A picture posted on Twitter by Mike Thorpe in recent days showed embattled Full Tilt Poker front man Howard Lederer playing in Bobby's Room at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Spotted alongside Lederer at the table were the likes of Eli Elezra and Doyle Brunson (Thorpe's picture shown here). The session at the Bellagio is one of the first for Lederer since breaking his silence to the online poker community last month as part of a seven-part series from PokerNews entitled "The Lederer Files."If you haven't watched "The Lederer Files," check out PocketFives' recaps of Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, and Part 7.
As you might expect, Lederer's poker session was heavily scrutinized. In a thread on Two Plus Two, one poster wrote that Lederer's public appearance might be a sign that players will unquestionably be paid back in full: "Guy has balls. He must know that the players are getting their money back, so everything's gonna be okay. Forget about the interest." Also reportedly at the Bobby's Room game in question were Phil Ivey and Huck Seed.
Another person countered by saying that poker rooms shouldn't take action from Lederer, whom the Federal Government accused one year ago of orchestrating a Ponzi scheme: "Whether we get paid or not, sooner or later, it doesn't absolve him from any wrongdoing in the matter. It would be really nice to see a major poker room tell him to GTFO and that he isn't welcome there ever."Other members of the poker community called for a boycott of any casino that allows Lederer to play. The original poster in a thread on Two Plus Two tried to rally fellow players by saying, "If you see Howard walk in, stand up and walk out. Let the casinos know how you feel: e-mail them [and] don't gamble there. If enough people do this, it will send a message and cost them money by letting him play… I still haven't got my FTP funds and I definitely would not gamble at any casino that lets him play."
Another thread popped up on Two Plus Two about Lederer being spotted at Aria in Las Vegas. One poster questioned what would happen if Lederer were to show up at a casino like Harrah's or the Rio: "What if Howard wants to play at a Caesars property? Are you going to boycott the WSOP? What if he gets up and goes to the Venetian? Are you gonna boycott them too?"
MGM Resorts International owns the Bellagio as well as Vegas establishments like the MGM Grand, Mirage, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, New York New York, Excalibur, CityCenter, Monte Carlo, and Circus Circus.
According to a post on Planet Poker's Facebook page, security was present at Bobby's Room during Lederer's stint: "Howard Lederer (pictured) was playing in Bobby's Room at the Bellagio last night. What gonads to go there and walk right by the customers of Full Tilt. Oh yes, there was security at the door all night long."Meanwhile, most Full Tilt players outside of the United States will be reunited with their funds on November 6, when the site will open its doors once again under the watchful eyes of its new owners, PokerStars. Players in the United States will undergo a yet-to-be-determined reclamation process through the Department of Justice in order to recoup their funds.
Whether U.S. players will receive their full account balances or a percentage on the Dollar is not clear. The DOJ was seeking claims administrator assistance, with applications due in August, but the agency has not announced any plans to repay players or established any time line in which to do so.
Should Lederer be allowed to play at the Bellagio? Will you take any action as a result? Let us know by posting here.
