UPDATE!

New Updates to Poker Deadbeats

Our apologies for falling a bit behind on posting our findings. As you are all aware, the World Series of Poker is coming up fast, and we have over 12 new Deadbeats to post up before the tournament begins. Be sure to check back beforehand so you know who to watch out for — PokerDeadbeats.org is your tool to not getting scammed in the poker world!

SPECIAL REPORT
PRO SWIPERS

It is a Saturday evening in Las Vegas, the first one in 2009. There is a choice of a hundred things to do but it appears the whole neighborhood is crowded into one corner of this station casino. They are waiting, many without spending any money, for the 8:15pm drawing were the "chosen one" could go home $25k richer. The drawing is free to enter. You just have to go to a Station or Fiesta owned property everyday and swipe your player's card to win entries or other prizes. "Every swipe is a winner." There are the casual players and the pros. Since this is a free-for-all, it is hard for the pros to find an edge. One such edge may be to go to a less populated casino, one like the recently opened Aliante, in a remote part of Las Vegas, which isn't serviced by public transportation.

All casinos must be grateful for the recent sharp drop in gasoline prices. After all, few would spend $10 to drive to a casino for just $3 in free slot play.

Miss G won $7k when her name was called at two drawings in a week. Asked how much of the money she returned to the casino she replies "All of it." She does receive a mailer every month offering cheap imported mystery gifts, 2 for 1 buffets, and free slot play.

Mr. J sets out early every morning for the Station card swipe which runs until January 10th. He swipes for himself, his wife, and a friend from out of town. Mr. J says he has often won small food comps which he uses to buy lunch in the casino. Once, he won a $50 food comp which he saved for a weekend brunch with his wife and two friends.

It is a harmless pastime for many players such as Mr. J who has retired to Las Vegas.

Then there are the pro swipers. One such player is Mr. K — he knows the formula casino marketing uses and aims for maximum comps every month for the minimum risk. Mr. K only plays at casinos with active/aggressive marketing for players and in casinos with near 100% payback machines. Of course, on sessions without jackpot hands he will still lose money but Mr. K is in it for the long haul.

The pro players are continually networking, working as a team to try and find any positive plays.

The Coast casinos have a magazine inserted into the local newspaper once a month. Anthony Curtis, operator of the popular www.lasvegasadvisor.com and www.advantageplayer.com sites calls it "such a strong play we didn't expect to see it again." Indeed it is so popular, finding a newspaper on the day of the Coast casinos mag, is harder than making money off all the coupons inside.

The idea originally came from Station casino marketing and for one profitable month players could work almost full time at redeeming coupons at these two companies eleven participating properties.

Story continued next week...

POKER DEADBEAT PROFILE #3

TUAN "TOMMY" VU

Tuan "Tommy" Vu is a Vietnamese born poker player who is better known for his TV commercials which lured late night customers with such phrases as " This is not a country club.This is my house" and "Do you think these girls like me? No, they like my money!" Also, "if you don't attend my seminars you deserve to be broke."

In those days Tommy lived in Florida and held seminars for people who wanted to learn how he achieved his lifestyle. Of course, he achieved it by luring people to his seminars. The disgruntled clients sought legal advice and threatened Tommy with a lawsuit. Tommy's TV ads stopped and Tommy resurfaced in Las Vegas.

Since the fall of 2004 Tommy Vu has been a regular during the poker tournaments throughout Las Vegas. Gone are the bikini clad women. Tommy usually plays the smaller buy in tournaments. Maybe he can only lure small amounts out of potential investors these days.

With Las Vegas being one of the fastest growing cities in America , stories are surfacing that Tommy has not exactly retired. TV time is too expensive these days so Tommy uses his time in and around the poker tables trying to convince to players to invest in some of the expensive strip condo properties that have mushroomed in the last few years. Tommy claims he already owns these properties and just wants to sell a few shares. Of course, he tells them what a great investment they are and how he is still making
millions.

The truth is Tommy is not making millions and doesn't own strip property. Tuan and Roxanne Vu are the registered owners of a property close to Chinatown. The property was bought for over $700k but a neighbors house was just sold for $300k.

So poker players may need to greet Tommy with a line of their own like "I thought you were in jail."

POKER DEADBEAT PROFILE #2
KEN LENNAARD

Ken Lennaard is a Swedish poker player and was a regular visitor to the Bellagio poker tournaments. In April 2005 he won $241k at the Bellagio. All for a buy-in of $2500.

He is an educated man from a wealthy family who owned hotels in his native Sweden.

He lured the best poker players in Sweden to one of his family's hotels on the pretense that a wealthy American was staying there who would be a huge fish for Sweden's top players.

The American never showed but the game went ahead. The room had been rigged with cameras and a dealer who could deal from anywhere in a deck. Lennaard's reputation was left in shreds. He was never seen again until he cashed in a $300 buy in at the Venetian this year. The cash? $525.

POKER DEADBEAT PROFILE #1
STEVE FREDERICK

Steve Frederick is a college graduate from northern California now living in Las Vegas, NV. His poker addiction has led to him sleeping in his car and showering occasionally at a gym. He only seems to own one pair of clothes. In 2008 he had two cashes. The first was for $616 in a $550 buy-in event, the most recent at Caesars Palace where he won $5k for a $1060 buy in.

Caesars Palace is one of the few strip properties that allows Frederick on property after numerous complaints about him badgering other players for money. Beware of giving him money for poker buy-ins.