A common issue
Multiple poker pros have taken to social media to vent their frustration at cheating in Las Vegas poker tournaments.
Eric Zheng was the first to voice the issue. In a lengthy X post on Wednesday, the American player explained he was playing at The Venetian when he notified staff to two players who were chipdumping. Floor staff supposedly refused to investigate.
Patrick Leonard followed this up with some insight of his own. The Englishman with $3m+ in live earnings claimed that he also complained to staff about the same issue. He was subsequently told “if the cards aren’t exposed we can’t do anything.”
the “same group” of people also cheated him at Resorts World
Poker pro Mike Holtz then chimed in too, claiming he caught the same person cheating last year. He said that the the “same group” of people also cheated him at Resorts World during an $800 Main Event over the weekend. A video provided further details of this incident.
Holtz tells all
Holtz added a lot more detail to the story via a video posted to his X account. The American pro, who also cohosts the PokerNews Podcast, explained multiple instances in which his complaints were brushed off by Resorts World staff:
As he revealed in the video, the nine seat and the two seat at his table in the $800 Main Event appeared to be working together. Every time the nine seat, who was big stack, would open, the two seat would fold in such a way as to show his cards to the nine seat. Holtz’ complaints to staff supposedly fell on deaf ears.
Holtz was moved to a new table where another person from the cheaters’ friend group was playing. One of the men from the previous table came behind their friend and started speaking in a different language to him, when again Holtz complained about potential cheating, the man ran out of the poker room.
Holtz believes these players are friends with the ones called out by Zheng and Leonard in The Venetian.
Not an isolated incident
This wasn’t the only incident that Holtz reported. He said there was also a player who was pocketing chips. Despite players reporting him to staff, the player supposedly wasn’t kicked out until four hours later.
Holtz also claimed the dealers were exposing cards to players. When he complained, Holtz was supposedly labeled a “cry baby” by a member of staff. “A dealer should never talk to a player like that,” Holtz said. “He should be fired on the spot.”
We have to come together as a community and say f*ck this bullsh*t.”
Holtz believes that cheating is a major issue in the poker community and has to be challenged by players before it becomes overwhelming. He said: “That’s what poker has dissolved into at this point. It’s about who can cheat better. We have to come together as a community and say f*ck this bullsh*t. Stop cheating us.”
“I feel like I have burned some of my social credit because I keep talking about this so vocally, and I don’t want to be that guy. But someone has to be that guy man.”
Holtz concluded by shouting out the Wynn Las Vegas. He said he has called out cheating multiple times in the property and staff will always go to the cameras and give them a penalty. “The Wynn is on point,” Holz stated. “Everywhere else should be like there.”