Professional Poker Player Archie Karas Arrested For Cheating

Professional poker players are known for their cunning ability to recognize cards and play based on their insincts. Professional poker player Archie Karas is accused of having instincts that were a little too on the money.

Karas was arrested and charged with defrauding a casino in California. The cheating charges stem from Karas' allegedly marking cards at a blackjack table. The arrest is a blow to the poker playing community.

Karas had one of the more successful stories in poker when he started playing with $50. He turned that $50 into over $35 million in less than three years, and it became the stuff legends are made of. There have been no reports that Karas cheated on the poker tables, but the arrest still deals a blow to the players' reputation.

Karas is accused of marking cards at the Barona Resort and Casino in Lakeside, California. The casino is run by a native Indian tribe, and surveilance cameras caught him marking the cards. If convicted, Karas could face up to three years in jail.

"The defendant's luck ran out thanks to extraordinary cooperation between several different law enforcement agencies who worked together to investigate and prosecute this case," said District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, when announcing the charges on Friday.

The poker community has been hit with several high profile arrests over the past few years. While poker players are known for their prowess and instincts, many have also become skilled in knowing the ins and outs at the casinos they play in. This sometimes leads to players, such as Karas, attempting to take advantage of that knowledge illegally.

Karas has not yet been accused of cheating in any other casinos, but when authorities searched his house, they found hollowed out chips similar to the ones he was using to cheat the California casino. The execution of the cheating scheme included Karas using a dye that he put inside the hollowed out chips. When rolled over the playing cards, the chips would create a mark on the cards.

Karas was arrested in his Las Vegas home, and extradited to San Diego, where he was arraigned.

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