Mugging in Rio's Pavillion parking lot at WSOP on Friday night - Page 6 - Poker News

This kind of news scares me, im going to vegas for my first time (this year).

Im going to vegas to have a good time & to meet nice ppl at the tables.
I dont care if i lose or win, but getting scammed, beat up to death for money is just depressing.

I was thinking a lot like you are before I moved to Vegas over four years ago.

There is no place on this Earth like Vegas. You're going to enjoy yourself and shed a tear on the plane when you leave. Just use common sense like you would anywhere else and you'll be fine.

06-10-2014 , 06:06 AM

#127

S.K

Toffees >> Jellybeans

Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 9,201

Quote:

Originally Posted by poppoppoq

Watch your back in the Rio parking lots and don't leave valuables in you car!

Me no understand

06-10-2014 , 10:17 AM

#128

ChoakMyDee

old hand

Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 1,768

Quote:

Originally Posted by pig4bill

Oh yeah, in Vegas anyway. I've seen security in the Orleans parking structure often, on bicycle. They can haul ass too. Gold Coast definitely does. They rousted me out of the lot one night when I was taking a short cut through an area I shouldn't have been in. They must have cameras because they found me pretty quick.

Ha, the Orleans needs more security than other places. I saw 2 fights in 1 week in the poker room last time I was there.

06-10-2014 , 11:36 AM

#129

espm

journeyman

Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 373

Quote:

Originally Posted by gnormsmama

Grab a beer and a snack, this is a long one…

Last night, my boyfriend and I came upon a young man who had just been assaulted and robbed in the back forty of the Pavillion parking lot of the Rio. I feel that it is important to share this story for many reasons. It is an instructive lesson in personal safety as well as highlight multiple systematic failures in security on the part of the Rio. More importantly it should demonstrate the need for the poker community to unite demanding that the properties and organizations hosting poker tournaments like the WSOP address the security needs unique to our events.

First the details as explained to me by the victim. In order to protect his identity (what little I know of it), I will refer to him as John. A white male from an Eastern European country around 25 years old.

John had apparently been approached in the parking lot by two men that pulled out a gun and demanded his money. He refused and the next thing he knew, he woke up in a vehicle being robbed and beaten with the handle of a gun. John detailed that he fought back and kicked out the window. He then was tossed out of the vehicle and was stumbling back to the Pavillion when we found him.

At this point, John was clearly traumatized, drunk, confused, angry and bleeding profusely from some serious lacerations on his forehead. I introduced myself and began providing first aid trying to get his bleeding under control. Someone I knew was walking by and ran to get security.
John was somewhat cooperative in letting me hold some pressure on his head but all he wanted was some water, a cigarette and to go back to his room. Security arrived within a few minutes and I asked for some additional first aid supplies from his vehicle but he didn’t have any so he radioed for some. At this point John got extremely agitated. I quickly realized that where John comes from, cops are the enemy and before I knew it, John took off like a shot towards the Pavillion.

Now security is starting to stream in from every direction. John makes it to the taxi area and sits down on one of the benches. By the time I reach him, security has him surrounded and he is clearly scared, loud and uncooperative in answering his questions. He just keeps asking for someone to give him a cigarette and let him go back to his room to get cleaned up. He kept saying “My father is there, he is a medical doctor, he will help me.”. Unfortunately instead of at least calling the kid’s dad, security has started to respond to his lack of cooperation rather than address this kids injuries and fears. The next thing I know, security guards are all talking louder and trying to assert their authority with John. I piped up and told the bully guards that they might try to consider the fact that this kid is drunk, he’s from a foreign country and he’s scared ****less. They did adjust their volume and approach slightly. EMT security arrived and took over providing first aid and I went inside to wash my hands and get John some paper towels to clean himself up with. He looked like Carrie at the prom, I’m not kidding..

When I returned, some kind but foolish soul had given John the cigarette he had been begging for but no one could light it for him. After fetching a lighter for the poor boy, I gave him the paper towels and began to address all of the questions security guards were peppering me with. I became frustrated because I wanted to make sure that I gave all of the pertinent information to the EMT security guard who took over John’s care first. Once I had done that, I told him everything that I knew and took him out to where I found John so they could begin investigating. From there, my boyfriend and I left to join our friends who had been waiting to meet us for a late dinner.

This is where my direct involvement with John ended but his story hasn’t left my mind for very long since. I keep thinking of this poor kid, coming to Las Vegas to play in the World Series of Poker getting jumped and robbed. That alone is enough but then to have what was clearly a traumatic encounter with overly aggressive security compound the situation is worse. The more I think about it, the more angry I get.

So let’s break this down and look at the lessons to be learned here:

Of primary importance is personal safety. Being alone, drunk with any sizable amount of cash on you makes you a an easy mark. Let it be clear, I am not blaming the victim here. I am saying that we can learn from what happened and let it serve as a reminder to be proactive about our own safety. We learned in kindergarten to use the buddy system. It works. Use it. Be completely aware of your surroundings. Don’t wander around alone when you’ve been drinking. Lock your money in your room safe or get a deposit box at the cage.

The second issue is the lack of security presence in the Pavillion parking lot at the Rio. This parking lot is massive and really MUST have its own dedicated security patrolling its perimeters and within it, whether by bicycle or vehicle. I know it sounds oversimplified and is not an absolute solution but it cannot be ignored that the visible and constant presence of security is in and of itself a deterrent to would be muggers. As a local and long time attendant of the WSOP, I can say from first hand observation that their presence is not constant and rarely visible. Also lacking are visible security cameras to deter crime to property and people on the premises. I realize that cameras in areas such as parking lots present huge liability issues to the property but the safety of their guests should be paramount. I realize that’s not the reality in our world but come on, for the amount of money the WSOP generates, Caesars Entertainment and the Rio have to start providing more patrolling security in the lot at a minimum.

Additionally, it was clear to me that the security staff was not adequately prepared with simple first aid supplies or the training necessary for staff that are designated as first responders to an emergency. At a minimum, security staff and especially their vehicles should be stocked with gloves and supplies to control bleeding. It took a good 5 minutes for an EMT security officer trained in first aid to arrive with the appropriate supplies. If John had a bullet wound instead of lacerations, we would not have been able to handle the situation. That lapse of time could have been critical in such a situation. As a professional First Aid and CPR Instructor, I cannot understand why security vehicles do not contain first aid kits or why ALL security staff are not trained and prepared to administer first aid.

It is fairly safe to say that this will not be the first time that you will read or hear a story like this one occurring at the WSOP or other poker festival venues anywhere in the world. A quick search of this forum will reveal multiple threads of players who have had theft of money and/or property taken from their rooms, vehicles broken into in the parking lot or robbery. We all know that we are potential targets but we can only go so far in protecting ourselves in environments like the WSOP. We must become vocal and demand that the hosting properties immediately begin to address the gaps in security. Being able to walk around without fear of armed robbery is NOT too much to ask for and frankly, I find it abhorrent that we should even HAVE to advocate for our own basic safety to be addressed by the WSOP.

I have read many reports on the poker forums and Twitter about similar crimes here at the WSOP in Las Vegas, as well as poker tournaments around the globe. I have heard the frustration that the victims have expressed at the lack of response by hosting organizations, hotels, casinos and local police. Now I have witnessed it first hand. This morning I spent a lot of time reviewing these threads and blog reports. I don’t see much resolution occurring. I see a lot of trolling, a lot of sympathizing, a lot of criticism of victims, a lot of outrage but no action. So what do we do? What will it take for us to get pissed off enough that we do something? Will someone have to get killed? Will Caesar’s or another property have to get hit with a big judgement in a lawsuit before they do something? Who is responsible here?

As players, we pay a premium for well run poker tournaments with amenities. Call me an entitled American but shouldn’t security and protecting the players be part of the service we pay for? Especially at the WSOP, between the rake and the $15 dollar sandwiches, not to mention all of the revenue generated through room sales, casino gambling, food and entertainment. The WSOP and other poker tournaments like it are cash cows for the hosting properties.

People are already rumbling on Twitter. I’ve seen the tweets directed @WSOPTD. I’ve read the threads in the forums but I don’t think its enough. We have to start making more noise and be more persistent about it. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. We need MORE tweets, MORE threads and to raise MORE questions of the organizations hosting the tournaments we attend.

For my part, I am going to talk to Jack Effel and ask him what he is going to do to ensure that these security issues are addressed. I’m writing this post to as a cautionary tale to those reading so that you too can learn from John’s experience. If I have to leave the Rio alone with any money on me, I’m going to ask for security to escort me to my car. I’m going to encourage my friends to do the same. If we start placing a demand on their time, maybe the sheer number of requests will force them to recognize that we are not feeling safe on their property. I’m also going to write a letter to the Rio asking why their first responders are not prepared to respond to first aid needs of injured guests of the property (which is at least an OSHA violation no not provide staff with personal protective equipment) and strongly recommend remedial training of their staff on issues like addressing injured victims and cultural awareness.

Who can YOU do? Who can YOU talk to? I have a big mouth but I’m just one voice. We need to get LOUD about this. We need to make sure that everyone in attendance is talking about the security issues surrounding large scale poker tournaments. We ALL need to let the WSOP know that we demand a safe place to play. The media needs to start making some noise about this as well. I am fully aware that these incidents are kept quiet and swept under the rug in order to prevent frightening off players from attending. That needs to stop or the muggings won’t stop. Noise needs to be made folks.

I love the WSOP. I look forward to it every year. I want it to be a safe place for us to play and have fun. Everyone has to take a beat at the table once in a while but we should never have to worry about taking one walking to our car. Be safe guys and take care of one another. Make some noise!

Was he blonde or brunet?

06-10-2014 , 11:52 AM

#130

stillerfan

journeyman

Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 223

way tldr

06-10-2014 , 04:02 PM

#131

Doc T River

Master of the Edit Line

Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 13,059

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dantes

The US has a bigger % of the population in prison than communist Russia ever had. #funfacts

Only because Russia didn't figure out how to make significant money off the prison population.

06-10-2014 , 09:51 PM

#132

browser2920

Niceness Influencer

Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 6,526

So have there been any reports of poker players not doing drug deals getting robbed/mugged in the parking lot or having money/chips stolen that were put in the room safe?

06-10-2014 , 09:53 PM

#133

Dantes

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,833

Quote:

Originally Posted by browser2920

So have there been any reports of poker players not doing drug deals getting robbed/mugged in the parking lot or having money/chips stolen that were put in the room safe?

How do we know that the guy was doing something nefarious?

06-10-2014 , 10:49 PM

#134

GrindPokerAllDay

banned

Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 2,326

Quote:

Originally Posted by 88keyz

why not just valet at the rio and any casino ?

That sounds like a great idea. I'm sure Rio employees would never do anything nefarious with your car just like they would never do anything nefarious with the things you leave in your hotel room.

06-10-2014 , 10:59 PM

#135

Puckster

adept

Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 1,032

Call in the Guardian Angels for patrol !!!

06-10-2014 , 11:15 PM

#136

afwoods

banned

Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 1,937

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrindPokerAllDay

That sounds like a great idea. I'm sure Rio employees would never do anything nefarious with your car just like they would never do anything nefarious with the things you leave in your hotel room.

"We ask that you bear with us."

- Jiffy Park attendant, Seinfeld

06-11-2014 , 12:03 AM

#137

GrindPokerAllDay

banned

Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 2,326

Quote:

Originally Posted by afwoods

"We ask that you bear with us."

- Jiffy Park attendant, Seinfeld

Spoiler:

06-11-2014 , 04:25 AM

#138

Awnline

grinder

Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 619

I think we need to make a thread where people can group up when arriving/leaving the rio?

06-11-2014 , 04:50 AM

#139

PraguePoker

journeyman

Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 327

Quote:

Originally Posted by ugotit

This. Having lived in both North America and Eastern Europe for extended periods of time, I can absolutely say that the police in the US are much worse than in Eastern Europe. Your chances of being hurt or murdered by the police in the US in much higher than anywhere in Europe.

This is true. It's incredible how aggressive and obnoxious the police are in the US. They are armed to the teeth, and as a group cover each other so that police brutality is impossible to prove. Courts are very sympathetic to police officers, as well.

Firstly, the idea that a 25 year old man from Eastern Europe was previously traumatised by experiences with the police in his own country is hard to believe. More likely traumatised by previous run ins with American cops.

Secondly, a visit to the doctor can cost a fortune in the US. I always buy travel insurance when coming back to the US to visit family (no longer a resident), as my health care coverage does not extend beyond the EU. Even a one-night stay for basic tests can cost many thousands of dollars, well beyond the budget of most tourists. It's little wonder the guy didn't want medical assistance. Better to get back on a plane and see a doctor in Europe for free. He could fly round trip first class and it would still be cheaper than a 3-block ambulance ride in Vegas.

The US is an advanced country in many ways, but in other ways it's a 3rd world country. There are 300 million guns in circulation. There have been over 50,000 gun deaths in America since the Sandy Hook massacre of young children 18 months ago. Two police were murdered in Vegas earlier this week by right wing terrorists. Nobody cares enough to do anything about the systemic violence, and it's a cornerstone of US foreign policy. The police are spending a fortune on high priced military assault vehicles and domestic drones, but good luck getting help when attacked in public.

The US is a violent society, awash in guns. OP was right to highlight this, but I don't see what can be done. Perhaps avoid Vegas? US corporations are only interested in limiting liability. They need to check the box that they have private security. After that, you're on your own.

--PP

06-11-2014 , 05:07 AM

#140

PraguePoker

journeyman

Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 327

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan C. Lawhon

Interesting that Jack asked her if she had to make a choice between more security guards patrolling the parking lot or better lighting, which would she choose?

Is OP a security expert? I thought she was just a concerned citizen who happened to witness the entire incident, then decided to write a detailed, well written, somewhat dramatic post of the entire incident on a poker forum? Then follow up over social media and meetings with security staff, management, and police.

More to the point, why the hell would the Rio be asking her for tips on improving their security? That's just embarrassing.

Jack: "Um, yeah, hey, thanks again. By the way, what if we put a couple of cameras here, what do you think [pulling out a large schematic diagram of the entire complex]? We've altered our patrol schedule, can you please have a look?"

--PP

06-11-2014 , 05:29 AM

#141

dankhank

dankest of hanks

Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 8,114

There were four temporary spotlights up tonight in the outdoor lot. They could've been placed more strategically (like putting one in the farthest off corner) but the entire lot was brighter.

06-11-2014 , 05:36 AM

#142

GrindPokerAllDay

banned

Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 2,326

Quote:

Originally Posted by PraguePoker

I don't see what can be done. Perhaps avoid Vegas?

Some dude got mugged in the parking lot. So what?! Big frickin deal. If I want to see Cirque du Soleil I'm just gonna say "Nah, better not. Some guy got mugged in the parking lot of the Rio"

"Oh honey, about going to see the Blue Man Group...there was a mugging in the parking lot of the Rio so let's just rent a movie to watch at home instead."

I was gonna go see Tiësto but some drunk dude got thrown out of a vehicle in the Rio parking lot so I think I'll just listen to his music on Pandora. Should be pretty sweet 'cause I can listen to it while grinding the $60 daily tournaments locally. There are only about 30 entrants a day which minimizes variance. These are ALL SKILL unlike those Vegas tourneys, and plus I don't have to worry about some drunk guy in the parking lot coming up to bleed on me.

06-11-2014 , 06:20 AM

#143

inkognegro

old hand

Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 1,249

Quote:

Originally Posted by Il Gatto

Other than casino security, the WSOP is as soft a target as walking into a Kenyan mall.

lol kenyan malls have armed security, been like that for decades

06-11-2014 , 06:22 AM

#144

afwoods

banned

Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 1,937

More guns is +EV. Totally. Just ask the dead guy from Walmart how glad he is that he was carrying.

06-11-2014 , 11:28 AM

#145

ChoakMyDee

old hand

Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 1,768

Quote:

Originally Posted by Awnline

I think we need to make a thread where people can group up when arriving/leaving the rio?

No, just have a little sign posted somewhere near an exit in the Rio something like this:

"This is a gathering point for people wanting to walk to the parking lot in a group. Just wait here until a few more people show up and leave together."

The good thing about this is it involves very little organization. Complete strangers can just meet at the sign and walk out to their cars when they have a big enough group. Anything else wouldn't work or last very long because it would involve too much organization.

06-11-2014 , 12:16 PM

#146

Svizac

adept

Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 824

Quote:

Originally Posted by PraguePoker

Very well written. I salute you sir.

06-11-2014 , 12:23 PM

#147

88keyz

adept

Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,030

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrindPokerAllDay

That sounds like a great idea. I'm sure Rio employees would never do anything nefarious with your car just like they would never do anything nefarious with the things you leave in your hotel room.

your sarcasm is ******ed
the problem is getting to your car with money in your pockets

are you inferring that valet will beat you up and take your money when they get your car for you? obviously anyone with a brain wouldn't leave valuables in the car.

anyone with a nice car valets. but even if you have a beat up car you should valet it so you don't run the risk of getting robbed in the parking lot.

06-11-2014 , 01:42 PM

#148

GrindPokerAllDay

banned

Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 2,326

Quote:

Originally Posted by 88keyz

Why are you driving drunk in the first place? You deserve to be pistol whipped and thrown out of a moving vehicle. It sounds like the Guardian Angels were on patrol here helping to keep the parking lot safe from scumbags like this drunk idiot.

06-11-2014 , 01:43 PM

#149

Dantes

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,833

Quote:

Originally Posted by 88keyz

anyone with a nice car valets. but even if you have a beat up car you should valet it so you don't run the risk of getting robbed in the parking lot.

Do you think you are more or less likely to have something stolen from your car if you give the keys to a stranger?

06-11-2014 , 02:04 PM

#150

WorldsBiggestNit

adept

Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 903

gnormsmama, thanks for your work. I've noticed more security the past few days at the rio parking lot (security vans and people patrolling), so at least that's something.

Biggest thing people can do is practice situational awareness. Look around you and behind you to see if you're being followed when you're walking out of the casino if you're carrying a lot of cash. It always surprises me to see people with like $20k+ in a backpack not paying attention when leaving or just leaving their bag underneath a table while they go to the bathroom, especially when they pull out their whole roll when they buy in for a cash game.

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