Pair flushed out of gambling den

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By Cao Li (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-01 11:43

Two foreigners allegedly established a gambling den in a rental apartment and charged customers 40 yuan an hour to play Texas Hold'em.

Patrick Tien Minlynn Liang, a 27-year-old Brazilian-born Chinese, and Al Gokcimen, a 44-year-old Turkish-born Australian, were seized after a raid on March 19 with 15 other players and 29,800 yuan ($4,360), according to an indictment heard yesterday by the Shanghai No 2 Intermediate People's Court.

They face up to three years in prison.

The pair rented an apartment in downtown Jing'an district in February for 9,600 yuan a month, purchased tables and hired a card dealer, according to the indictment.

In mid-March, Hu Weimin and Qi Fei joined the pair in the illegal gambling business, said prosecutor Feng Zhiyu of the No 2 Division of Shanghai Municipal Procuratorate. Hu and Qi are being processed separately.

Clad in a black T-shirt in court, a relaxed Liang said the idea of opening up a club grew out of his addiction to Texas Hold'em.

"I played five to six hours a day, paying organizers 50 to 100 yuan per hour," said Liang, who added that he taught language classes and interpreted for Brazilians in Shanghai.

In February, he proposed the idea of a club to Gokcimen.

"I thought that（my club）would at least cover my costs for playing," said Liang, who boasted that he had won awards for Texas Hold'em in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Gokcimen, who works full-time as a special adviser in a company in Shanghai, said the club was opened to make some small money on the side.

"But we actually did not make any profit," he said in court.

Liang and Gokcimen split the expenses, about 30,000 yuan each, and allegedly agreed that Liang would be the primary manager of the gambling house, thereby potentially netting Liang about 8,000 yuan more in profits.

Each paid the 40 yuan rate when they played at their gambling house, Liang admitted.

Liang said he knew that gambling is illegal in China.

"But I am too naive and did not know that could end up in such a big trouble," he said.

Gokcimen added，"When I look back, I know I made a very very stupid decision."

No verdict was reached after the day-long hearing.

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