Fake Chip-Scandal in Atlantic City Poker Tournament Thrown out of Court

After the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open was ruined by counterfeit poker chips, a few players involved in the event decided to file a lawsuit. Just one month ago, six men who competed in the Borgata Winter Poker Open filed a lawsuit against the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, claiming the casino was negligent in the operation of the tournament. This lawsuit has now been dismissed in state court.

According to the Press of Atlantic City newspaper, the lawsuit accused the Borgata of not running video surveillance properly during the event as well as not acting accordingly with the reports from players of the chips appearing to be a different color. The suit also states that the Borgata did not inventory the chips that were in play properly. The six men believed that they are owed $33,000 each since they were among the top 27 players in the event.

27 players were the remaining players in the event when the Borgata suspended game play due to the counterfeit chips. The fake chips had been allegedly introduced into the tournament by Christian Lusardi as employees of the casino traced back the chips via the plumbing system to Lusardi. A clogged system was the downfall of the player as the chips were traced back to his hotel room.

The lawsuit was dismissed by Judge James Isman, of the Atlantic County Superior Court. Isman ruled the case should be dismissed as the Division of Gaming Enforcement of New Jersey had already reviewed the tournament. Isman ruled that the Borgata had complied with the regulations under the Casino Control Act based on the jurisdiction of the DGE.

Maurice VerStandig is the attorney for the plantiffs in this case stated that he is considering an appeal and believes there are problems with the DGE given original jurisdiction during cheating events instead of allowing affected players the opportunity to bring a case to court with the jury system. VerStandig stated: “The DGE is not equipped to provide the sort of due process that is the hallmark of civil litigation in the state of New Jersey. There’s no jury box in the DGE, to the best of my knowledge.”

My take: This is obvious! The Borgata, already mired in a lot of hot-shit scandals with the Phil Ivey cheating scam among others, has enough power to squash a few cheat cases in court!

New Jersey Getting Tough on Casino Cheats

When Derek Bethea recently got sentened to 17 years in prison for a pastposting conviction, I had to look twice to make sure there was nothing more to it. But there wasn´t: nothing more than a pastposted $1100 bet on a craps table at an Atlantic City casino. He did have two previous casino-cheating convictions, and both were relatively minor pastposts on craps tables, $2,400 and $250.

Okay, I understand the third-strike rule, but come on!...we´re talking about littly rinky-dink casino-cheat moves. In the whole entire Tran Organization Scam that corrupted dozens of casino employees in the US and Canada over a five-year period and netted $20 million, no one convicted in that case got more than 5 years in prison.

So what´s this hard-nut-gig New Jersey´s got for casino cheats? I don´t know, but I advise you cheats out there to really think twice before plying your trade on the Boardwalk. And if you have to do it, you´d better be careful!    

Another Inside Blackjack Casino Scam...Cheating Dealer on the Lam!

NEW ORLEANS -- A former Harrah's Casino blackjack dealer is wanted by State Police for allegedly swindling the casino out of thousands of dollars.

Breana Lewis, 24, of New Orleans, is wanted for two counts of conspiracy to commit cheating and swindling, and two counts of cheating and swindling for the amount of $32,022.50, according to State Police spokesperson Trooper Melissa Matey. 

In May, State Police detectives began investigating Lewis after officials from the casino suspected that cheating and swindling was occurring at the blackjack tables.

In two instances, detectives saw Lewis “awarding bets to four different casino patrons who appeared to personally know Lewis. The bets awarded were not winners and cost Harrah’s Casino a total of $32,022.50,” Matey said.

Also wanted are Cornelius Wells, 34, of New Orleans; Jeffery Sheridan Jr., 25, of Angie; Clifford Earl Carter, 31, of New Orleans; and Annette Davis, 43, of Gretna.

My take: This one must have been blatant as hell!!