A persistent issue in the poker community
High-Stakes Poker Players Mike Holtz, Eric Zheng, and Patrick Leonard Accuse Widespread Cheating in Nevada Casinos
Countless poker professionals have voiced their frustrations on social media over the prevalence of cheating in Las Vegas poker tournaments.
First up was Eric Zheng, airing his grievances in a lengthy Facebook post on Wednesday. The American player spoke of an incident at The Venetian, where he alerted staff to two players possibly engaging in chip dumping. However, floor staff reportedly chose to overlook his claims.
Patrick Leonard followed suit, sharing insights of his own experience. With over $3 million in live earnings, the Englishman had also reported chip dumping to staff but was told "if the cards aren't exposed, we can't do anything." The "same group" of people, as claimed by Leonard, also cheated him at Resorts World during an $800 Main Event over the weekend.
Frame grab from a video shared by Mike Holtz, detailing his experience at Resorts World with suspected cheaters.
Mike Holtz joined the conversation, stating he had caught the same individuals cheating last year at Resorts World. In addition, he alleged that these players were linked to the ones called out by Zheng and Leonard at The Venetian. Holtz shared a video detailing instances where his complaints were met with indifference by Resorts World staff.
Unraveling the story through Holtz's lens
Holtz unfolded the story further through a video posted on his Facebook account. The pro, who co-hosts the PokerNews Podcast, described how the nine and two seats at his table in the $800 Main Event appeared to be working together. Every time the nine-stack opened, the two seat would fold in a way that showed his cards to the nine stack. Despite his repeated complaints to staff, no action was taken.
Holtz was moved to a new table where another person from the cheaters' group was playing. One of the men from the previous table approached their friend from behind, speaking in a foreign language to him, when Holtz again complained about suspected cheating. The man promptly exited the poker room.
Holtz believes the players he encountered are part of the same circle that Zheng and Leonard had previously called out at The Venetian.
Not an isolated incident
Holtz shared additional incidents, including one where a player was continuously pocketing chips despite being reported to staff. The individual supposedly went unpunished until four hours later. Holtz also claimed he was called a "cry baby" by a staff member when he brought up dealer-exposed cards. "A dealer should never speak to a player like that," Holtz said. "He should be fired on the spot."
Holtz urged the poker community to address cheating head-on before it escalates. "That's what poker has become – it's about who can cheat better," he said. "We have to come together as a community and say enough is enough. Stop cheating us."
"I feel like I've used up my social credibility because I've spoken out about this so loudly, and I don't want to be that person," Holtz said. "But someone has to be that person."
In a closing statement, Holtz praised the Wynn Las Vegas for its handling of cheating incidents, claiming that he had called out cheating multiple times at the property, and staff always reviewed the surveillance footage and handed out penalties. "The Wynn is on point," Holz said. "Everywhere else should be like there."
Background: The growing concern of cheating in poker
Poker cheating incidents such as chip dumping, card exposing, and player collusion at major Las Vegas casinos like The Venetian and Resorts World require closer examination. Beneath the surface, players and casinos are engaged in a cat-and-mouse game to detect and prevent these illicit activities.
Chip dumping involves a player intentionally losing chips to another player, often as part of a larger collusion scheme. Spotting these incidents in live games can be difficult, but statistical analysis can help uncover patterns of play.
Card exposing, or accidentally or intentionally revealing one's cards to other players, can also occur. Live casinos often have surveillance systems in place to monitor for such actions.
Player collusion is a growing concern in the poker community. It involves players coordinating their actions to gain an unfair advantage, either through communication at the table or through external technology.
Recent controversies, such as the allegations against Dan Bilzerian for claiming to know how to cheat in online poker by using multiple accounts and colluding with other players, highlight the ongoing challenges in maintaining integrity in the poker industry.
Despite the difficulties, casinos implement measures to prevent cheating, including advanced surveillance systems, rigorous dealer training to detect suspicious behavior, and statistical analysis of betting patterns. However, detailed information about specific investigations may not be made public by casinos.
The revolving door of allegations and reports of cheating in Las Vegas has sparked discussions about the need for the poker community to unite and take decisive action to combat this issue. Simultaneously, casinos will continue to refine and evolve their security measures to keep up with the evolving tactics of unscrupulous players.
- The prevalence of cheating in casino-games, such as poker, has been a persistent issue in Las Vegas, with concerns extending beyond The Venetian and Resorts World to casino-culture as a whole.
- Recent examples include chip dumping, card exposing, and player collusion, which require closer examination and immediate action due to their impact on casino-and-gambling trends and the trust of casino-personalities within the poker community.
- In response, some casinos, like Wynn Las Vegas, have demonstrated effective measures in detecting and preventing cheating incidents, setting a standard for other casinos to follow in combating this growing trend and maintaining the integrity of the casino-and-gambling industry.
