Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner: Poker Player Pretends to Have Terminal Cancer to Fund Las Vegas Trip
In a stunning turn of events, a poker player who claimed to have terminal cancer and accepted donations to play in a World Series of Poker tournament in Las Vegas has revealed that it was all a big hoax.
The player, who goes by the moniker “Big Stack Bandit,” claimed that he had been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer and that his dying wish was to compete in the tournament. Moved by his plight, supporters from around the world donated thousands of dollars to fund his trip to Sin City.
But now it turns out that the whole thing was a sham. In a statement released through his attorney, Big Stack Bandit admitted that he never had cancer and that he used the donations to fund a lavish vacation in Las Vegas instead.
“I messed up, guys,” the statement read. “I don’t have cancer. I just wanted to go to Las Vegas and party like a rockstar. And thanks to all of you who coughed up your hard-earned cash, I was able to do just that.”
The revelation has left many feeling betrayed and angry. Donors who thought they were helping a dying man fulfill his final wish now feel like they’ve been duped by a con artist.
“I can’t believe this,” said one supporter who wished to remain anonymous. “I gave him my rent money because I thought he was dying. And now I find out he was just looking for a good time in Vegas? That’s low.”
Others have taken to social media to express their outrage, with some calling for legal action to be taken against Big Stack Bandit.
“I hope they lock this guy up,” wrote one Twitter user. “Taking advantage of people’s kindness like this is despicable.”
Despite the backlash, Big Stack Bandit remains unrepentant. In fact, he seems to be reveling in the attention his scam has garnered.
“Sorry, not sorry,” he said in a statement to the press. “I had the time of my life in Vegas, and if I had to pretend to have cancer to do it, so be it. I’m kind of a big deal now, aren’t I?”
It remains to be seen what the fallout from the scandal will be. Some are calling for the World Series of Poker to ban Big Stack Bandit from future tournaments, while others are urging an investigation into how he was able to perpetrate such a brazen fraud.
But one thing is clear: the poker world will never forget the name Big Stack Bandit. Whether he’ll be remembered as a cancer faker or a legendary gunslinger remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: he’s definitely made his mark on the game.
