Crazy Gambling Stories From August...

From Phil Ivey Getting Drunk To Racist Slurs By Athlete At Poker Table... 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. August was no exception, as there was plenty that happened in the casino world. Here’s a look at some of the most colorful and noteworthy from the month that was. Dominic Matteo Declared Bankrupt Thanks To £1m Gambling Losses Former Liverpool, Leeds and Scotland star Dominic Matteo’s finances are in dire straits. An order against the ex-Scotland international star was obtained by the government-run Insolvency Service at Halifax County Court in West Yorkshire. The bankruptcy move follows admissions by Matteo that he had been a heavy gambler and had lost more than a million pounds on the horses. As well as having gambled away the seven-figure sum, he also admitted once betting £100,000 on a single horse. High Stakes Poker Game Leads To Attempted Murder Charquan Edwards, 23, had lost thousands of dollars to an 83-year-old man during a six-hour poker game. Edwards had gone home twice during the overnight poker match to get more money. By the morning, the elderly man had up to $9,000 spread out on the table. Much of it was money Edwards had lost, witnesses said. Edwards ran out of money a third time. He asked to go home again to get more. But this time, instead of leaving, he pulled a gun and opened fire. Two bullets hit the ceiling. The two men began to fight. What happened next was the subject of a trial this month before state Supreme Court Justice John Brunetti. Borgata Poker Tournament Cheat Receives Five-Year Sentence Christian Lusardi was just indicted last month over last year’s poker tournament at the Borgata that had counterfeit chips in play, but he has already pleaded guilty to the crime. Lusardi took a plea deal in August, admitting to trademark counterfeiting and “criminal mischief,” the AP reported. He received five years in prison thanks to the deal. Apparently the charge of second-degree attempted theft by deception was dropped, which allowed him to avoid an additional 5-10 years behind bars. The Borgata said it lost $463,540 in revenue from canceling the poker tournament and compensating customers for the ordeal, and the 43-year-old must pay the casino that amount. Phil Ivey Says He Was Drunk, ‘Got Quite A Few Numbers’ During Gambling Sessions Phil Ivey claims to have been drunk during play, which included betting up to $150,000 a hand. Ivey and playing partner Cheung Yin Sun were able to spot manufacturing defects on the backs of playing cards to gain an edge on the house. Ivey said in a deposition regarding the role of alcohol in the case: “I mean it distracts you from your concentration. I mean anything they can do to give themselves an advantage. So alcohol does—everyone knows alcohol impairs your judgment—and they have pretty cocktail waitresses and they’re all quite flirty. They’re talking to you, you know. I got quite a few numbers.” Dan ‘Jungleman’ Cates Says He Lost $5 Million Playing High-Stakes Poker In Manila The 2015 PokerStars APPT Manila wrapped up this month, and the tournament stop reportedly had some high-stakes cash game action as well, featuring some of poker’s heaviest hitters. One of them was Dan “jungleman” Cates, who took to Twitter to say that his trip to Manila was terrible. Cates said that he lost about $5 million in the game. It’s unclear if that was in one or multiple sessions. According to reports, the no-limit hold’em game had stakes that were the equivalent of $2,500-$5,000-$10,000. There were three blinds or a mandatory straddle. English Footballer Uses Racial Slur At Poker Table English footballer Jamie Vardy is in hot water for using a racial slur against a fellow poker player he believed was trying to look at his hole cards, according to a report from the Guardian. Vardy reportedly was at the local casino with his fiancée late last month. The opponent who Vardy berated was of East Asian decent, the report said. Vardy also later allegedly challenged another player to a fight, the report said. Former Casino Security Guard Indicted Over Atlantic City Casino Heist A former security guard at Caesars Atlantic City has been indicted with four others for allegedly stealing $181,000 from the casino in a brazen July 2014 heist. Former Caesars security guard Izyiah Plummer, along with Aaron Evans, Nathaniel Greenlee and Donavon Jackson, were indicted over the incident. A roommate of Plummer was also charged for receiving stolen property. Plummer worked at the casino until July 9, when he was let go for “violation of rules and regulations.” Less than two weeks later, he allegedly robbed it. Winning Lottery Number Shown In TV Graphic Before Actually Being Drawn In Serbia this month, the country’s lottery had what first appeared to be a typical TV drawing, but then something bizarre happened. The graphic on screen showed one of the numbers, the number 21, before it was actually drawn, leading some to accuse the lottery of corruption. The head of the state-run lottery company resigned following the incident. Illinois Lottery Winners Getting Paid With IOUs An Illinois couple just won $250,000 in the state lottery, but due to budget issues they have received an IOU from the state and not the cash. The state says it’s coming. The states comptroller’s office does not have legal authority to release the funds at the moment. Everyone with prizes greater than $25,000 are getting IOUs from the state. WHAT DO YOU THINK???