WSOP Star Richard Lee Speaks About Investigation

07.09.2006, Lesen Sie hier den Bericht über «WSOP Star Richard Lee Speaks About Investigation»

San Antonio Police Investigating Lee for Bookmaking Richard Lee, who first achieved fame by finishing sixth at this year’s World Series of Poker’s championship event, held a press conference on the front steps of his San Antonio home to address his recent legal issues yesterday. Last week, San Antonio police executed a warrant and raided one of Lee’s homes as part of a six-month investigation that accuses Lee of running an online bookmaking site from his home.

Lee spoke at length about the high regard he holds for his home town of San Antonio, about the honor and dignity his father taught him, and about the thousands of dollars online sites offered him to wear their clothing at the final table of the WSOP. (He declined the offers because he wanted to wear his red San Antonio t-shirt instead.) He even commended the professionalism of the police force, which raided his home for evidence and seized automobiles, computers, phone records, and his bank account last Tuesday. But he had little to actually say about his case other than that the outcome is out of his hands.

“Whether these allegations are (true), and all these other things, I tell you what, that’s why we live in America. We all have our day in court,” Lee said. “Am I an online bookie? I don’t believe I characterize myself like that.” Lee won more than $2.8 million for finishing sixth at the 2006 WSOP championship. He said he could have returned to San Antonio for much more money if he signed with one of the online poker sites that Lee says courted him and his family with large endorsements.

He said from the time there were 27 players left to the day the final table began, online poker sites barraged him with offers of substantial money just to wear shirts and hats bearing their logos. “When it got down to nine players, they were calling me up at 1 o’clock in the morning the day of the tournament saying ‘Hey, we’re just going to take our last shot. We think you’re crazy for not taking this money,’” Lee said. “I mean, the money was six-figure offers. They were even offering my girls 10 and $20,000 apiece when I wouldn’t wear it for them to wear it.”

But he said he gave his word to his friends back in San Antonio — which includes the mayor — that he would support the city by wearing a shirt with “San Antonio” printed on it. He wore the same red shirt for the news conference and referred to it often. Lee had little say about the case against him, only that all the details about the investigation have yet to come to light. He did say that he doesn't consider what was going on in his home to be illegal, although he wouldn’t go into specifics about just what that was.

“If charges are filed, like my father told me, well, he said, you just need to see what’s going to happen and do your best and carry yourself with integrity and honor,” he said. Police claim that Lee was running an online sportsbook site out of his San Antonio home. The investigation has been going on since February. No charges have been filed.

Right after Lee was eliminated from the WSOP, he said he wished he could’ve won the event — not for himself, but for the city of San Antonio. He then took time from the interview to share several facts about the Texas city, a place he has lived in for all but one year of his life.

Über World Series of Poker (WSOP):

Die World Series of Poker, oder kurz WSOP, ist eine Reihe von Pokerturnieren, die jedes Jahr in Las Vegas ausgetragen werden.

Die World Series of Poker finden jährlich im Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas statt.

Die World Series of Poker ist die grösste und prestigeträchtigste Pokerveranstaltung der Welt. Mit einer umfassenden Liste von Turnieren in allen wichtigen Pokervarianten ist die WSOP das am längsten laufende Pokerturnier der Welt und geht auf das Jahr 1970 zurück.

Darüber hinaus hat die WSOP bahnbrechende Allianzen in den Bereichen Rundfunk, digitale Medien und Unternehmenssponsoring gebildet und die Marke mit der Einführung der WSOP Europe im Jahr 2007 und der WSOP Asia-Pacific im Jahr 2013 sowie der WSOP International Circuit Series im Jahr 2015 erfolgreich international ausgebaut.

Ursprünglich wurden die Tourniere in Las Vegas Downtown im Binion's Horseshoe Casino ausgetragen. Im Jahre 2005 kaufte Caesars den Brand WSOP. Seit diesem Datum werden die Pokermeisterschaften im Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino durchgeführt.

Gewinner der letzten Jahre des WSOP-Championship-Mainevent

2020: Damian Salas 2019: Hossein Ensan 2018: John Cynn 2017: Scott Blumstein 2016: Qui Nguyen 2015: Joe McKeehen 2014: Martin Jacobson 2013: Ryan Riess 2012: Greg Merson 2011: Pius Heinz 2010: Jonathan Duhamel 2009: Joe Cada 2008: Peter Eastgate 2007: Jerry Yang 2006: Jamie Gold 2005: Joe Hachem 2004: Greg "Fossil Man" Raymer 2003: Chris Moneymaker 2002: Robert Varkonyi 2001: Carlos Mortensen 2000: Chris "Jesus" Ferguson 1999: J.J. "Noel" Furlong 1998: Scotty Nguyen 1997: Stu Ungar 1996: Huck Seed 1995: Dan Harrington 1994: Russ Hamilton 1993: Jim Bechtel 1992: Hamid Dastmalchi 1991: Brad Daugherty 1990: Mansour Matloubi 1989: Phil Hellmuth Jr. 1988: Johnny Chan 1987: Johnny Chan 1986: Berry Johnston 1985: Bill Smith 1984: Jack Keller 1983: Tom McEvoy 1982: Jack Strauss 1981: Stu Ungar 1980: Stu Ungar 1979: Hal Fowler 1978: Bobby Baldwin 1977: Doyle Brunson 1976: Doyle Brunson 1975: Sailor Roberts 1974: Johnny Moss 1973: Puggy Pearson 1972: Amarillo Slim Preston 1971: Johnny Moss 1970: Johnny Moss

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