Crazy Gambling Stories From February

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.

February 2018 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.

Las Vegas Poker Dealer Loses Job After Stealing Chips

A poker dealer suspected of stealing saw Nevada regulators do something they haven’t done in over a decade. Back in early October, a complaint was filed against former Bally’s poker dealer Jesus Saucedo. The casino found that Saucedo took several $5 chips off the table during live games and discretely put them into his toke box. Despite the allegations and his departure from his job dealing poker at that casino, Saucedo continued dealing poker at the nearby Bellagio, which is owned by a different casino company. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Nevada Gaming Commission held a rare evidentiary hearing on his employee registration because he had continued dealing in Las Vegas for months after the alleged incidents at Bally’s.

Poker Pro Puts Entire Tournament Score On Roulette Table, Bets On Black

At the partypoker UK Poker Championships, poker pro Jake Cody outlasted all of his competitors to win the £2,200 “high roller” event for £42,670 ($60,000). Cody captured the trophy and a hefty chunk of the prize pool after a four-way deal at the final table. The event was part of a series of tournaments at the Dusk Till Dawn Cardroom and Casino in Nottingham, over in the United Kingdom. Cody apparently walked over to the pit after getting paid in order to play roulette. Remarkably, he let the owner of the casino, Rob Yong, spin the ball. Cody, surrounded by a crowd of his friends and other onlookers, called for black, and, sure enough, it landed on Black 22.

Former College Tennis Coach Accused Of Illegal Gambling

A federal probe into illegal gambling in Wichita continues, as authorities charged a former Wichita high school and college tennis coach. Jack Oxler, 41, is charged with one count of being involved in an illegal gambling business that involved poker games and one count of being involved in an illegal gambling business that involved sports betting, according to court records. He is accused of conducting, financing, managing, supervising, directing and owning all or part of the businesses from February 2014 to Feb. 10, 2017. The businesses also involved five or more people “who conducted, financed, managed, supervised, directed and owned all or part” of them and “had a gross revenue of $2,000.00 in any single day,” according to court documents.

Doyle Brunson Says He Missed Out On $230M Deal To Sell Poker Site

Poker legend Doyle Brunson’s bankroll could have been injected with an nine-figure boost had he pulled the trigger on a business deal more than a decade ago. The 10-time WSOP bracelet winner said on Twitter this month that he turned down a $230 million offer for his former poker site DoylesRoom.com, which was founded in 2004. According to Brunson, he owned half of the online poker platform when the offer was made. According to Brunson, the site went from an incredible valuation in the eyes of a potential buyer to being “worthless” all of sudden after the federal government went after the online poker industry. “This person who had a 50-percent ownership has recurring nightmares about it,” he said.

Poker Pro Micah Raskin Arrested With 360 Pounds Of Marijuana

Just a handful of days after cashing in a $3,300 buy-in poker tournament at the Borgata in Atlantic City, veteran poker player Micah Raskin found himself in hot water with authorities in New York. According to police, Raskin is accused of possessing about 360 pounds of marijuana, worth more than $500,000 on the black market. Police announced the arrest late last week. In addition to the pot, Raskin, 49, allegedly was found with other drug paraphernalia and a loaded shotgun. He has been charged with a slew of crimes, including possession of marijuana.

Poker Dealer Accused Of Stacking Deck For Accomplice When $160K Bad Beat Was Hit

Police in Louisiana announced that they have arrested two people accused of rigging a poker room bad-beat jackpot worth $166,000. Authorities charged 66-year-old poker dealer Ashley Solomon and his alleged accomplice, Dale Foret, 51. Both men are from Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. Authorities didn’t say which poker room the alleged crime took place at, only that it happened at a “local casino.” The state has a dozen poker rooms. A person familiar with the matter told Card Player that it happened at the Boomtown Casino near New Orleans. Police said the investigation began on Jan. 19, 2018, when detectives were notified by the casino staff about “several inconsistencies” with the bad-beat promotion, which stood at $166,000 at the time it was hit. The investigation revealed that Solomon “intentionally stacked the deck of cards for a favorable outcome,” according to police. Solomon allegedly conducted two false shuffles.

Woman Sues To Remain Anonymous After Winning $560M Powerball Jackpot

A lottery player in New Hampshire is asking a court to let her claim a $560 million Powerball jackpot without revealing her name. According to NewHampshire.com, a woman identified only as Jane Doe in court papers wishes to keep her identity hidden after signing her name to the winning ticket sold at a convenience store. It was one of the largest lottery jackpot prizes in history. Through a lawyer, the woman claims that she doesn’t want the attention associated with being a Powerball winner. However, under New Hampshire rules, her name must be made public in order to claim the prize. She could have set up an anonymous trust to shield her identity, but she already signed her name to the back of the ticket. The state is holding its ground.

Man Robs Poker Room At Seminole Hard Rock Tampa, Police Say

The FBI and the Seminole Police Department say an armed man walked up to the cashier cage at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa and demanded an undisclosed amount cash. After receiving the loot, the suspect fled the casino on foot. The incident happened in the early morning hours on Feb 2. No shots were fired and no one was injured, according to police. The suspect was caught several days later. The robbery is similar to a November incident over in Las Vegas. In that case, a man brandishing a firearm robbed the Bellagio poker room for an undisclosed about of cash. He successfully fled the casino and remains on the loose.

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