Crazy Gambling Stories From June

The gambling world can sometimes produce really off-the-wall stories. Every month there are plenty of cases of individuals going to extreme lengths to pay back debts, or of simply bizarre behavior at casino properties around the globe. It can be entertaining and sometimes sad.

June was no exception, as there was plenty that happened in the casino world.

Here’s a look at some of the most colorful and/or noteworthy from the month that was.

Poker Player’s WSOP Bankroll Returned By Uber Driver

A Florida man visiting Las Vegas for the 2016 World Series of Poker was in high spirits after an Uber driver returned a bag containing at least part of his bankroll. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that poker pro Jacob Brundage took an Uber earlier this month to the Rio and left behind a bag containing $7,000 worth of cash and chips. With the help of a group of Uber employees working outside the casino, the 39-year-old was eventually able to get in contact with the driver who had just dropped him off. Brundage reportedly offered the driver $200 to return with the bag. It was returned roughly 20 minutes later, and the tip came as promised.

Russian Sentenced To Prison For Cheating In Poker Games At U.K. Casino

A Russian man received four months in prison from a London court after admitting to cheating in a poker game at the Palm Beach Casino in Mayfair in late 2014. Valeriy Mikhaylets, 57, cheated fellow poker players out of £57,025 ($83,000 USD) by retaining cards from previous hands (Texas hold’em) for use in subsequent hands and also using sandpaper to try to mark the playing cards, according to a report from the Mirror. According to a report from the Evening Standard, the court also fined him £86,000 and ordered him to pay back the £57,025. Other costs brought his total obligation to £193,718.75.

Man Wearing Horse Mask Robs Colorado Home Poker Game Of $3,500

A Boulder, Colorado home poker game was robbed by two men, one of whom was wearing a horse mask and holding a wooden paddle. The bizarre robbery was captured on camera. KRDO reported that the robbers made off with $3,500 from the weekly poker game. The suspect not seen on camera was reportedly holding a gun. “These guys are idiots. They’re amateurs, not professional robbers by any means,” David Bayless, the host of the home game, told krdo.com.

Gambling Debts Led Man To Set Off Beer Bottle Full Of Firecrackers In Airport

Police in China say that gambling debts caused a man to become so distraught that he decided to explode a beer bottle full of firecrackers at the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai. The attack resulted in minor injuries to four bystanders, while the man, Zhou Xingbo, slashed his own throat with a knife. He survived. Zhou is a 29-year-old from Guizhou Province in southwest China who reportedly owed a lot of people money from a gambling addiction.

Selbst Complains About $1.8M Bracelet Bet With Mercier

Poker pro Vanessa Selbst said she was “disappointed” Jason Mercier didn’t let her buy out of a 180:1 bracelet bet that would have resulted in her losing $1.8 million. Mercier has two bracelets so far this summer. Selbst and Mercier made the bet back in January while drinking, and Selbst said she believe Mercier should have let her buy out or cancel the wager. Mercier replied: “You are grossly exaggerating how drunk you were.” He didn’t budge, and he has been giving her a good sweat. Selbst later said she was able to sell off a lot of the action so she won’t actually be on the hook for $1.8 million should Mercier win a third this summer.

Bilzerian: Kevin Hart Held Quads In Poker Home Game, Didn’t Know To Raise Opponent

According to high-stakes poker player and social media celebrity Dan Bilzerian, comedian Kevin Hart is “so f-cking bad at poker.” Bilzerian posted a photo to his Instagram of a home poker game with Jean-Robert Bellande and comedian and actor Kevin Hart. The way Bilzerian tells it, someone bet into Hart on the river, and Hart only called with quads because he thought another card was coming. “He forgot there’s only five cards,” Bilzerian explained

Mortician Gets Probation For Running Illegal Poker Game

Staten Island mortician Joseph Fumando was sentenced to just five years’ probation for operating an illegal Texas hold’em poker game. Fumando had faced between 18 months and two years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines. But Brooklyn Federal Judge Sandra Townes said there was no violent conduct connected with the relatively small potatoes gambling, so a jail terms wasn’t necessary. The feds launched a probe more than six years ago after it was learned that an NYPD detective, Richard Palase, was involved in the illegal gambling operation.

Man Loses Wife As Stake In IPL gambling

A man from Govindnagar area put his wife at stake in an IPL betting game and lost her. The matter came to light after her husband’s fellow gamblers began harassing her, prompting her to approach the local police with the help of social activists. The police have registered a case. The accused is still at large. Police said after having lost his all money at the share markets, the man put up his wife as a stake in IPL betting and lost her too.

NFL Player Busts World Series Of Poker Main Event Champion

It’s rare for a NFL player to play at the WSOP, so it’s quite the feat when one of them knocks out a former main event champion. Calais Campbell, a defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals, entered event no. 4 ($1,000 Top Up Turbo No-Limit Hold’em) and ended up busting 2013 main event champion Ryan Riess. According to WSOP live updates, the NFL star was holding pocket kings when a player in early position raised. Campbell three-bet to 800, and Riess decided to shove all-in. The original raiser folded, and Campbell called. Riess had A-K and couldn’t improve.

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