Bovada Poker News: Armed Robbery at the Bellagio

The poker world is still buzzing after a masked gunman entered the famous Bellagio poker room in Las Vegas late Tuesday afternoon and robbed the cashier’s cage. According to tweets from mixed-game specialist Randy Ohel, who arrived on the scene moments afterward, the gunman left with an undetermined amount of money from a cashier’s till. Las Vegas police found the getaway vehicle a short time later. The suspect is described as a white male, 30-40 years old, between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-9, and weighing 160-170 pounds.

According to all accounts, the robbery happened so quickly that many of the players at the Bellagio weren’t even aware it took place. Poker legend Doyle Brunson was there; he said the nearby high-stakes room had about $200,000 in cash at the time the incident took place, but was left undisturbed. The suspect was still at large as we went to press – stay tuned for more details as they become available.

 

Newman Beats the Pros at Seminole Hard Rock

There was even more money up for grabs at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. A guaranteed prize pool of $2 million was on the line at the 2017 Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open $3,500 Main Event tournament; 585 players entered, and it was 48-year-old recreational player Michael Newman who stood tall on Wednesday, winning over $370,000 for first place. Newman outlasted a final table that included the likes of Dan Colman (10th), Shaun Deeb (ninth), Tom Marchese (sixth), Ari Engel (fifth), and Darryl Fish (third). Newman’s previous high score was $30,640, which he earned by finishing 12th in this same event two years ago.

 

Elias Tops the $5-Million Mark

While the Newman Express was rolling through Florida, three-time World Poker Tour champion Elias was playing in the Fall Poker Open at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City. Elias wound up winning the Borgata Championship $2,500 Main Event for just under $300,000, beating a field of 473 players to claim the top prize on Tuesday and push his career tournament earnings over $5 million. Fellow WPT champion Keven Stammen, who also played the Main Event at the Seminole, finished in third place for a shade over $100,000. Albert Destrade, the former Survivor contestant, placed 11th for $14,911.

Check out last week’s poker news here.