Large THEFT! Rio Hotel Las Vegas 6/29/07

As many of in the Poker Community know . My room and my Safe were broken into during While I was playing the WSOP 2k NL Tourney at the Rio. Allen Kessler friend and fellow Poker Pro suggested I post on hear for some advice and or feedback. Here is where it stands so far. The Rio does not deny that $32,000 was taken from my hotel room safe, they say that they are only insured up to $750.00 for hotel theft which is insane. I am a Diamond Member and Player at the Harrah's Properties, but I am just a Poker Player I am not an attorney but I have spoken to many since my phone has been blowing up since this has happened. Here are the facts and then I would love to get some feedback.

1. I posted up over $40k when I checked in with my VIP Host.

2. I put 3 wraps of 10k and a rubber band of 2k in the safe the morning of 6/29 and left my room to the Amazon at 11:40 , I passed the maid and she asked if I wanted my room cleaned and I said yes.

3. I came back to my room not long after session 1 or 2 to get my camera, opened my room and noticed my safe was open and in lock position, money wraps left on the ground (10k) and $100 bill laying on top of the safe. I called Security and they came immediatly, they called Vegas Metro . All the way up to Las Vegas C.S.I. was all in my room until 3am.

4. I was informed from C.S.I. that there was a breaking in the high limit gaming room downstairs earlier that morning and approx 10-10k(100k total) Chips were stoled from broken glass in a locked table. The Thief got away. She was called in and got a blood sample and some prints.

5. After everyone left my room was completely destroyed by C.S.I. as they pretty much ripped everything apart. I was not offered another room and hotel management was not returning my calls. Is this how they treat their Diamond Members?

6. That Morning again I called Hotel Managment and no calls returned, My Casino Host said he was out Saturday and Sunday and would call me when he could. Monday came around and nothing happened , no calls nothing. So I sent an email to the C.E.O. Vice Chair and President of Harrah's . 30 mins later Hayden Walker from Risk Management called me and said they were doing an investigation of their own but this doesn't happen at the Rio.(Things like this). I am not saying the Rio is a bad place as I have only had previous good experiences, but it does happen, I told him I knew of the Breakin of the 100k in chips that morning and that the Police said several safes have been broken into in the past. This stuff does happen at the Rio all the time it seems!

6. No like 1000's of people have asked me on my myspace , there are no camera's in the hallways at the Rio , crazy I know but they are only camera's in the Elevators, They think the Thief took the stairs.

Bottom line is the Rio does not deny there was a break in as it was clear there was, they knew approx that I had that much on me and or in the safe. They said at this point the best the can probably do is offer me the insurance of the safe , the Max $750! You have got to be frigging kidding me?! I don't care if I am a $5 player or Whale, There is not disclaimer anywhere on the safe to say "This Safe is not responsible for theft" , But I was informed it's on small print on the door under the Fire Escape Plan, Like I told them, I forgot to read that when I was running from my room in Flames. This is being handled so poorly but Harrah's and I have had everyone Media News Station, Ambulance Chaser Attorneys and Even High Profile Attorneys wanting to take this. I have ignored all New Stations as I think I have been very professional by giving the Rio and Harrah's the chance to make this right. $32,000 is a lot of money to anyone and I have even offered to donate half of that amount to Annie Duke's Anti Up For Africa Charity if the Rio was honorable enough to at least return the money. There security at the Rio is obviously seriouly flawed as who get's away clean free from stealing 100k in chips without anyone noticing that morning. No Camera's, Nothing!

I have gone from frustrated , to Furious to Baffled as to why Harrah's Properties would handle a situation like this so poorly and basically trying to brush me under the carpet. I am known to spend 20-50k a night in their Casino's when I am not playing poker in Various table games which got me the Diamond status in the 1st place. Why they would risk the bad press, the loss and respect of a valued guest or even if I wasn't a Professional Poker Player , any quest this happened too should get more attention. The only person that has said they were sorry was the maid! She came to my room after the interogated her and she said she cleaned the floor around the safe and the safe was locked. She would of noticed the safe was open and she would of seen the wraps. This poor woman was crying as she had been there 10yrs and I believe her. Below is my origial posts that was sent out on myspace with my myspace addy if you wnat to see the crime scene photo's. I am giving the Rio til 8pm today to get me a resolve or I am retaining a top Vegas Attorney I have already spoken with. Any advice any one want' to give would be appreciated as well.

Myspace.com/rakeking

photo's are in my blog under Rio Theft with more details of the story. Thanks to Allen Kessler and 100's of my Poker Friends and their support! I regret that I have to join a great forum like this and post such a negative story but like I said Allen thought it would be a good idea since I hear there are some great people in the community.

Have a Winning Day! Ben"EF"Hutton

Orig Myspace Bulletin:

July 3, 2007 - Tuesday

Rio Theft Update :Myspace

I got a call from the Rio today and the are offering me a huge settlement!

$750.00 F****ING DOLLARS! Boy I jumped right on that one! You have got to be friggin kidding me. Well they say it's an insurance issue and that is the max the safe is insured for. It doesn't say it on the safe , but according to the person I am working with at the Rio says it's in small print on the door under the fire escape plan! Guess I must of missed that when I was reading how to escape my room after I realized I was on fire!

I am beyond pissed off as you can tell. What this tells me and they admit fault. Of course I am not going to take $750.00 dollars when $32,0000 was stolen. Please someone tell me that I am crazy that a Hotel chain such as Harrah's is better then this??? I have spoke to 2 top law firms here in Vegas and they both said that since they are offering a settlement they admit fault. But they could have an out by the disclaimer on the door. Basically what I am hearing is they are affraid to take on Harrah's. Like I said in my previous bulletin I am the highest status card holder you can get at Harrah's and wouldn't you think they wouldn't want to lose a player that has been known to spend that is just one night, not bragging at all but I have and certain points and taken as much as $100k + off of tables in one night which got me that status at Harrah's, but all in all I am just a Poker Player, I am not a lawer, nor do I know what Hotel policies are as I have never seen such a poor handling of a situation.

What would you do at this point if you were me and you came back to your room after a long day of playing poker and found $32,000 stolen from you!?

I am speechless at this point so all I can think of is how would they like to get 2000 emails from 2000 of my friends!

I am trying to be a positive as possible and thanks to all of you countless emails and messages of support I got, even from some of the top Professional Poker Players that have offerered help in anyway they could, this isn't about money to me as much as principle because that is what I have based my life on. But I am about ready to go postal !!!

Hope someone is having a winning day as I am not! I am beyond perfect , but I have always done my best to help others anyway I can. I have been dirt poor and earned every dollar I have myself and never asked anyone for a dime. Things are worse going on in the world and I keep telling myself that, and someting good always comes from something bad, but this is pretty bad as I could of put 3 players into the World Series or done some real good with that amount of money and some jerk off that stole it probably got drunk and blew it all on a craps table somewhere. That is what is so upsetting and many of you that know me I rarely get upset nor amd I ever down. Some I hope there is some resolution to this madness as I was a victim of a theft in a Hotel that I have supported and trusted, Like Zman told me on the phone, if I was to steal $25.00 from someone at a table I would be in jail and the Casino would prosicute as they should, but I can be stolen from and such a large amount and they do nothing! Amazing... If I drank I would go get wasted right now, but I guess it's not too late to start drinking!

Love you all and all I can do is be greatfull of all the support I have had on here and outside of myspace as well many of my poker friends in the Amazon Poker Room at the Rio!

-EF Hutton





Ben'EF'Hutton

[econophile]

cliffs notes?

[capone0]

You said you have played 20k-50k on the tables. I know losing 32k blows and it was stolen from your room but you seem to be pretty well off is it really that big of a deal?

[Bluegrass Poker]

[ QUOTE ]
cliffs notes?

[/ QUOTE ]32G stolen from room safe, Harrah's offered $750. Harrah's being Harrahs.

[NoPoHustler]

So was it Grissom that came and printed your room. Is it true that the camera adds 20lbs?

Brutal if true. You need to get one of those Eurovaction moneybelts that fit under your clothes to hold your money from now on.

[Trikkur]

There was 32K stolen from his room and he can only get the insured 750 back.

[GSykes]

[ QUOTE ]
cliffs notes?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's worth reading.

[JackInDaCrak]

Honestly you take responsibility for what happens within your own room. Next time you should do what most high rollers do and put your money in a safe-deposit box with the cashier/front desk.

That way, they're responsible for it.

[bigticket]

[ QUOTE ]
You said you have played 20k-50k on the tables. I know losing 32k blows and it was stolen from your room but you seem to be pretty well off is it really that big of a deal?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes it's a big deal. isn't 32k a huge deal to anyone? It's not about the money as much as it's about the principle of how this is being handled like I said in my myspace I am donating 1/2 of what is returned to Charity.