Poker in the News

Mark Cherico, 36, was gambling at a poker table at Dania Jai-alai minutes after a holdup of the Washington Mutual Bank in Dania Beach, Florida.

Wearing a hat and sunglasses, he allegedly handed a teller a note demanding cash and fled on foot with $7000. A witness followed him and saw him duck behind a dental office to change his clothes, and then watched as he entered the Jai-alai Fronton. The witness then called the police and pointed Cherico out at the poker table.

The Broward Sheriff's office recoverd Cherico's clothes, his glove, and the robbery note along with the $7000 in cash. Cherico still had his hat and sunglasses.

Bold. Brazen. Fearless. I wonder if this guy was any good at poker? If the cops had shown up two hours later, would they have recovered any money at all? I think the funniest part is that he still had his hat and sunglasses on-- next time I'm sitting at the poker table with some young punk wearing sunglasses pretending to be at the World Series of Poker, I know that I'm going to wonder whether he just came from a bank heist.

Witness helps capture bank robbery suspect at poker table in Dania: South Florida Sun-Sentinel