Cheating at a poker room?

[David Troyer]

Cheating at the Belagio Poker Room

It’s a Thursday afternoon at the Belagio, November 8, 2007. I’m sitting in a 2-5 n/l game waiting for my name to be called on the 5-10 n/l game. Haven’t played here in 6 months because of my certainty of collusion going on in the no limit games at the Belagio. Lots of reports in 2+2 forums suggested collusion was rampant at Belagio also. I did play yesterday and won a little. The 5-10 n/l games in Vegas that are going all the time are Wynn, and Bellagio, with an occasional game on the weekends at Red Rock and Ceasars. Im sorta forced to go where the games are.
A must move 5-10 no limit game is called on table 31 at 4pm. Tommy, a 20’ish asian sits in seat 1, an asian girl Sue sits beside him in seat 2. I’m in seat 8 talking to a poker friend. I remarked that they were sitting together yesterday and I suspected that they where cheating (colluding as a team). We talked about and observed the signals between the two. Whenever Tommy would get ready to fold, he would hold his cards ½ inch off the felt to signal to Sue to fold also. When he was ready to play, he would place a chip on his card which was the signal that he would raise and she would ALWAYS call.
In about 45 minutes, sue called every hand that tommy reaised. Usually, this was done in the later positions, trying to isolate one person with two cards against their 4 cards, one of which would presumable be a good hand. Sue limped one time in 45 minutes without tommy, all other times, they where in pots together.
A pathetic looking old lady is in seat 9. She has bruised arms and bruised eyes, and is 50 lbs overweight. She’s on her second buyin of $500. All fold to her in middle position and she limps for 10, tommy signals raise and raises it up to 60, sue calls 60, MP lady calls 60. time is around 4:30pm, 11/8/2007, table 31. flop is 8 7 3 two diamonds. MP checks, now comes the raise signal from tommy, a stack of $5 red chips on top of his cards. We are playing with $10 chips and this is the first time he has placed a stack of red chips on his cards. He raises to $120, Sue makes it $400 to go. Mp mucks hand, aver 30 seconds of theatrics (very poor ones at that) tommy mucks hand and Sue rakes in pot. Really smooth team play. Team wins $60 from mark, neither show their hand.
Sue is moved to main game right after hand. I move to her empty seat so I can be to the cheaters left. I want to bust him. He’s called to 2nd main game. I’m called right after to his game. There are 3 5-10 no limit games going.
I go directly to day shift supervisor of the poker and report the cheating team. He wants to know who they are and I point them both out and brush identifies them as tommy and sue, regulars in the poker room. I explain all the signals and the method they used for cheating. He tells brush to keep them in separate games. 20 minutes later, tommy asks for a table change to Sues game. Brush denies the request. Tommy is indignant and realizes hes been had. Goes over to Sue and they are talking, then both go out to the sports bar. When they return, Sue goes to brush and raises hell about not being able to cheat at same table with Tommy. Brush sends her to day shift supervisor. They talk in hallway for 15 minutes (me thinks she protests too much) after all, there are 3 games to choose from. Swing shift starts. 20 minutes later, tommy goes to seat 4 in game 1 with Sue in seat 2. I go totally berserk. I confront swing supervisor and tell him hes running a corrupt room. Tell him about team players and he swears he knows nothing. The day shift supervisor had given them permission to cheat at the same table, 45 minutes after I had told him about the cheating. Swing supervisor is irate and threatens to ban me, I ask for security. After security shows up, swing supervisor instructs brush to separate the team “while investigation is going on”. Im sitting in the office with supervisor and security, sue comes in all irate that they cant “temporarily” cheat in the same game. Raises hell with security and I quote “ we come here to gamble together”. Swing supervisor pleads with her to change tables temporarily. Security asks her to leave. She refuses. Security calls for backup, they “trespass’ her. Tell her she must leave the property immediately. Calls for backup to escort her off property. She racks up and waits for tommy to rackup and they leave together before rest of security arrives. I file a written complaint with security. They don’t understand poker nor do they understand the concepts of team play.

To my dear friends in wpdg who asked me the following:

“Why don’t they just look at the tapes and ban the crooks” here is your answer directly from the day shift supervisor (name available upon request).
“ We don’t have time to look at the tapes” (after all the cheating was going on in my poker room during my shift- my comments)The teams do bring in more rake for the room.

To my dear friends in WPDG who asked me.
“why don’t you report the cheating to the supervisor”
Because telling a corrupt supervisor that he’s running a crooked room accomplishes nothing. 45 minutes after reporting the team cheating to him, the team was sitting at the same table playing together again.

This time, I went one step further though. I called the Nevada Gaming Control board and reported the cheating team and Bellagio supervisor actions to the Chief Investigator.

The poker gods smiled nicely on the cheaters. Tommy lost over $2000 in my game before moving to sues table. He’s actually a pretty poor player without his accomplice.
I was told by security that taking pictures of cheating teams is illegal and I could be barred permanently from the belagio if I publish them.

edited to change title so allegations are not presented as a fact on the front page- RR