McCormick Gets a One-Round Penalty

Martin McCormick was just issued a one-round penalty for taking things a little too far at the table. Here's what happened.

McCormick had raised to 13,000 from middle position, and Renaud Desferet reraised from the hijack seat to 38,000. Play folded back to McCormick, and he called to see the flop.

"How much you playing?" McCormick asked Desferet. "You want to play for it all?"

McCormick chatted a bit more to Desferet, taking his time, then smacked the table for a check. Desferet slid out 25,000, and McCormick quickly called.

The turn was the to pair the board, and McCormick checked again. Desferet bet 70,000, and this sent McCormick into the tank. He began talking about how he had a pair and a straight draw. He also tried to ask Fedor Holz, who was at the opposite end of the table, what he would do.

"I'm clueless," responded Holz.

McCormick then turned almost a complete one-eighty in his chair and was facing the other direction. Some thought he might be looking at a tournament clock to gauge the point in the event the field was at, but there was no clock in the direction he was facing. Then, from the seat to the left of Desferet, Ramin Hajiyev asked for the clock.

Not too much time had passed, maybe a little more than a minute at most, and this upset McCormick.

"Who called the clock?" he asked. "You did?"

The floor was called and informed Hajiyev he couldn't call the clock just yet. Even so, McCormick was visibly upset with Hajiyev and began directing his words towards him.

At one point he scolded Hajiyev with, "You're a f***ing idiot!"

Eventually, McCormick folded his hand. As Desferet was pulling in the chips, McCormick stood up from the table (he was sat in Seat 2) and moved around towards Hajiyev's seat. With a quick motion of his right hand, McCormick nudged Hajiyev on the shoulder and yelled at him once more about calling the clock. McCormick then turned around and left the room. Hajiyev sat there with his arms open looking at the dealer and the floor for a response to what had just happened.

The staff that heard and saw the incident issued McCormick a one-round penalty upon his return. They also removed his beverage from the table and instructed the staff that McCormick was cut off from any more drinks. When McCormick heard the news, he shook his head, stood back up from his chair, and left the room once again.