Salomon "Hashtag King" Ponte Takes a Beating, Revisited

While poker is loaded with a bunch of polarizing players who have their share of both loyal fans and detractors, there are also a number of players who tend to tip the scale more toward being almost universally disliked.

Salomon "Hashtag King" Ponte may fit the bill in that regard.

Known for being loud and boastful at the poker table, Ponte was at the center of several controversial televised poker incidents in years past. His bad behavior on the felt back in 2017 led to canceled appearances at Live at the Bike and a kick to the curb from a sponsorship deal with Blue Shark Optics.

Unfortunately for the self-styled Hashtag King, that wasn't the only kick he received. A recent Twitter post from @ThePokerKaren included a video clip of Ponte getting a beatdown in an illegal poker room in Canada from a mean-looking dude who wanted money owed to either him - or whoever he was playing the role of muscle for.

While the beating apparently took place six years ago, @ThePokerKaren's recent tweet sought confirmation that it was actually Hashtag King who was on the receiving end of the beatdown.

Confirmation came in the form of an article in York Region that cited a police source verifying that the victim was indeed Ponte. Apparently, Hashtag King was in arrears roughly $25,000 to a loan shark, with rumors flying that the Toronto native had some additional outstanding debts as well.

Ponte's fall from financial stability was apparently a quick one, as only a year earlier he claimed the title in the $1,100 buy-in World Poker Tour DeepStacks Main Event for a $344,420 payday.

Hashtag King's Hendon Mob resume shows no more cashes since 2017. Perhaps the beatdown was a wake up call for Ponte to change his ways and maybe find another career. He is said to have a background as an accountant.

In any event, for those who have missed Hashtag King's antics at the poker table, below is a clip from Poker Night in America in 2017. Shaun Deeb and Doug Polk both got into a war of words with Ponte.

Deeb eventually stacks the Hashtag King, but not before Ponte insults Shaun's wife and challenges Polk to a $1,000,000 heads-up battle. Take a look: