[kayaker]

With 18 people playing in the tourney and several others, including kids, in the room throughout the evening, I'm not really surprised the money went missing. Even for those who don't really "need" it, $450 can seem very tempting.

While I would suggest that prime suspect is probably the most likely (not because of the studs or ink, but because she had just left), it's going to be pretty much impossible to prove.

My suggestions would be two-fold.
1. Ban the hot girl from the game. Yes, this will suck because she's hot, but then again, she's probably distracting you from playing your best poker anyway.
2. Have someone that everyone trusts hold the money. This is not that big of a deal, as it'll just be in someone's pocket instead of sitting in a folder somewhere.