By Rob Harvilla December 10. The Poker Player Who Turned a $100 Deposit Into Millions. Phil Galfond once turned a single $100 deposit into millions on a poker site. But to prove he was the best. Poker is a globally famous and glamorous game which is known for changing a person’s fortune overnight. The name was originally derived from the French name ‘Poque’. Poker has the American roots and the whole journey started in 1800 in New Orleans. The 52-cards magical game was limited to 20 cards before 1834.

For the second time this week, a Las Vegas poker room folded. Arizona Charlie’s Decatur permanently closed its poker room Thursday night.

The news was first reported by Rob Solomon on Twitter. It was confirmed by an Arizona Charlie’s representative this morning.

Just heard that Arizona Charlies is closing their 3 -table poker room tomorrow. So that's two in one week.

— Robvegaspoker (@Robvegaspoker) August 30, 2018

The casino, located on Decatur Blvd west of downtown Las Vegas, hosted three poker tables. It spread a 2/4 or 4/8 fixed limit Texas Hold’em game most days with some 1/2 no limit action on weekends, according to Poker Atlas. The Arizona Charlie’s poker room did not offer any tournaments.

Arizona Charlie’s Decatur was the last Las Vegas poker room to permit smoking. That ended in 2017 when it banned smoking at the poker tables.

Arizona Charlie’s was acquired by Golden Entertainment with three other southern Nevada casinos in 2017. Stratosphere was one of those properties. That casino operates a four-table poker room, downsized from 12 when Golden Entertainment took over the property. There are plans to return most of the removed tables after the property is renovated. Arizona Charlie’s Boulder and Aquarius Casino in Laughlin, the other two casinos included in the sale, did not have poker rooms at the time of the company’s sale.

Second Las Vegas poker room to close this week

Arizona Charlie’s Decatur is not the only Las Vegas casino that got out of the live poker business this week. Treasure Island shuttered its seven-table poker room on Monday.

Three Las Vegas poker rooms have closed in 2018. The Suncoast poker room became a promotions staging area in April 2018.

26 Las Vegas poker rooms closed since 2012

Arizona Charlie’s Decatur became the 26^th poker room in Las Vegas to close since 2012. Below is a list of the other 25:

• Treasure Island: August 2018
• Suncoast: April 2018
• Luxor: June 2017
• Monte Carlo: April 2017
• Hard Rock: March 2017
• The Linq: August 2016
• Eastside Cannery: April 2016
• Plaza: March 2016
• Aliante Casino: March 2016
• Westgate: June 2015 (Reopened August 2017)
• Hooters: March 2015
• Texas Station: August 2014
• Palms: June 2014
• Sunset Station: May 2014
• El Cortez: December 2013
• Circus Circus: September 2013
• M Resort: August 2013
• Riviera: June 2013
• Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall: February 2013
• Jokers Wild: October 2012
• Ellis Island: September 2012
• Tropicana: September 2012
• O’Sheas: April 2012
• Fitzgeralds: January 2012
• Silverton: January 2012

According to Clark County records in Nevada, poker industry veteran Christopher Coffin, who served as the poker room manager at Treasure Island (TI), was arrested on Dec. 12, 2014 for felony theft of $650-$3,500.

Case No. 15F00364X does not go into detail, but according to Poker Fraud Alert, a website established Todd “Dan Druff” Witteles to guard against the 'scumbags and criminals' that look to cheat the poker world, a TI employee alleges Coffin was arrested for stealing jackpot money via a football pool.

'This part is unsubstantiated, but it is also believed that he stole money from the tournament toke pool that was intended for the dealers,' said the source, who went on to explain how Coffin fleeced the football pool. 'It was a promo where you make picks. You get more picks by playing more hours. He created a fake players card and logged hours. Then he made the correct picks and collected the money.'

PokerNews reached out to TI, but a spokesperson would not elaborate other than to say Coffin was no longer with the property.

'Christopher Coffin is no longer employed by Treasure Island,' said TI Senior Vice President of Communications Michelle Knoll. 'We have no further comment as we do not discuss personnel matters with the press.'

According to a 2006 interview with Poker Player Newspaper, Coffin was born in Franklin, Indiana in 1961 and relocated to Las Vegas two decades later. He became a poker dealer in 1987, and six years later began dealing at Mirage. In 2005, he helped run the World Poker Tour event at the property and was subsequently named Poker Special Events Manager.

In 2006, Coffin moved over to TI before bouncing back to Mirage. He worked there until June 2013, which is when he rumored to be fired. It is unknown whether his departure was related to a June 18, 2013 arrest charging robbery, burglary, domestic battery with substantial bodily harm, and conspiracy to commit criminal contempt.

It was during his time as manager at the Mirage that he instituted jackpots.

'I started changing the room to focus on the more recreational, everyday player, and offering them what they want,' Coffin previously stated in a Poker Atlas interview. 'It was non-stop, people asked, 'I don’t get anything for my quads? I don’t get anything for my Royal Flush?' So we started jackpots. And with the jackpot money, we have done many different promotions for holidays, for football, for any special event.'

Coffin’s time at the Mirage was highly criticized by former employees in a dedicated TwoPlusTwo thread, though no criminal misconduct was alleged. According to Rob Solomon of Ante Up Magazine, Coffin once again became manager of the TI poker room around June 2014.

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In regards to his latest arrest, court documents reveal that Coffin was released on $10,000 cash bond on his own recognizance with intensive supervision.

Lead image courtesy of David Herrera

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