Poker Pro Sentenced In New York High Stakes Game Case

The state of New York has seen some infamous people come through, but perhaps none were as big in the poker game as Edwin Ting. The poker pro was saddled with the task of bringing together some of the largest poker gamblers in the world.

Ting assembled the players at various locations around the city, and his guest lists included celebrities, and sports heroes such as Alex Rodriguez. Eventually, the feds caught up with Ting, and arrested him for operating the illegal operation.

This week, Ting was sentenced to five months in prison for his role in what authorities described as the largest, and one of the most sophisticated poker games in the history of New York. The game, according to prosecutors, had ties to the Russian mafia, and brought in millions of dollars.

In addition to his role of organizing the games, Ting was responsible for bringing in players that could easily be beaten by the professionals at the game. The game itself, would not have been illegal if not for the rake that Ting and the house took from each hand. New York law states that in a home game, the house cannot take a rake from the pot.

The case was widely publicized because of its size in nature. Over 30 defendants were arrested and charged, and 25 of those defendants have already accepted plea deals and have pleaded guilty. Ting has also agreed to forfeit $2 million in the case.

This is not the first time that Ting has been arrested and sent to prison for gambling. Back in 2005, Ting was arrested and convicted on charges of operating an illegal gambling business. Prosecutors referenced Ting's "...breaking the law again" when asking the judge in the current case to sentence Ting to six to 10 months.