A weekend cash game at a Minnesota casino turned violent when a man walked up to a seated poker player and landed a string of heavy punches — and the footage is now doing the rounds on social media.
- The attack happened at Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen, Minnesota.
- A man with a ponytail hit a seated player several times, then threw a small table and walked out of the casino.
- The video was shared on Friday by poker player and content creator "TimeTravelerPoker", who says the victim is a friend.
- The victim was able to get back up from his chair after the attack.
- It is still unclear what sparked the assault, or whether the attacker was even part of the game.
What the Video Shows
The clip opens on what looks like an ordinary poker table. A man with his hair tied back in a ponytail approaches one of the seated players and, without much warning, throws several punches at him. The player, still in his chair, has little chance to defend himself.
The attacker does not stick around. He picks up a small table nearby, hurls it, and then strolls out through the casino doors as other players look on.
Remarkably, the man on the receiving end appears to be in better shape than the footage might suggest — once the attacker has gone, he can be seen getting up from his seat under his own power.
Where It Happened
According to "TimeTravelerPoker", the incident took place at Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen, in the northwest of Minnesota. He told PokerNews that the property spreads $2–$100 Spread Limit cash games on weekends — the kind of game the victim was playing when he was attacked.
The content creator made clear that he did not film the clip himself, but said the man who took the punches "is a friend." He did not know who the attacker was.
Nothing has been made public yet about a motive, and it is not known whether the assailant had been playing in the same game or came in from elsewhere in the casino. There has been no word so far on any arrest or statement from the property.
"The older man can take a punch. Very cowardly attack though."
— One X user reacting to the video
Not the First Time Fists Have Flown
Violence at the poker table is rare, but it is far from unheard of — and 2026 has already produced more than one viral example. Just last month, video emerged of a dealer slamming a player to the ground in a charity card room in Michigan.
Over the past few years, a player was knocked out cold in the Red Rock poker room in Las Vegas, a man got into a fight with an ARIA poker room employee, and Maurice Hawkins, the all-time record holder for World Series of Poker Circuit rings, was attacked by an opponent during a home game.
Going further back, veteran pro Sammy Farha was reportedly involved in a physical altercation at Legends Poker Room in Houston, Texas, in December 2021.
Whatever triggered the latest incident in Mahnomen, it is another reminder that however heated a hand gets, the only thing that should ever be thrown at a poker table is chips.
Illustrative image — not a still from the Shooting Star Casino video.
