Five years after the infamous WSOP incident, “Naked Bandit” talks about his mental health

Five years ago, one of the most infamous incidents in the history of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event occurred on Day 1c at Table 317 in the Yellow Pavilion of the Rio on Level 2. That was the first time the poker world had been exposed to “The Naked Bandit”, who was disqualified after throwing his shoes at the dealer and pulling down his pants.

Between 24 and 27 July, the then 45-year-old Ken Straussthe man behind the nickname, was involved in similar incidents at several other Las Vegas casinos, including the ARIA, Venetian, Red Rock and Trump International Hotel, where he was eventually arrested and subsequently charged with making terroristic threats.

Strauss, who had suffered a kind of psychotic attack, was declared unfit to stand trial and, after treatment, was able to avoid a prison sentence by coming to an agreement with the prosecution and giving him a suspended sentence. According to the verdict of the District Judge Mary Kay HolthusStrauss was required to undergo psychiatric treatment and was banned from visiting Clark County and from contact with Las Vegas casinos for two years.

That was the end of The Naked Bandit, but it was the beginning of a long road to recovery for Strauss, who recently had PokerNews for a detailed discussion about Mental Health Awareness Month.

take responsibility

Strauss is from Pennsylvania, where he was staying when he was with PokerNews‘ Chad Holloway.

“You know, 2019 was certainly a challenging year as something terrible happened to me at the Rio in Las Vegas. Before we talk about that, I would first like to apologize to the WSOP, the hotels, the casinos in Las Vegas and the non-poker players who were affected by my actions. I take full responsibility and accountability for what happened and ultimately accept the consequences, not only legally but socially for what happened. I am truly sorry and I am feeling much better now.”

So what exactly happened on that fateful day five years ago?

“I would definitely say that what happened was due to three things,” Strauss explained. “One of them was that I wasn’t really taking good care of my health. I went to a lot of sporting events and poker tournaments, I didn’t eat healthy, and all of that ultimately certainly caused a lot of health and mental health issues.”

“Secondly, the sporting events I attended in Pittsburgh made me a well-known person in that area. All the media, sports media, news media got to know me, and from then on I became addicted to that lifestyle and just wanted to do more and more and more, and eventually I got burned out from all the games and traveling.”

Read the DQ hand as reported in PokerNews Live Updates here.

To put things in perspective, Strauss claimed to attend either sporting events, poker tournaments or entertainment events at least 300 days a year. In addition, the Penguins, the NHL team that plays in Pittsburgh, played 69 postseason games between 2015 and 2019. Strauss attended 68 of those games, missing only one because of a friend’s wedding. But that was far from the only factor.

Strauss continued, “I would say the only big thing that happened was in 2018 when there was a shooting at my childhood synagogue. That was a big issue and I didn’t handle it very well because even though I’m not really religious, it was still my childhood synagogue and I got really angry about it. And when I talked to some people afterward, I just got angrier as time went on.

“In mid-June 2019, I was just a hot mess and I never should have gone to Vegas, but I went anyway and unfortunately I had a psychotic episode. That kind of ties into the third thing, which is that I was just burned out from what I was doing day in and day out and ultimately lost my mind at the wrong time on the biggest stage in poker.”

The Fallout

Although the “Naked Bandit” was featured extensively on social media, they did not see the immediate consequences.

“After I was brought in, I was in the booking room and I saw cameras, like video cameras, people were recording like they were taping a TV show,” Strauss said. “So, I didn’t even realize I was in prison, I thought I was in a reality TV studio and I went into the whole process thinking I was on a reality TV show and again, my head wasn’t quite there.

“I wasn’t allowed to go into any of the casinos. I wasn’t allowed to go into Clark County for two years and I had to get psychiatric treatment, which I did, and that was basically it.”

“I was in the Clark County Detention Center for a while. I was interviewed by some doctors and stuff and, you know, they declared me insane. I think I’m on a reality TV show and they said, listen to yourself, you’re going to the hospital with us. So I got out of jail and went to a state treatment center. I was there for quite a long time, about three to three and a half months.

“A friend who lives in Boston came and picked me up in Las Vegas. He had to explain to me what happened because I really didn’t remember much. (The prosecutor and I) agreed to two years of informal probation. I wasn’t allowed to go into any of the casinos. I was banned from Clark County for two years and had to get mental health treatment, which I did, and that was basically it.”

The last time Strauss was in Las Vegas was for his final court date in March 2020.

“The night I was flying home from Vegas, the whole thing with Tom Hanks getting COVID happened and it was probably one of the last flights for a while. I was lucky to get out of there. So that was the last time I was in Vegas.”

Like so many others, the pandemic had a negative impact on Strauss’ mental health, and he was hospitalized three times from March 2020 to April 2021.

“Not as bad as what happened in Vegas, but you know, the people that were looking after me were kind of concerned and said maybe I should go for a physical just to make sure everything was OK. Then I got probation and went through that process and had a great therapist.”

Regarding a possible return and the question of whether he will even be allowed into some venues, Strauss said: “As far as I know, I’m still banned from the WSOP and Caesars and MGM sites, maybe Station sites too… if there’s a way to be allowed back in, I’m all for it.”

Where is he today?

In 2021, Strauss moved into a new condo in Pittsburgh and slowly spent his probationary period. A year later, he received a call that his brother had died. The news came less than a decade after Strauss lost his mother and father in 2013 and 2014, respectively, the former to cancer and the latter to complications with pneumonia and multiple sclerosis.

“My family of four was just me, myself and me. When 2023 started, I realized I had to get out of this slump. I don’t have many friends right now. I haven’t really contacted many people and needed to find some inspiration so I went online.”

On the Internet, Strauss came across two public figures who he believes inspired him to improve his life. The first was Pam Rose Martinezbetter known among WWE fans, including Strauss, Bailey.

“She’s just very, very positive on social media and a huge sports fan. She’s great at her job and during the holidays she gives back and helps those less fortunate. She just seems like a really wonderful person.”

Strauss, who had met Bailey briefly a few years ago, actually had the opportunity to thank her personally for her inspiration, as this year’s Wrestlemania was taking place in nearby Philadelphia.

“I had the opportunity to see her and thank her for her positive influence on me. I told her briefly about my parents, my brother and that I had some problems myself and she was really grateful for that. I can tell you, there is no better feeling than thanking someone who has really helped you and inspired you.”

The other person Strauss mentions is the American broadcaster Kaylee Hartungperhaps best known as an NFL sideline journalist for Amazon Prime.

“She did an interview about 18 months ago. When I was pretty depressed, I was doing a Google search for mental health sports stories and came across this interview with her. Her interview was incredible. She lost her father at 10, her best friend at 13 and somehow she overcame all of that at such a young age to become who she is today… At the end of the interview she said something that really touched me when she said, ‘You just have to bank on yourself.’ I look at the interview and think, ‘You know what? She’s absolutely right.'”

The interview inspired Strauss to contact people who liked him

“Some people responded, some didn’t. I understand that everyone dealt with this news in their own way. I’m very lucky and blessed that people are on my side and these are my true friends. I’m very grateful for that.”

Not only did Strauss make new connections with other people, he also found the motivation to travel again, including to a wrestling convention in North Carolina and a vacation trip to Florida, where he participated in his first live poker tournament in years.

“I didn’t win, but I kept all my clothes on,” joked Strauss, who also traveled to Seattle for a Penguins game, his first in five years. “I’m the happiest I’ve been in a long time and I’m just very grateful for the people who were by my side.”

last words

Strauss seems to be on the right track and making his mental health his top priority. Still, it’s not easy.

“I still wake up every day and think about where my mental health is. I haven’t had a sip of alcohol in five years. I haven’t really played much poker in the last five years, so I had to find new hobbies, and this is what happened.”

He continued, “I just want to say I’m 100x better. I know the internet really didn’t paint a good picture of me in 2019. I never watched the video of what I did back then or read any of the articles because I knew that wasn’t me and I just knew I had to focus on myself and get better. That’s what you’re going to see today.”

_{*Images courtesy of Ken Strauss.}

PR and media manager

PR and media manager for PokerNews, podcast host and 2013 WSOP bracelet winner.