Casting a spotlight on deceit in poker tournaments
High-Stakes Poker Players Mike Holtz, Eric Zheng, and Patrick Leonard Expose Persistent Cheating Issues in Las Vegas Casinos
Multiple seasoned poker players have taken to social media to share their frustrations about fraudulent activities in Las Vegas poker tournaments.
Eric Zheng sparked the controversy by detailing his experience in a lengthy post on Wednesday. Playing at The Venetian, he claimed he notified staff about two suspicious players engaging in chip dumping, but the staff allegedly showed little interest in investigating.
Patrick Leonard followed suit, sharing his own encounters. With over $3 million in live earnings, he too reported similar instances where he complained about chip dumping, only to be dismissed with the retort, "if the cards aren't exposed we can't do anything."
Zheng's and Leonard's accounts suggest that the same group of players were also responsible for rip-off games at Resorts World.
Mike Holtz added fuel to the fire by reporting that he had caught the same group cheating in the past, starting with a manipulative scheme during an $800 Main Event at Resorts World over the weekend. Holtz provided a video to support his allegations for added clarity.
In the video, Holtz explained that the nine-seat and two-seat players at his table seemed to be working together. Every time the big-stacked nine-seat opened, the two-seat folded in such a way that his cards were revealed to the nine-seat. Holtz claims his complaints were ignored by the Resorts World staff.
When moved to a new table, Holtz encountered another one of the cheaters' associates. One of the players from the previous table started speaking in an unknown language behind their friend, prompting Holtz to complain about potential cheating. The man then abruptly left the poker room.
Holtz suspects these players have ties to the ones called out by Zheng and Leonard at The Venetian.
This isn't the only incident Holtz has reported. He also mentioned a player pocketing chips and being allowed to continue playing for hours, despite numerous reports to staff. Holtz alleged that the dealers were exposing cards to players, with one staff member even labeling him a "cry baby" after complaint.
Holtz implored the poker community to band together and confront this dishonest behavior: "We have to come together as a community and say 'f*ck this bullsh*t.' Stop cheating us."
Holtz has confronted cheating issues in the past, mentioning several occurrences at Wynn Las Vegas. However, he praised the Wynn for diligently responding to and addressing these instances: "The Wynn is on point. Everywhere else should be like there."
While the events at The Venetian, Resorts World, and Wynn Las Vegas remain unverified at this time, instances of cheating and misconduct in the world of poker are not unheard of. Ali Imsirovic, for example, has been linked to several instances of multi-accounting online, and Men "The Master" Nguyen faced chip-handling allegations. Phil Ivey and Cheung Yin Sun have been known for utilizing edge sorting—an advanced technique to gain an unfair advantage—in baccarat games, while the Nevada Gaming Control Board recently settled a case with MGM Resorts for anti-money laundering violations.
- PokerNews reported a series of allegations made by multiple players about fraudulent activities in casino-games at Las Vegas casinos, specifically detailing incidents at The Venetian, Resorts World, and Wynn Las Vegas.
- Eric Zheng's account on social media sparked the controversy by sharing his experience of witnessing chip dumping in a poker tournament at The Venetian, but the staff allegedly showed little interest in investigating.
- Mike Holtz, who has faced cheating issues in the past, reported a recent instance at Resorts World, where he suspected the same group of players were engaged in cheating as those called out by Zheng and Leonard at The Venetian.
- The casino-culture in Las Vegas is under scrutiny as the potential for gambling-trends like chip dumping and card exposing may go unchecked by casino staff, causing concern among American poker players.
- In a show of solidarity, Mike Holtz called for the poker community to unite and confront dishonest behavior, stating "We have to come together as a community and say 'f*ck this bullsh*t.' Stop cheating us," and praising the Wynn for their diligent response to such issues.
