The Law Claims a Poker Professional: Sophon Sek Arrested | IXGAMES
Poker has found its way into the news lately for reasons that stem beyond strictly card playing, and this week is no exception. One professional Poker player from Canada is making headlines following a big Poker win, but the reasons that have made him a focus of the media have nothing to do with the cards he played at the Poker table, but those that he played in life. This week, Sophon Sek, winner of the 2009 British Columbia Poker Championship was arrested for his role in the Surrey Six Slaughter; the name applied to the killing of six gang-related murders in 2007. Sek appeared in court this to hear charges against him, including manslaughter and breaking and entering. His trial is set to continue on November 30. It’s clear that Sophon Sek’s luck ran dry this week following his big win at the 2009 BC Poker Championships on Sunday where he was awarded a total pot of nearly $365K, now being held by the Canadian Gaming Corporation at the request of the RCMP awaiting the outcome of the trial. Sek managed to dominate the tournament playing against other professional Poker players like Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho (contestants on this season of the Amazing Race), Liz Lieu, Gavin Smith, Brad Booth, Greg Mueller and Scott Clements that also made up the 679 player competition. This year’s BC Poker Tournament took place at the Red River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond, British Columbia and had a $2,500 buy-in. For five years in a row this tournament has taken place and this is the first year that it’s made big headlines for reasons other than cards! The legal trouble surrounding Sek has caused some to re-evaluate whether entrance into Poker tournaments should require additional screening to prevent the participation of shady characters. With potential gang affiliations associated with Sek, this has caused some discomfort in the Poker community. As Poker continues to make headlines for reasons beyond the cards, it’s time for the focus to start shifting away from controversial headlines, back to Poker!