R***@aol.com
2005-12-01 06:41:41 UTC
Eric Drache
Eric Drache came to Las Vegas in the middle 70's. I was there when he
arrived. Eric was a world class stud player early in his life. Eric was
also
a scammer. Eric Drache had a demeanor about him, he was a professional
"con
artist". I am willing to testify to this. Eric was a scammer very
early.
Eric was a compulsive gambler from day one.
Eric was always broke, and was backed by Rod Pardey in the early mid
70's. I
knew Rod Pardee from Tacoma, Wa. where Rod and I aspired to become
professional bowlers in the early 60's. Rod and I were a very close
match in
bowling, having bowled with the best in the world. Earl Anthony was on
Rod
Pardee's bowling team, or should I say Rod was on Earl's team.
Whatever, we
both went into poker. we played in the same games in the mid 60's, and
bowled against the best in the west. I slept over at Rod Pardee's house
when
we were young.
Enter Tony "the ant" Spilatro. Rod Pardee became part of the "team
Spilatro", as did most of the other pro's. You were either in Tony's
teams,
or you left town. Eric Drache became part of Tony's team, along with
Rod
Pardee. I have known Rod Pardee for almost 40 years and Eric Drache for
about 30 years. Eric Drache was one of the smoothest talkers around. he
should have been in "telemarketing".
Not only did Eric Drache cheat in the 70's, he cheated with all your
"icons". I saw it all. He was under the leadership of Mike O'Connor in
those
days and Mike ran the games for Tony Spilatro. When Mike went to jail
and
Tony was killed, new leadership emerged in Las Vegas. Previous to this,
Nick
"shoeshine" Simpson and Tony Spilatro controlled the poker industry in
Vegas.
When the Golden Nugget opened in the 80's, Eric Drache took control of
the
card room. It was like a circus for the "cheating clowns". Everything
was
open and everything happened. Eric Drache even ran the WSOP. Eric was
the
golden boy. However, in the middle 80's, Eric was in financial crisis.
Everything he won by cheating, he lost in sports and horse racing.
Basically, Eric Drache was a degenerate gambler. In the middle 80's
while
Eric was in charge of the WSOP, Eric was desperate for money. It didn't
matter how much he cheated people out of in the Golden Nugget, he lost
in
sports, horse racing and anything else he ventured into.
Finally, he did the absolute worst mistake of his life, he sold WSOP
seats
to the main event for $8,000, if the players paid cash and in advance
for
their seats. Eric sold about 20 seats and lost the money. About
$200,000 had
to be replaced in the WSOP finals pool. Eric Drache didn't have the
money.
Jack Binion came to the rescue and covered the loss. Eric Drache was no
longer in charge of the WSOP.
A while later, Eric was having some "high stakes" poker games in the
Golden
Nugget. They were not playing in the card room, but playing in a suite
up
stairs. An un-named player loss a few hundred thousand dollars and
thought
he was cheated. He went to the Nevada State Gambling Control Board. The
next
time he played, he brought an agent of the board with him disguised as
an
associate. Eric and the Golden Nugget were nailed for cheating and the
card
room was closed down.
An explanation was made with some 'bs' answers and the card room was to
reopen at the Mirage. Here Eric Drache and Jimmy Shahady, split shifts
on
cheating the highest games in the world with Doyle Brunson and Chip
Reese.
One crew had one shift, and the other had the other shift.
However, nothing mattered, as Eric was a compulsive gambler who liked
to bet
horses, sports and anything else. Eric couldn't stay in money. Even I
don't
know the reason Eric Drache lost his Las Vegas gambling license.
However, he
did and went to Los Angeles. In the period he was in Los Angeles in the
middle 1990's, Eric borrowed money from me at least fifty times. Never
more
than a $1,000 and he always paid me back. He also had people stake him
with
the premise that he would owe them all if he lost and give them a 25%
free
roll if he won. He ended up owing quite a bit and paid some of it back
later
when he
hit the jackpot with Larry Flint.
Eric then cheated in this game with stakes of $1000-$2000 and higher.
He had
lenses in the game and teams were working the game at the Hustler. Gary
"Gig" Young was an associate of mine at this time and we were to cheat
the
games at another casino. He and Eric were friends along with Mike
"drunken
Mike" Murray. The team of Mike Murray and Gary Young have beaten may
honest
player out of $100,000's of dollars, using marked cards and contact
lenses.
These lenses were also used to cheat in the big games at the Mirage
when it
opened. Visine was the drug of choice at this time. Eric Drache had a
few
tough years in the latter mid 90's, but a previous relationship with
Larry
Flint helped him out of a hole no one ever thought he would get out of.
Eric, I hear you are now lobbying in Los Angeles with the high limit
players. Playing the high limit stud games over there. Having you play
over
at Commerce, along with many others is a crime. You guys are all cheats
and
scammers. Many times marked cards have been found in Commerce in the
high
levels. They call them defective cards to avoid getting sued or having
players complain about being cheated.
Eric Drache, you know you are fighting a losing battle. You must think
players in LA are fools. Everyday I receive a report where you approach
a
high limit player and tell them you are innocent. Are you so "stupid"
to
believe they don't believe what I say? Keep talking Eric, for it makes
you
the laughing stock of LA and Commerce even worse for putting up with
you.
Everything you talk about in LA gets back to me, especially when you
talk to
honest players. Do you really think they can believe you?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Additional: Eric Drache lied, stole for decades. He sold WSOP seats
for 8K in
the 80's during one WSOP year. He needed the money as he was a gambling
degenerate. This is a person who is being defended as one of those that
adds
credibility to poker. This is a person that borrowed millions of
dollars by
deceit. His wife and children all suffered through this. Eric did
whatever he
could to get money to feed his gambling habit, including having his
family
suffer and coming close to losing his home many times.
He lost his lucrative position in Vegas because of this problem. This
is a
person that many of these so called honest people of poker defend. How
do you
lose 100K a week on sports and horses, when at best you earn 10K a
week, before
taxes. Who is going to loan a person like this money, unless he had a
much
higher income. This he did have, as he was one of the main figures in
the
cheating ib Las Vegas.
A man who would let his wife and children suffer,would steal from the
place he
works and lie to his customers. Does this sound like a person who would
cheat?
Russ Georgiev
John Martino
Eric Drache came to Las Vegas in the middle 70's. I was there when he
arrived. Eric was a world class stud player early in his life. Eric was
also
a scammer. Eric Drache had a demeanor about him, he was a professional
"con
artist". I am willing to testify to this. Eric was a scammer very
early.
Eric was a compulsive gambler from day one.
Eric was always broke, and was backed by Rod Pardey in the early mid
70's. I
knew Rod Pardee from Tacoma, Wa. where Rod and I aspired to become
professional bowlers in the early 60's. Rod and I were a very close
match in
bowling, having bowled with the best in the world. Earl Anthony was on
Rod
Pardee's bowling team, or should I say Rod was on Earl's team.
Whatever, we
both went into poker. we played in the same games in the mid 60's, and
bowled against the best in the west. I slept over at Rod Pardee's house
when
we were young.
Enter Tony "the ant" Spilatro. Rod Pardee became part of the "team
Spilatro", as did most of the other pro's. You were either in Tony's
teams,
or you left town. Eric Drache became part of Tony's team, along with
Rod
Pardee. I have known Rod Pardee for almost 40 years and Eric Drache for
about 30 years. Eric Drache was one of the smoothest talkers around. he
should have been in "telemarketing".
Not only did Eric Drache cheat in the 70's, he cheated with all your
"icons". I saw it all. He was under the leadership of Mike O'Connor in
those
days and Mike ran the games for Tony Spilatro. When Mike went to jail
and
Tony was killed, new leadership emerged in Las Vegas. Previous to this,
Nick
"shoeshine" Simpson and Tony Spilatro controlled the poker industry in
Vegas.
When the Golden Nugget opened in the 80's, Eric Drache took control of
the
card room. It was like a circus for the "cheating clowns". Everything
was
open and everything happened. Eric Drache even ran the WSOP. Eric was
the
golden boy. However, in the middle 80's, Eric was in financial crisis.
Everything he won by cheating, he lost in sports and horse racing.
Basically, Eric Drache was a degenerate gambler. In the middle 80's
while
Eric was in charge of the WSOP, Eric was desperate for money. It didn't
matter how much he cheated people out of in the Golden Nugget, he lost
in
sports, horse racing and anything else he ventured into.
Finally, he did the absolute worst mistake of his life, he sold WSOP
seats
to the main event for $8,000, if the players paid cash and in advance
for
their seats. Eric sold about 20 seats and lost the money. About
$200,000 had
to be replaced in the WSOP finals pool. Eric Drache didn't have the
money.
Jack Binion came to the rescue and covered the loss. Eric Drache was no
longer in charge of the WSOP.
A while later, Eric was having some "high stakes" poker games in the
Golden
Nugget. They were not playing in the card room, but playing in a suite
up
stairs. An un-named player loss a few hundred thousand dollars and
thought
he was cheated. He went to the Nevada State Gambling Control Board. The
next
time he played, he brought an agent of the board with him disguised as
an
associate. Eric and the Golden Nugget were nailed for cheating and the
card
room was closed down.
An explanation was made with some 'bs' answers and the card room was to
reopen at the Mirage. Here Eric Drache and Jimmy Shahady, split shifts
on
cheating the highest games in the world with Doyle Brunson and Chip
Reese.
One crew had one shift, and the other had the other shift.
However, nothing mattered, as Eric was a compulsive gambler who liked
to bet
horses, sports and anything else. Eric couldn't stay in money. Even I
don't
know the reason Eric Drache lost his Las Vegas gambling license.
However, he
did and went to Los Angeles. In the period he was in Los Angeles in the
middle 1990's, Eric borrowed money from me at least fifty times. Never
more
than a $1,000 and he always paid me back. He also had people stake him
with
the premise that he would owe them all if he lost and give them a 25%
free
roll if he won. He ended up owing quite a bit and paid some of it back
later
when he
hit the jackpot with Larry Flint.
Eric then cheated in this game with stakes of $1000-$2000 and higher.
He had
lenses in the game and teams were working the game at the Hustler. Gary
"Gig" Young was an associate of mine at this time and we were to cheat
the
games at another casino. He and Eric were friends along with Mike
"drunken
Mike" Murray. The team of Mike Murray and Gary Young have beaten may
honest
player out of $100,000's of dollars, using marked cards and contact
lenses.
These lenses were also used to cheat in the big games at the Mirage
when it
opened. Visine was the drug of choice at this time. Eric Drache had a
few
tough years in the latter mid 90's, but a previous relationship with
Larry
Flint helped him out of a hole no one ever thought he would get out of.
Eric, I hear you are now lobbying in Los Angeles with the high limit
players. Playing the high limit stud games over there. Having you play
over
at Commerce, along with many others is a crime. You guys are all cheats
and
scammers. Many times marked cards have been found in Commerce in the
high
levels. They call them defective cards to avoid getting sued or having
players complain about being cheated.
Eric Drache, you know you are fighting a losing battle. You must think
players in LA are fools. Everyday I receive a report where you approach
a
high limit player and tell them you are innocent. Are you so "stupid"
to
believe they don't believe what I say? Keep talking Eric, for it makes
you
the laughing stock of LA and Commerce even worse for putting up with
you.
Everything you talk about in LA gets back to me, especially when you
talk to
honest players. Do you really think they can believe you?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Additional: Eric Drache lied, stole for decades. He sold WSOP seats
for 8K in
the 80's during one WSOP year. He needed the money as he was a gambling
degenerate. This is a person who is being defended as one of those that
adds
credibility to poker. This is a person that borrowed millions of
dollars by
deceit. His wife and children all suffered through this. Eric did
whatever he
could to get money to feed his gambling habit, including having his
family
suffer and coming close to losing his home many times.
He lost his lucrative position in Vegas because of this problem. This
is a
person that many of these so called honest people of poker defend. How
do you
lose 100K a week on sports and horses, when at best you earn 10K a
week, before
taxes. Who is going to loan a person like this money, unless he had a
much
higher income. This he did have, as he was one of the main figures in
the
cheating ib Las Vegas.
A man who would let his wife and children suffer,would steal from the
place he
works and lie to his customers. Does this sound like a person who would
cheat?
Russ Georgiev
John Martino