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Bahador Ahmadi, a Canadian born Iranian, won $278,104 and a gold bracelet this past weekend at the 2009 World Series of Poker.
Ahmadi requested that the Iranian National Anthem be played in order to pay his respect to all those looking for reform in that troubled nation. Most of those in the room stood up to show their respect Pokerati reports that he told Nolan Dalla after his win:
In a post-tournament interview, Ahamdi wanted to point out that he is proud of his heritage and supports change in his native country. He believes that playing the Iranian anthem at the WSOP will enable many poker players and the public to better understand the pro-Western attitudes held by many Iranians, both who live within Iran and abroad.
On June 12, 2009, an Iranian presidential election was held between reformist candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, and the conservative candidate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Official results handed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a 63 percent victory, sparking street protests against alleged electoral fraud.
Ace King, Gambling911.com
