Right but using a chopstick device to pull money out of a toke box in an environment with cameras everywhere?????? Sounds less like desperation and more like a planned and calculated plan of theft.

So sad to see a person crossover to the "dark side".

Ah, good... someone said this. Both here and in the Facebook post, people keep saying some variation of "why would he do this for just $700?" But it's altogether possible (and likely, in my opinion) that this is one of multiple attempts of this kind

Hmmm, I haven't gotten this sense at all. If anything, it has been more of a "I work in poker media. Thus, I know Jay. Jay is an awesome dude" tone. No causal relationship involved.

More accurately, however, it should have been: "I work in poker media. Thus, I know Jay. Jay seemed like an awesome dude because he is a nice guy and was awesome his job." Of course, we all know that being adept at a job and being a nice guy does not preclude someone from engaging in dishonest activities. (If anything, it probably aids them – they become that person you least suspect.)

Anyway, count me among those who are very, very disappointed to hear about this.

Acting out of desperation and calculating your scheme are not mutually exclusive ideas.

If the allegations are true, I would guess the root motivation was desperation which led to a breakdown in logic and morality.

Of course (if the allegations prove true) it's possible that he likes to methodically steal from dealers for fun and profit, but the evidence so far (chopsticks?) and his longevity on the poker circuit make that scenario unlikely.

I don't know Jay well enough to say anything definitive about his character or personality, but it's entirely possible (if the allegations are true) that he is both a "good guy" who also "did something unforgivable." Cognitive dissonance is a bitch!

Ha ha, nice!!!

Nobody finds the idea of a sticky tape chopstick device mildly amusing? I guess i am separated enough to be amused

Just so many shady and scummy people involved with poker and gambling. Nothing new here. Move along.

Photoshop anyone??

I wonder if he stole the chopsticks from noodle bar as well??

Lawyers, bankers, used car salesmen, retail workers, politicians, mechanics, bartenders, bouncers, cops, prison guards, stock brokers...

People are people. And people from all walks of life are going to so all sorts of shady **** if they think they can get away with it or if their back is against the wall.

The thing that makes poker stand out is that it's gotten increasingly tougher to make money and there are a ton of people just barely hanging on. A lawyer that's nearly broke is pretty damn likely to pad his hours or outright steal money from client accounts. A mechanic whose repair shop is struggling is pretty likely to try charge people for a bunch of unessesarry repairs. A cop who is paying alimony and child support to 2 ex-wives is pretty likely to pocket some cash that is getting seized when the opportunity presents itself. There's a very small percentage of people out there that are scrupulously honest. There's another very small percentage of people that are looking for any and all opportunities to cheat/steal. For the vast majority, it's all just a matter of circumstances.

You sir win the fool award of the thread. Congrats

So funny, chopstix with duct tape is pretty good idea. Where are the boxes left unattended where can stick the chopstix in? otherwise he's have to be a ninja and just do it real quick when the dealer doesn't see.

I guess he took " chopping the pot " way too literally

Not sure whats more annoying itt, the whole "poker players are scum, no surprise here" or the "omg but hes such a friendly guy, this must be all made up".
The most dangerous scammers, and the most successful, are the ones with charisma.
I dont know Jay at all, and realize that hes very well-liked and all, but this isnt the most shocking thing ever-- its not like poker media reporters are swimming in money. Assuming he did this on multiple occasions, lets not forget that kleptomania is a serious issue for some people, leading to seemingly stupid actions like using chopsticks to fish out cash from tip jars in casinos full of cameras.

I'm so sick of 'poker players are scum' posts. I have made a lot of friends all over the world (I've lived in at least 8 countries) both inside and outside of poker, some of the poker players being fairly well known in the poker world and others (most) unknowns; the vast, vast majority of my poker friends are excellent people who have lived up to the trust I have placed in them repeatedly.

I lived in Kosovo during the period leading up to the bombing/Serbian invasion doing refugee work. While I was there, all of the news that came out of there that was seen by friends living in the US or elsewhere (outside of Kosovo) was of violence, deaths, and the like. When i spoke to people who didn't live there, they frequently asked how I could handle all the violence and wasn't i worried about getting injured or killed. I repeatedly had to explain that their view was through a filter--the media--and all the media reported was the bad stuff. Living there, I felt just fine walking the streets of Prishtina or driving to different towns/cities. You never heard anything about the quiet days or the good deeds people did there because that's not news. It was the same when i lived in El Salvador during the civil war there. My point? Poker player pays off a loan, does something nice, or lives up to trust placed in him is rarely going to be worthy of a thread whereas poker player steals/leaves large debt unpaid/runs out on staking agreement in heavy makeup will be. This is a huge and very effective filter, but a lot of people just don't seem to get this.

I will say this, no joke: I've known many of both, and I would trust a random poker player far more than a random UN employee any day of the week.

This is an excellent post. Read it just after posting what I posted above. A+.

no proof yet ITT
innocent til proven guilty

In before Matt Savage announces new TDA rule banning chopsticks at final tables and Daniel Negreanu posting a rant about it.

I want to make this sentence into a T-shirt.