William Kassouf - Poker Player

Biography

William Robin Kassouf is a British poker player called the ‘King of Speech Play.’ He has a habit of constantly speaking during the game, which he calls ‘Speech play.’ This drew attention, especially during the 2016 WSOP Main Event.

Background

William Robin Will Kassouf was born in London on December 19, 1981. He used to work as a lawyer and lives in Rickmansworth. He used to go to Grosvenor Casino, The Victoria, to play low-stakes cash games and tournaments. In 2013, he quit his law practice to pursue poker as a career.

William Kassouf Poker Career

Live Tournaments

Kassouf won his first cash in January 2009. He played in the £1,060 NLHE Main Event and finished 21st, winning £1,760. He started by playing several small tournaments before venturing into big buy-in tournaments. He played in the €3,200 NLHE Main Event, finishing third and winning €100,800.

For the next few years, he played in various low—and mid-stakes tournaments in England, Ireland, and the US. 2016 was his ‘big break’ year. He played in the £550 NLHE Deepstack event and finished second, winning £30,000. The same year, he also won €10,300 European Poker Tour (EPT) High Roller event and took €532,500 home.

World Series of Poker

In the 2016 World Series of Poker (WSOP), he finished 17th and won $338,288. During his long run WSOP, he caught attention cause of his unique way of talking during the game. He also had a famous moment where he bluffed Stacey Matuson with a weak hand. After bluffing, he proudly said ‘9-high like a boss!’, which later became his catchphrase. However, he got a one-round penalty and was scolded by the WSOP director. In 2017, he played in the  10,350 WSOP Europe Main Event, finishing 64th place and winning €16,710.

In 2020, when all the businesses went online due to COVID-19, poker went online, too. He played €1,100 Main Event at the Irish Poker Online through a €109 satellite during that period. He also €215,163 for first prize in a 202-player field.

What is William Kassouf Net Worth?

William Kassouf Hendon reports that his total live earnings are $1,719,069.

William Kassouf Controveries

• Speech Play: Many players and authorities found he violated the standard poker room house rules. In various US and European poker rooms, sharing information about a player’s hand is illegal.
• In September 2016, on Twitter, Shaun Deeb accused Kassouf of stealing £100 chip from his friend. Deeb said Kassouf and his friends were drinking and playing in the Grosvenor Leeds Watergate Casino. A group member scored £2,800 roulette win. While celebrating, Kassouf hid £100 chip in his palm. Later, Kassouf admitted and apologized.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Kassouf’s biggest single live cash tournament?

€10,000 EPT High Roller in Prague was Kassouf’s biggest single live cash tournament, where he won €532,500.