases

Strauss appears to be heading in the right direction making psychological well being his primary precedence. Nonetheless, it’s not simple.

“I nonetheless get up on daily basis and take into consideration the place my psychological well being is at. I have never had a sip of alcohol in 5 years. I have never actually performed a lot poker within the final 5 years, so I needed to discover new hobbies, and that got here alongside by.”

He continued: “I simply wish to say I am doing 100x higher. I do know the web actually did not paint a great image of me again in 2019. I by no means watched again the video of what I did again then and actually by no means learn any of the articles both as a result of I knew that wasn’t me and I simply knew I needed to deal with myself and get higher. You are attending to see that at this time.”

*Photos courtesy of Ken Strauss.

PR & Media Supervisor

PR & Media Supervisor for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.