Houston poker room video shows Farha shoving dealer; Caillier says police report filed
Caillier says the shove struck the area where his gallbladder had been removed, and that he went to an emergency room and called police.
Author: PokerSlate AI-assisted editorial desk · Editor: PokerSlate separate AI editorial review
Published:
On October 26 (UTC), PokerNews reported and published silent surveillance footage, saying that during a $1/$3/$6 pot-limit Omaha game at a Houston social poker room on October 22, Sammy Farha and dealer Doug Caillier got into a dispute. The footage shows Farha going around the table, moving the floor manager aside and shoving Caillier in the chest; PokerNews noted that the image looks more like a shove than a punch, while Caillier said Farha tried to slap him, verbally abused him and threatened him.
PokerStrategy reported on October 27 (UTC) that Caillier had filed a police report; the outlet quoted him saying the shove struck the area where his gallbladder had previously been removed, and that he went to an emergency room and called police. The report also noted that Farha is not a member of the Poker Hall of Fame. The claim about an arrest warrant comes from Caillier himself, and neither report cited police confirmation. PokerNews said Caillier was suspended and was unlikely to return to work, while PokerStrategy said he had lost his job. More details are in the related reports.
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Houston Social Cardroom video shows Sammy Farha shoving dealer; Caillier says he filed a police report
Surveillance video published by PokerNews shows Sammy Farha shoving dealer Doug Caillier; PokerStrategy says Caillier filed a police report and lost his job.
Read story ↗- PokerNews ↗ — PokerNews reported and published silent surveillance footage from the Houston social poker room on October 26, 2026 (UTC), saying that during a $1/$3/$6 pot-limit Omaha game on October 22, Farha and dealer Caillier got into a dispute over how a hand was handled; the video shows Farha going around the table, pushing the floor manager aside and shoving Caillier in the chest. Caillier said Farha tried to slap him, verbally abused him and threatened him, and said he was struck in the chest and abdomen; PokerNews noted the footage looks more like a shove. Caillier had been suspended and was unlikely to return to work, and Farha was initially banned from the club but was still seen inside the building a day after the incident. In a statement, Caillier said the video does not show the lead-up or aftermath, that he did not provoke Farha, and that he went to a hospital for a medical evaluation and called police.
- PokerStrategy ↗ — PokerStrategy reported on October 27, 2026 (UTC) that Caillier had filed a police report; he said the shove struck the area where his gallbladder had previously been removed, and he made public what he said when he confronted Farha in person; the outlet noted that Farha is not a member of the Poker Hall of Fame. Caillier said he went to an emergency room and called police, and said an arrest warrant would be issued once authorities receive all the paperwork. The report said Caillier had lost his job, that friends and peers advised him to take legal action over wrongful dismissal, but he indicated there was no formal contract. Farha was the runner-up in the 2003 WSOP Main Event and has three bracelets, and Caillier is a dealer with more than 40 years of experience.
Local reading context
Pot-limit Omaha (PLO) gives each player four hole cards, and a final hand must use exactly two hole cards and three board cards. A button straddle is an extra blind posted by the button before the flop, changing preflop action order; room rules can vary. After a hand, the dealer pushes the pot to the winner, and folded cards are usually kept face down and sent to the muck. These terms help explain why the dispute centered on whether the dealer turned over a losing hand from the muck.
Source report dates: 2026-10-26 / 2026-10-27