In this column, we deliver you the latest and most interesting news and gossip from our favourite poker people.
High roller Salman Behbehani in custody for drug possession at Ibiza
With summer in season, travel plans are coming into fruition with many looking for that much needed vacation after a year of staying home. Unfortunately for a few, unexpected arrests may be a problem if you happen to come in breach with the law. This is exactly what happened for a private flight of more than 30 travelers flying from Las Vegas to Ibiza.
Shortly after arriving, a 33-year old who was later identified to be high stakes player Salman Behbehani, was arrested for carrying a cornucopia of drugs in his suitcase. Reports later revealed the contents to be 315 grams of cocaine, 171 grams of 2C-B, 705 grams of hashish, 80 grams of meth, as well as other similar amounts of marijuana, speed, ecstasy, hallucinogenic mushrooms, Poppers, LSD and other substances. In addition to this, police also seized several different currencies amounting to 6,220 euros, 1,785 dollars, 485 pounds, 100 Kuwaiti dinars, and 101,200 Thai baht.
Allegedly, Behbehani remains in custody as the head of the Court of Instruction number 1 of Ibiza, María Luisa Bustillo Gandarillas, ordered his admission to prison following his initial arrest, according to Poker-Red. Behbehani is said to be a member of Kuwait’s wealthiest families while also being a regular in the high roller circuit. As seen on The Hendon Mob, Behbehani holds over $3.3 million in total live earnings including a few close finishes in WSOP bracelet events.
Negreanu featured in Polk’s Podcast
While the duo previously had their own bout of issues against one another, it appears two of poker’s iconic characters have finally reconciled through their differences. In Polk’s latest podcast, PokerGO champion Daniel Negreanu appeared as a guest in the two-hour episode and discussed interesting topics such as playing against top bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, game strategy, and their personal experiences about being criticized online by thousands of people. Overall, the two seemed to be engaging in good friendly energy whilst having earned respect for each other’s game.
Back-to-back winner Layne Flack passes away unexpectedly at 52
Six-time bracelet winner Layne Flack was reportedly found dead at home last Monday night for which reasons are yet to be known. Flack, who has over $5 million in live tournament earnings according to The Hendon Mob, is known for his impressive back-to-back wins in 1999. His career skyrocketed that year and ultimately, cemented his name in the industry. Flack’s long list of accomplishments earned him the respect of his peers, with top characters including Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu now offering their sympathies for the unexpected tragedy.
I lost a friend and poker world lost a friend: RIP Layne Flack. @themouthmatusow will do a LIVE show remembering Layne. Sean Chaffin will have an article out about the legendary—6-time @WSOP winner—w tributes from some of us. Mikey, Matt Savage and I on 3-way w tears in our eyes pic.twitter.com/CAn1D3x0Kl
— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) July 20, 2021
RIP Layne Flack…
We go way, way back and I’ll cherish all the crazy memories.
Knowing Layne, I imagine he would want us all to celebrate his life and share some laughs about the good old days. pic.twitter.com/Y80ZOxiNdM
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) July 20, 2021
Mike “The Mouth” Matusow even hosted a memorial podcast for Flack’s passing on his channel last Thursday. Poker fans and friends of the recently deceased gathered around to share their own encounters with one of the greatest players back in the day.
We have changed @back2backflack Memorial podcast to Thursday at 3 pm pacific I hope everyone watches and enjoys story’s from so may people who’s life Layne touched! #inmemoryofLayne https://t.co/mqMTEuQhpo
— Mike Matusow (@themouthmatusow) July 21, 2021
Matusow becomes latest addition in class action lawsuit against Paypal
After Chris Moneymaker exposed his terrible experience with global payment processor Paypal on social media, more than 100 individuals have since joined the class action led by gaming attorney Eric Bensomachan. The lawsuit began when funds in Moneymaker’s account – valued at over $12,000 were seized due to a violation of the company’s terms and conditions. Paypal’s anti-gambling policies were allegedly the main forefront of the confiscation and while the pending lawsuit doesn’t focus on the company’s terms, it does question whether seizing funds or what many refer to as ‘outright theft’ is legally permitted.
Moneymaker has since received a refund of the confiscated money, but has nonetheless decided to push through with the class action in order to seek justice for those wronged. Mike Matusow recently voiced his support and will thus join the lawsuit against Paypal, all the while calling the company “straight criminals”.
@Cmoneymaker was right! PayPal are straight criminals. I just hung up with @Bensamochan and I'm in on the class action against PayPal!
— Mike Matusow (@themouthmatusow) July 12, 2021
Ring-winner Scott Robbins sues Borgata for $1.25M after joke gone wrong
While harmless jokes may not usually be an issue, there are certain times and places that it might be best to keep these entertaining anecdotes to yourself. Recently, poker pro Scott Robbins received a lifetime ban from Borgata casino in Atlantic city after reportedly making a joke with the front desk. Upon checking-in at the property for a World Poker Tour event, Robbins made a funny comment of possibly jumping out a window when asked if he would prefer a room situated on a low or high floor. Following this, Robbins was required to exit the property, take an involuntary psych evaluation and find alternate lodging in addition to the lifetime ban he received.
About several months later, Robbins responded with a lawsuit suing Borgata for $1,253,368.75 in damages, including the emotional and physical affliction he experienced at the time. His list of complaints focus on a number of wrongs not limited to: breach of contract, libel, violation of civil rights, false imprisonment, and so on. The largest component of the $1.25 million value however, is the $850,000 claim for damages after missing the said poker tournaments. So far, Robbins has accumulated roughly $400k in live winnings since 2018 according to The Hendon Mob, making the estimated figure a little over than expected.
