Las Vegas “Cash Cab” Taxi Driver Gets What He Deserves — A Reward

Cabbie banks 5-figures for being honest.

It’s the feel-good story of the season. In fact it’s just about the ONLY story of the season. The taxi cab driver who found $300,000 in his cab and did the right thing by turning it in and finding its rightful owner finally gets what he deserves.

As many had hoped, that man, Gerardo Gamboa, was thanked and rewarded from the as-of-yet unnamed 28 year old Las Vegas poker professional. The poker pro cut out $10k from his stack and gave it to the cabbie as a reward for doing the right thing and, according to the Las Vegas Sun, a thrilled Gamboa took that $10k to the bank. Literally.

“I’m taking it to the bank for now. But after that, I don’t know what is going to happen,” he said.

Additionally, the cab company itself reportedly awarded Gamboa with an extra $1000, gave him a gift certificate to some steakhouse and named him “Employee Of The Year.”

Gamboa also noted that a piece of the reward was being kicked upstairs to his church.

The last piece to the puzzle, for inquiring minds is, who is the forgetful prominent poker player? Justin Bonomo? Ike Haxton? While a number of poker professionals as well as authorities know who it is, that name has yet to be leaked to the public.

published 10 years, 2 months ago • by permalink

World Poker Tour’s Funniest Home Videos

Go behind the scenes with the Royal Flush Girls.

If you like to watch other people laugh at things that, for you, have almost zero context, then you are going to adore this cute video of the Royal Flush Girls messing up their lines, making funny faces and getting a serious case of the giggles in what the World Poker Tour is calling “the best” of their 2013 bloopers.

But you are more likely to like this video if you just adore the RFG’s.

published 10 years, 2 months ago • by permalink

Jeffrey Pollack’s Identity Crisis

Former Epic Poker commissioner mis-ID'd in entertainment obit.

Former World Series of Poker Commissioner turned Epic Poker Executive Chairman (and poker persona non gratis), Jeffrey Pollack was mistaken for another semi-famous Jeffrey Pollack this week when online publication The Atlanta Blackstar posted the photo of the still living poker Pollack in a story about the recently deceased Pollack that is best known as being an Executive Producer of “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.”

Of course, this has very little to do with either Pollack and more to do with the fact-checking of the publication. But for what it’s worth, Pollack, the Hollywood director/producer died in Hermosa Beach, CA, likely due to natural causes after a career that included directing three feature films and producing a host of television shows.

Speaking of lack of fact-checking, we just assume that Epic Poker’s Jeffrey Pollack is alive and kicking. We can confirm that Epic Poker still is not.

published 10 years, 2 months ago • by permalink


Poker Player Leaves $300k In Back Of Cab

Cabbie bummed it wasn't chocolate.

Las Vegas veteran cabbie Gerardo Gamboa must have done a double take when he haphazardly discovered that the brown paper bag found in his cab had a wad of cash inside that would likely take him 6 or more years to make on the job. Six bundles of hundreds totaling roughly $300k were left in the back seat of his ride on Monday morning and he had no idea how it got there.

According to the Las Vegas Journal Review, Gamboa was alterted to the nondescript bag by a hotel doorman after pulling into the Bellagio to pick up a fare. It wasn’t long before he looked inside to discover the small fortune. While perhaps in the City of Sin some may have been tempted to keep the cash, Gamboa immediately notified his dispatcher and drove straight to home base so they could find its rightful owner.

“Even though I am a poor guy I don’t need money that doesn’t belong to me,” said Gamboa to the LVJR.

The police were brought in and eventually the money was traced to a “prominent poker player” that the police refused to identify publicly. All Gamboa could remember was that he believes the passenger was taken from the Cosmopolitan and dropped off at the Palms Tower, for which he received a $5 tip (which means that we know it wasn’t Adam “Roothlus” Levy – way too much of a tip to be him.)

No word as of yet on whether the honest cabbie will get a little bonus reward for his good deed but assuming this story is on the up and up, let’s hope so.

published 10 years, 2 months ago • by permalink

WSOP.com Suggests You Talk Like A Professional

Poker promo video tries to seduce, scare you into playing online.

If you are in the mood for some sexually suggestive double entendres about the language used in the poker world, then we have found the perfect video for you. It’s WSOP.com's follow up to their somewhat successful “How To Poker: Talk Like You Have A Pair” video commercial series and it’s packed with hilarious double-speak.

It’s short, sweet, well made and shows that every so often these giant corporate money making machines have a sense of humor. How good is that sense of humor? Well, you have to judge that for yourself.

This video is for everyone out there who at one time folded a certain two face cards and declared to the table “I had Jack King off.”

In case you missed part one of this series, you can check it out right here:

published 10 years, 2 months ago • by permalink

Haseeb “DOGISHEAD” Qureshi Gives Away Fortune, Relives “Girah/ Jungleman” Scandal

Former online poker pro forced to relive past while trying to move on.

In 2011, in a post Black Friday haze, one of the biggest scandals/dramas in online poker was the Rise and Fall of Lock Poker Pro “Girah“. The mastermind of the whirlwind story, which included chip dumping, teamviewing and more lies than Jim Carey in a lawyer movie, was online poker pro and amateur author Haseeb “DogIsHead” Qureshi. This weekend, on his blog, the one time self proclaimed “liar and dishonest person” has opted to try and “start over” by giving away nearly $500k to his family and charity, leaving only $10k for himself to try and get a new start (and promote his new book.)

We’re NOT going to lie – this is pretty involved and has a lot of moving parts so only jump in if you have time. But, since it’s the holidays, you might just have that time. Here is some background for you:

Some pokerfuse coverage: Qureshi admits chip dumping
“Girah” Macedo Admits to Hole Card-Sharing Scam

Haseeb writes about the Ashton Griffin “Run Bet” – maybe the best thing he’s ever brought to the poker community (highly recommended.)

Haseeb summarizes and cops to his role in the 'Girah’ scandal on Two Plus Two

Haseeb quits poker, bans self on 2p2 – plans to travel the world.

Haseeb, having reemerged, writes a book, plans to start over as a poker mindset coach and opts to give away his fortune.

Finally, perhaps the best thing to come out of the entire saga is SrslySirius' masterpiece 'What’s My [Screen] Name?

By no means is this a must read, but if you were in the game in 2011, you might be interested in the latest volume of the DogIsHead episodic drama.

published 10 years, 2 months ago • by permalink

Wicked Chops Poker Votes pokerfuse Staffers “Most Normal Guys in Poker Industry”

Christmas comes early for pokerfuse and F5.

Is it cool if we do a little bragging?

It’s the end of the year when we all assess what we’ve done and how it’s all gone down. The good guys over at the iconic poker site Wicked Chops Poker decided to take a look back at the state of poker media and gave our big brother pokerfuse some mighty high praise.

Check out what they said about the guys:

Bravo. Add a few pics of hot girls and a snarky comment here and there, and Poker Fuse feels like what WCP would be if we had ever dedicated ourselves 100% to the site. Given our opinions of ourselves, that’s high praise. Also, having met Michael Gentile and Jeff Walsh, the Fusers are among the more “normal” guys we’ve met in the industry.

Solid props which we don’t take for granted.

We’re looking forward to keeping the pace in 2014. Read (and look at!!) more from the guys at Wicked Chops, including which other poker media good guys and girls they feel won 2013.

published 10 years, 2 months ago • by permalink

Phil Ivey’s Blast From The Past

Phil Ivey has taken a new approach to his image in 2013. He’s been looser, more available and, at times, even playful, and it has been quite a departure from the stonewalling enigmatic persona he’s put forth for most of his career.

Take this photo for instance: we all have embarrassing photos lurking in a yearbook or our parents photo albums, but Ivey not only ships that photo out to his social media stream – but he contemplates taking a bet that would take his haircut back to the old school.

How much cash would it take to get Ivey to let it all go for a calendar year? We’re guessing there’s not enough on the table to let something like that happen but it’s fun to take a look at the past and see what the future of poker looked like back then.

published 10 years, 2 months ago • by permalink