Listen to any story from Doyle Brunson about the underground poker scene in Texas, and you’ll quickly realize how much safer the games are today. The days of risking your life to play poker are gone…or they should be gone.
No matter how advanced a society becomes, though, there will be crime. Any society that leaves some people behind (in education, job opportunities, health care, and socio-economic status) will see desperation, often in the form of crime. And in America, with so many people armed with deadly weapons, it only adds to the danger of everyday life.
Casinos and cardrooms are just as likely to be the location of crimes as anywhere else. It seems as though, however, criminals are targeting casinos and cardrooms more frequently and brazenly of late.
Livestream Players Wanted
The setup is almost too easy. Poker players compete in medium-stakes or high-stakes cash games in a poker room located in a strip mall, complete with minimal security and a large parking lot. That game is livestreamed, so anyone can watch it and find out who wins the most money. When that person leaves the cardroom, rob him or her.
That is what happened to Will Yoochan in September of this year. He played a livestreamed cash game at the Lodge Poker Club in Texas. He didn’t win at the game but still cashed out for more than $18K. In total, he left with approximately $30K in his backpack.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbNf3RAwQ0E
A person who had been in the club earlier, police suspect, followed along and pegged his target. The young male in a hoodie and jeans joined two other males outside of the club, attacked the victim and stole his backpack, then fled in a BMW without a license plate. And it all happened in broad daylight.
https://twitter.com/roundrockpolice/status/1575585271227510785?s=20&t=DzoDU2A8OAQdBYns0yjJMg
While the Lodge, nor any part of the ownership that includes poker pro Doug Polk, neglected to publicly address the issue on their own, a few mainstream poker news websites did write about the incident.
Armed and Dangerous
Some situations in poker rooms fail to do the damage that the perpetrators intended. Even so, the dangers are real, though never truly addressed publicly by the poker rooms.
In January 2022, the popular Legends Poker Room in Houston averted a possible disaster. A man walked into the club after 1am, threatened everyone there with an automatic rifle, and stated his intention to stage a robbery. However, there was a security guard on the premises, and he tackled the thief. Some players jumped in to help, and though the weapon did fire during the scuffle, no one was injured. And the group did subdue the person until the police department arrived.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EjlQPP2gJQ&t=15s
Several months later, late into an evening in early April and again at Legends, a person in the establishment stood near the cashier cage a little too long for some customers’ comfort. When an employee asked the man to leave, he did, but someone started shooting into the room a few minutes later. Bullets hit the walls but no people. So, players got themselves together and resumed their games.
Per several players in the poker room that night, at least one employee of Legends told players not to take photos or post on social media about the incident.
Not everyone accepted that.
https://twitter.com/victorwdoka/status/1511818759408861198?s=20&t=RvE5PzFLnY7nrcdStR_0QQ
Casino Incidents
The most recent robberies at or around Las Vegas casinos didn’t happen in poker rooms. The incidents were just as menacing, though.
This year started with a former Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer committing armed robbery at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Once arrested, he was charged with two other casino robberies in the past year. He had absconded with approximately $90K in total.
https://twitter.com/LasVegasLocally/status/1501274239357259779?s=20&t=RvE5PzFLnY7nrcdStR_0QQ
In May of this year, a small casino named Dotty’s in a strip mall was the location of a brutal incident. A man in the casino watched as a woman won several jackpots totaling approximately $30K. He texted another man, who then entered the casino and stole her purse, knocking the woman down in the process. The manager of Dotty’s chased after the suspect in the parking lot as he got into a getaway car. The manager fell, and the car ran over her and killed her.
https://twitter.com/FOX5Vegas/status/1524614815859183616?s=20&t=RvE5PzFLnY7nrcdStR_0QQ
Just last month, an armed man reportedly took a taxi to Resorts World, demanded money from the cashier cage at 2am, returned to the taxi and left. When caught, authorities discovered that he was on probation for robbing the Venetian Las Vegas in 2020.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1xg4ybBYSY
One week later, still in November, an armed man approached the Gold Coast cashier cage in the late afternoon, demanded money, and left with approximately $30K.
https://twitter.com/LasVegasLocally/status/1593140916508065793?s=20&t=HBzWOo5HFYo-a5nJWAno_w
Danger, Danger
The incident that finally inspired this article happened at the end of November in Jacksonville, Florida. There was a report of a shooting at the bestbet Orange Park poker room. Soon after, police clarified that the shooting happened as a part of an armed robbery. The alleged thief shot the victim multiple times, though he did not die. The perpetrator escaped as poker players emerged from the card room to see what happened after hearing gunfire.
Though this incident did not happen in the poker room, it easily could have. Emotions run high at times, and money is everywhere.
Armed robberies have become all too common in the poker world and, of course, in the gambling world at large. Perhaps they have always been this common but not reported on social media as often as they are now.
Poker players are often targets of thieves when they leave a casino or poker room. They often face armed attackers in parking lots or even at their homes after thieves follow them from the poker room.
So often, though, the incidents remain out of the public eye, away from social media. Some people don’t want to publicize the reality that they were victimized. But crimes that happen in poker rooms are a different story. Players don’t usually want to spread the word about a robbery, effectively scaring away potential players who keep the games and money flowing. The cardrooms themselves don’t want to risk their livelihood, the businesses they built, because players may be scared to play there.
These are all reasonable stances.
However, it is also reasonable to expect that poker rooms and casinos practice transparency and honesty with regard to crimes. Instead of ignoring incidences in the hopes that speculative chatter will die and business will remain unaffected, players deserve to know the truth. They deserve to know the risks they take by playing at a particular venue.
Since poker rooms and casinos are not in agreement with that expectation, it is up to the poker community to be more responsible.
How to Stay Safe at Poker Venues
There are some things that poker players can do to protect themselves.
-If coming/going alone, never carry large amounts of cash. Speak with the cashier about other payment options, such as a check or direct bank deposit.-If leaving with cash is a must, request an armed member of the security team at the facility to walk you to your vehicle and watch you leave.-Pay attention on your drive home to make sure you weren’t followed. If there is any doubt, stop at a police station on your way and request an escort to your home or destination.-Ask your poker room about security precautions and indicate your desire to see more security inside and outside of the facilities.-Always be aware of your surroundings. Never walk while texting or talking on the phone, as you may miss signs that you’re being followed or watched. Your distraction is an opportunity for a criminal to strike.-Vloggers must stop filming themselves stating how much they bought into the game for and how much they cashed out. Wait to be in a secure location to film.-Carry protection, such as pepper spray or something that can be used as a weapon.
Until casinos and cardrooms step up to be honest with and protect their patrons, poker players – and all gamblers – must take it upon themselves to be as safe as possible.
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