Anthony Zinno Accused of Stealing Bag w/ $20k in Cash from Another Poker Player

10 months ago

A poker subordinate has alleged that salient pro Anthony Zinno swiped a container he near underneath his chair during nan World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship bid successful December and stole $19,000 successful cash.

Corel Theuma, a 2023 Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) champion, brought distant nan allegations connected X and shared immoderate further specifications pinch PokerNews. He besides revenge a constabulary study pressing charges against nan poker pro he said he doesn't personally know.

PokerNews has spoken to Zinno, who is not presently commenting connected nan matter astatine nan proposal of ineligible counsel.

For now, however, location are immoderate important specifications that tin beryllium reported, starting pinch Theuma's societal media comments. Per his consequence to a deleted thread mentioning nan rumors, he claims that nan container he near underneath his poker spot astatine Wynn Las Vegas had $20,000 successful cash, but erstwhile it was returned to him, only $1,000 remained inside.

Theuma Tells His Side of nan Story

In Nevada, nan crime of felony expansive larceny is defined arsenic "intentionally stealing personification else's spot worthy $1,200 aliases more."

Theuma explained to PokerNews nan specifications of really he mislaid and retrieved his container nan pursuing day. He said that aft bagging astatine nan extremity of nan nighttime connected Day 1b of a $3,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em WPT World Championship event, he was excited to person bagged a large stack.

"Honestly, aft a batch of agelong days of playing, you know, yeah, I near my container down nether nan chair, conscionable exhausting to play each those days successful a row."

"I was conscionable benignant of focused connected that, and it was really late," Theuma explained. "Honestly, aft a batch of agelong days of playing, you know, yeah, I near my container down nether nan chair, conscionable exhausting to play each those days successful a row."

The poker subordinate then, arsenic he explained, walked retired into nan hallway astatine nan Encore and stopped to chit chat pinch a fewer different players. Per his comments, upon getting to his taxi, he realized he didn't person his container and past ran backmost into nan tourney area to get his bag. He says nan aforesaid trader was still astatine his paper table, and he asked nan trader wherever his container is aft noticing it was nary longer underneath his seat.

The trader apologized and told him that he had nary knowledge of immoderate container underneath his seat. He was past was informed by tourney unit to interaction mislaid and found, but they besides didn't person nan missing item.

The pursuing morning, he was ecstatic to get a telephone from nan casino letting him cognize that his missing possession had been located. But he'd soon observe that nan container only had $1,000 near wrong retired of nan $20,000 he claims to person near successful there.

Theuma past states that nan casino conducted an investigation, which included spending galore hours reviewing surveillance footage, and that they were allegedly capable to place Zinno, a four-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner, arsenic nan personification who retrieved nan bag.

Later successful nan time erstwhile he said pinch investigators, Theuma was taken into a backstage room and noticed Zinno "behind this solid door, conscionable for illustration this holding cell." When an X personification questioned if Theuma was really nan 1 who identified Zinno arsenic nan suspect, he denied doing so.

"I've known of Zinno, conscionable benignant of for illustration I cognize of Daniel Negreanu, but I don't person immoderate benignant of narration pinch this man," Theuma said. "I've ne'er played pinch him connected nan aforesaid table. There's nary narration whatsoever."

Theuma told PokerNews that investigators claimed to person footage of Zinno picking up nan bag, truthful he decided to property charges and gave his broadside of nan communicative to nan police.

"Upon reappraisal of nan constabulary report, I judge nan study and footage will speak for themselves," he said.

Theuma isn't a high-profile subordinate wrong nan poker community, but he does already person immoderate salient characteristic witnesses backing him up connected X, including Jesse Lonis, 1 of nan apical and astir respected high-stakes players successful nan game. Lonis tweeted retired that he's friends pinch nan unfortunate and tin "guarantee he's not lying." He referred to Theuma arsenic "honest and a bully dude."

Theuma besides shared a screenshot of a DM from Zinno that he apparently ne'er viewed because Zinno, who whitethorn person been trying to interaction Theuma to return nan bag, deleted them earlier Theuma saw nan messages. Presumably, nan timestamps of nan messages are successful EST arsenic Theuma resides successful Florida, meaning nan first connection would've been sent astatine 3:01 a.m. PST connected Dec. 19. The screenshot doesn't show a consequence to nan deleted messages, but Theuma does declare Zinno later attempted to telephone him.

Zinno has agelong had a "nice guy" estimation wrong poker. His results — 4 bracelets, 3 WPT titles, and complete $11.6 cardinal successful unrecorded tourney cashes — are arguably Poker Hall of Fame worthy, and he's eligible for nan HOF astatine property 42.

He booked a heavy tally past week successful nan $5,300 buy-in Borgata Poker Open Championship, finishing successful 4th spot retired of 689 entrants for $203,473. But if nan allegations against him are true, location will beryllium immoderate dense backlash wrong nan poker community, and of people immoderate ineligible troubles.

As for Theuma, he ended up cashing successful 103rd spot retired of 2,196 entries for $8,880 successful nan December WPT event. But he said nan incident caused him to play poorly connected Day 2, aliases possibly he would person vanished higher. The Florida resident has $628,000 successful life unrecorded tourney cashes, according to The Hendon Mob.

PokerNews has been successful touch pinch some Zinno and Theuma, pinch nan erstwhile presently awaiting a ineligible resolution. We will supply an update connected nan lawsuit erstwhile further specifications go available.

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