Phua Bail-out by Ivey/Robl Countered by ICE

http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/las...-bail-bid-fails-free-betting-suspects

Phil Ivey and another big-name professional poker player posted $2.5 million in cash last week to bail out key defendants charged in an international illegal sports betting operation that FBI agents busted at Caesars Palace. But the two defendants, wealthy businessman Wei Seng “Paul” Phua and son Darren Phua, both Malaysian citizens, still were behind bars Sunday because federal immigration authorities detained them for possible deportation. Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the lead investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, took custody of the Phuas after their bail was posted. Both men were listed in ICE custody Sunday at the Henderson Detention Center, records show. Las Vegas lawyer David Chesnoff, who represents the Phuas with his partner Richard Schonfeld, said the defense team planned to challenge the ICE detention. “Our clients have complied with every condition set by a federal judge for their release,” Chesnoff said. “We have repeatedly attempted to contact ICE authorities, who have not responded. We are going to take further legal steps.” Chesnoff said he was “outraged” that the executive branch of government won’t honor a judicial branch order. Ivey, a 10-time World Series of Poker champion who lives in Las Vegas, put up $1 million — $500,000 toward Paul Phua’s $2 million bail and the entire $500,000 bond for his son, according to court papers filed last week by Chesnoff and Schonfeld. Andrew Robl, another icon on the professional poker circuit, posted the other $1.5 million of the elder Phua’s bail, the court papers show. In an earlier sworn affidavit, Robl, who also lives in Las Vegas, said he has been a friend of Paul Phua for four years and planned to cash $1.5 million in poker chips he won at the Aria resort to help cover his bail. Ivey and Robl aren’t the only poker stalwarts to rally behind the Phuas in the criminal case. Another big-name poker player, Tom Dwan, was with Paul Phua and his son when FBI agents arrested them earlier this month and signed a sworn affidavit questioning the tactics of the agents. Dwan also was present in federal court when the Phuas made initial appearances on illegal gambling charges with six other defendants. He had private discussions with defense lawyers throughout the court appearances. Chesnoff, who also represents Ivey, called him the “top poker player in the world.” Ivey won his 10th World Series of Poker gold bracelet last month at the Rio Convention Center, tying him for second on the all-time winner’s list. Ivey, who went through a bitter public divorce, is not a stranger to controversy. His latest bout with the courts occurred in April, when the Borgata in Atlantic City filed a federal lawsuit alleging he won $9.6 million in high-stakes baccarat in 2012 through cheating. Ivey strongly denied the claim and sought to dismiss the suit. Phua, 50, a frequent player at poker tables in Las Vegas and Macau, and the other defendants were taken into custody by FBI agents on the Strip July 13 following a raid days earlier on the multimillion-dollar sports betting operation that took wagers on the World Cup soccer tournament in Brazil. The raid occurred at three exclusive Caesars Palace villas after the Strip resort tipped off authorities to the operation. Caesars Palace was not a target of the investigation. In a criminal complaint, the FBI alleged that the elder Phua was “known by law enforcement to be a high-ranking member of the 14K Triad,” one of the largest criminal syndicates in the world. Hong Kong-based 14K Triad specializes in drug trafficking and traditional forms of criminal activity, including illegal gambling, prostitution and loan sharking. Phua and more than 20 other people were arrested June 18 in Macau for running a large gambling operation that took in hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal bets on the World Cup tournament, the Las Vegas FBI complaint alleged. After his arrest in Macau, Phua was released on bail and flew to Las Vegas on his private jet, where he and his associates are alleged to have resumed their illegal gambling at Caesars Palace, according to the complaint. At a July 14 hearing in Las Vegas , Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Frayn said Phua told court officials that he was worth $300 million to $400 million, but he is thought to be worth much more. He told FBI agents during the Caesars Palace raid that he had wagered hundreds of millions of dollars on sporting events since he arrived in Las Vegas in late June. He also said he bought a widely known sports betting service in Asia for $200 million and paid $48 million for his Gulfstream jet. Frayn sought to keep both Phuas, who are not U.S. citizens, behind bars, arguing they were threats to flee. Without citing names, Frayn said a number of Paul Phua’s poker associates may have been involved in illegal activity uncovered by the FBI investigation, which is continuing. There has been talk that more arrests are coming. But Chesnoff and Schonfeld, who denied Phua was tied to organized crime, attacked the government’s case in court and persuaded a federal magistrate to release both defendants from custody with restrictions. U.S. Magistrate Judge Bill Hoffman ordered Paul Phua to put up the $2 million bail along with his jet as collateral. Hoffman also ordered the jet to be used as collateral for the 22-year-old Darren Phua’s 500,000 bail. Both defendants were ordered to stay on home detention with electronic monitoring in the third-party custody of a Las Vegas physician who befriended the elder Phua while playing poker. But their release didn’t happen because ICE grabbed the defendants before they could be freed and placed them in its custody.

You will have seen Phua on many of the latest cash games and super high roller events, reported to be worth much more than $400 million+ from 14K Triad gang affiliation.

gotta keep the fish happy

On July 30 2014 15:14 RaiNKhAN wrote: gotta keep the fish happy

sickest entire highstakes community trying to keep him in action LOL

The real question is did Gruissem call?

interesting

On July 30 2014 16:03 Hoolz_1907 wrote: The real question is did Gruissem call?

LOOOL

Wonder if Ivey/Dwan/Robl were financially involved in his sports betting operation too

I read that the FBI was still investigating hard and were suppose to release more "big" names to be indicted

^ i dont think theyd risk being near him if they had any involvement rite? the keeping the fish in action seems spot on since guys of his magnitude of whalism are rare. i dunno if i would try to bail him out like they are though..it's one thing to keep the fish happy and another to alert him to how bad he is that white people are bailing you out of jail to lose money to them

sounds like the poker pros are getting some side action hence the united bailout

Andrew Robl, more like Andrew ROFL.

way to show "courteous service" to your high rollers. well done vegas, well done.

On July 30 2014 18:30 RaiNKhAN wrote: ^ i dont think theyd risk being near him if they had any involvement rite? the keeping the fish in action seems spot on since guys of his magnitude of whalism are rare. i dunno if i would try to bail him out like they are though..it's one thing to keep the fish happy and another to alert him to how bad he is that white people are bailing you out of jail to lose money to them

Yeah let them rot in jail so he doesnt suspect that he is the mark... -___-

just imagine how much Robl is making from the super noosebleed games over the last few years. So much hate and he could be swimming in more money than luckbox sam trickett

On July 31 2014 04:03 Baalim wrote: Show nested quote + On July 30 2014 18:30 RaiNKhAN wrote: ^ i dont think theyd risk being near him if they had any involvement rite? the keeping the fish in action seems spot on since guys of his magnitude of whalism are rare. i dunno if i would try to bail him out like they are though..it's one thing to keep the fish happy and another to alert him to how bad he is that white people are bailing you out of jail to lose money to them Yeah let them rot in jail so he doesnt suspect that he is the mark... -___-

guy is gonna get bailed out regardless bro. hit the showers hombre

Obv Phua will greatly appreciate being bailed out along with his son, do you seriously think he will be like mmm.... they are giving me millions cuz they think I suck... fuck them I wont give them action anymore -_-

just kidding~!~!~!

Please let me clarify. Paul Phua is not the mark nor will he ever be in any live poker game he plays in or runs. He is, undoubtedly, the biggest winner in Macau, and probably one of the top 10 biggest poker winners of all time. Andrew and Phil are posting bail for him out of respect, and also due to the fact that without him, there is no game, and if there is no game they cannot earn.

Phil Ivey and another big-name professional poker player

Poor Robl puts up $1.5 million and they don't use his name in the first sentence but they use Iveys even though he put up 500k less.

Cause a shitload of people know Ivey even from outside the poker world and the other guy, while a HS player, is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay less known?

On August 01 2014 06:57 napoleono wrote: Cause a shitload of people know Ivey even from outside the poker world and the other guy, while a HS player, is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay less known?

That's a good reason to use Ivey's name obviously. I'm just saying it's kind of funny that they don't also use Robl's name.

On August 01 2014 06:42 relyt wrote: Show nested quote + Phil Ivey and another big-name professional poker player Poor Robl puts up $1.5 million and they don't use his name in the first sentence but they use Iveys even though he put up 500k less.

robl smurfing for sympathy

Guys seriously. Did Gruissem call?

Phua played on tilt as MalACEasia in the 400/800 ante NLHE games not long ago. He lost millions but his winrate actually was relatively not bad considering he played nothing but the top 10 in the world including all the colluding, seat scripting shady russians. He booked a lot of winning sessions and went on a few million dollar runs. Wouldn't be surprised if his live crew advised him to quit those games.

I don't think Ivey and especially ROBL bailed him out to keep the fish in action. They are friends at this point and hang out and take care of each other outside of poker.

On August 01 2014 15:03 traxamillion wrote: I don't think Ivey and especially ROBL bailed him out to keep the fish in action. They are friends at this point and hang out and take care of each other outside of poker.

this.

Do you actually really think Phua will stay in the USA if he gets bailed out to play poker after being faced which such charges, especially if he s a triad member...

Ivey and Robl don't lose anything cause he ll obviously reimburse them for whatever the bail was.

Anyways how is Robl still playting nosebleeds, isn't he mega terrible

On August 01 2014 15:03 traxamillion wrote: Phua played on tilt as MalACEasia in the 400/800 ante NLHE games not long ago. He lost millions but his winrate actually was relatively not bad considering he played nothing but the top 10 in the world including all the colluding, seat scripting shady russians. He booked a lot of winning sessions and went on a few million dollar runs. Wouldn't be surprised if his live crew advised him to quit those games. I don't think Ivey and especially ROBL bailed him out to keep the fish in action. They are friends at this point and hang out and take care of each other outside of poker.

he's a very smart man and a savvy gambler. tbh if he really tried to beat those games he would be close to breakeven actually, but its so small for him that quite honestly he just doesn't care. and yes, i posted about this earlier--Paul was bailed out with respect, not because he's a fish at all because he is not.

On August 01 2014 16:50 Spitfiree wrote: Anyways how is Robl still playting nosebleeds, isn't he mega terrible

yes the guy who beat highstakes games online for many years and is said to be one of the biggest winners in Macau is confirmed mega terrible, seems pretty clear to me.

Malaceasia was pretty bad and definitelly the reason why nosebleeds online ran at the time, but he probably still has a big edge in any live game

FINE, this took me a while to find out but he did fold

On August 02 2014 06:23 Hoolz_1907 wrote: FINE, this took me a while to find out but he did fold

you need to work on your google-phua

On August 01 2014 16:50 Spitfiree wrote: Anyways how is Robl still playting nosebleeds, isn't he mega terrible

In an earlier sworn affidavit, Robl, who also lives in Las Vegas, said he has been a friend of Paul Phua for four years and planned to cash $1.5 million in poker chips he won at the Aria resort to help cover his bail.

Maybe its just bad reporting, but I found it very weird/surprising that he has that much in chips.

So.. Dwan, Ivey, and Robl are hanging around and rubbing shoulders with high ranking members of a massive international crime syndicate that deals in murder "illegal gambling, loan sharking, money laundering, arms trafficking, prostitution, people smuggling, extortion, counterfeiting and, to a lesser extent, home invasion robberies.[7][8]" (from wiki).

Stay classy top notch poker players, stay classy. Sketchy stuff right there.

I wasn't suggesting Phua was a fish i was actually trying to imply the opposite. He held his own in those games. My comment on his crew advising him to quit those games was just random pure speculation. I was thinking his people would advise him to quit those games not because he was delusional about his skill level or that they didn't think he was the winner. That wasn't what matters. It was more about some of the primarily Russian lineups that were clearly seat scripting and probably sharing hole cards, halving action and probably worse. Why give those dirtbags the action.

To note as a testament to his skill; those games started running 4-5 handed for long stretches of time and half the players that were initially playing him quit his 4/8 games by the end.

Pretty much everyone lost or broke even except tight-man1 (Vogelsang) and Denoking/Wilhasha who ran hot and took the millions

On August 02 2014 10:49 devon06atX wrote: So.. Dwan, Ivey, and Robl are hanging around and rubbing shoulders with high ranking members of a massive international crime syndicate that deals in murder "illegal gambling, loan sharking, money laundering, arms trafficking, prostitution, people smuggling, extortion, counterfeiting and, to a lesser extent, home invasion robberies.[7][8]" (from wiki). Stay classy top notch poker players, stay classy. Sketchy stuff right there.

yeah..
i decided to just avoid making judgement on things i dont really know about

On August 02 2014 10:49 devon06atX wrote: So.. Dwan, Ivey, and Robl are hanging around and rubbing shoulders with high ranking members of a massive international crime syndicate that deals in murder "illegal gambling, loan sharking, money laundering, arms trafficking, prostitution, people smuggling, extortion, counterfeiting and, to a lesser extent, home invasion robberies.[7][8]" (from wiki).

maybe in poker games but not as part of a criminal conspiracy

did you ever hear the quote it doesn't make any difference to me what a man does for a living

On August 02 2014 10:10 NMcNasty wrote: Show nested quote + On August 01 2014 16:50 Spitfiree wrote: Anyways how is Robl still playting nosebleeds, isn't he mega terrible   In an earlier sworn affidavit, Robl, who also lives in Las Vegas, said he has been a friend of Paul Phua for four years and planned to cash $1.5 million in poker chips he won at the Aria resort to help cover his bail. Maybe its just bad reporting, but I found it very weird/surprising that he has that much in chips.

Doesnt seem very weird/surprising. He is known to participating in the Macau-games, where $1million pots are very normal, and Tom Hall wrote on 2+2 about a pot worth over $10mill (didnt say which players, just one western pro and one chinese businessman) and then he is not even in the game when it has played at its highest.

On August 02 2014 17:56 asdf2000 wrote: Show nested quote + On August 02 2014 10:49 devon06atX wrote: So.. Dwan, Ivey, and Robl are hanging around and rubbing shoulders with high ranking members of a massive international crime syndicate that deals in murder "illegal gambling, loan sharking, money laundering, arms trafficking, prostitution, people smuggling, extortion, counterfeiting and, to a lesser extent, home invasion robberies.[7][8]" (from wiki). Stay classy top notch poker players, stay classy. Sketchy stuff right there. yeah.. i decided to just avoid making judgement on things i dont really know about

I doubt just any random guy could get some milly and play the Macau chinese businessmen. I bet they need some kind of connection and someone to vouch for you to get in them. After all think about it, those games are supposedly running for like 2? years now and there is almost no public information whatsoever given out, nor who are the chinese either ( i've only seen the names of 2-3 of them ). That being said - it makes a lot of sense to have such a friend

casino royal but irl

how do you know peachy?

http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/las...dants-world-cup-case-ordered-released

By JEFF GERMAN LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL With some of the world’s top poker players in the courtroom, a federal magistrate Thursday ordered the release on bail of three key defendants arrested in an alleged World Cup betting scheme. Malaysian junketeer Seng Chen “Richard” Yong, 56, was ordered freed on $1.5 million bail and his son, Wai Kin Yong, 22, was to be released on $500,000 bail. The third defendant, Hong Kong real estate executive Hui Tang, 44, was ordered released on a $1.5 million bond. Professional poker star Phil Ivey, who was in court, agreed to post $500,000 of Richard Yong’s bail and the entire bond for the younger Yong. Afterward, Ivey, a 10-time World Series of Poker champion who lives in Las Vegas, said he stepped forward because the Yongs are personal friends. “I have the utmost respect and trust for them,” Ivey said. Dan Cates, another big-name poker player, agreed to post the remaining $1 million for Richard Yong, who is known for his lucrative casino junket business in Asia and his presence on the poker circuit. Ivey and another professional poker icon, Andrew Robl, previously posted $2.5 million in bail for two other key defendants — Malaysian businessman Wei Seng “Paul” Phu, 50, and his son Darren Wai Kit Phua, 22. FBI agents believe Paul Phua, a frequent poker player in Las Vegas and Macau, was the ringleader of the multimillion-dollar betting operation, which is alleged to have taken illegal bets on the World Cup soccer tournament in Brazil. In a criminal complaint filed in Las Vegas, agents alleged Phua is “known by law enforcement to be a high-ranking member of the 14K Triad,” one of the largest criminal syndicates in the world. His lawyer, David Chesnoff, denies the organized crime ties. Two more poker stalwarts, Gabe Patgorski and Tom Dwan, agreed to allow the Yongs and Tang, respectively, to stay at their homes in their custody. Dwan said he shares Ivey’s respect for the defendants. U.S. Magistrate Judge Bill Hoffman put several restrictions on the three defendants, including electronic monitoring, no gambling and no use of devices that access the Internet. A Las Vegas federal grand jury this week indicted a total of eight defendants in the international betting scheme, which authorities alleged stretched to Macau. The indictment alleges the defendants ran the betting operation from June 6 through their July 13 arrest in Las Vegas. The defendants were taken into custody days after an FBI raid at three exclusive Caesars Palace villas. The Strip resort was not a target of the investigation.

Why would they ban the use of devices w internet for them, if anything it can only help the FBI prove their case considering they re tracking everything ........

this is probably going to pay off huge dividends for the guys who bailed them

On August 16 2014 19:30 Baalim wrote: this is probably going to pay off huge dividends for the guys who bailed them

Yeah exactly. They have taken on small to no risk to have the gratitude of a zillionaire for ever.