Gossip Column: Kenneth ‘Naked Bandit’ Strauss Banned From Vegas Casinos For 2 Years, Arjun Rampal Playing Poker For a Cause

July 6, 2019, was a crazy day in the poker world when the ‘Naked Bandit,’ aka Kenneth Strauss, unleashed his madness at various Las Vegas casinos. Nearly a year after the incident took place, Strauss, who was found incompetent to stand trial, was ordered by a District Judge to undergo mental health treatment. While he managed to escape a lengthy prison sentence for his misadventures, Strauss has been banned from Las Vegas casinos for the next two years.

The lockdown period has seen many mainstream celebrities raising money from poker. The latest to join this bandwagon is Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal, a partner and brand ambassador for PokerHigh. He announced that he would be playing poker to help raise money for NGOs.

Kenneth Strauss Banned From Las Vegas Casinos For 2 Years

A little more than a year ago, Kenneth Strauss, aka ‘Naked Bandit’ had created quite a scene in Las Vegas. It was July 6, a momentous day for the ongoing WSOP series, as Day 1C of the Main Event was underway. Many peculiar things had happened that day, including a 7.1 magnitude earthquake that hit Southern California, affecting both the United States and Mexico.

However, the one incident that occurred that day resulted in severe consequences for Strauss. He was playing Day 1C of the Main Event but got disqualified for making a scene, which also involved ‘mooning’ his tablemates. Following his disqualification, he made his way to the Luxor, where he got caught walking on a poker table.

All these incidents were recorded on video and shared on twitter.

Uhhhhhh what is going on at the #WSOP main event??? Player shoves blind, drops his pants, then throws his shoe on the table (video via @blattsmullet) pic.twitter.com/oHGk5pjlnJ

— Scott Davies (@sdaviespoker) July 5, 2019

Just happened at the WSOP Main Event. (Drunk?) dude all in blind preflop (full stack) level one. Tables his hand early. Takes shoe off and throws it at a dealer / player in the tank.

Who throws a shoe?
(Hilarious, but not great for the game…)

??‍♂️??‍♂️ cc @RemkoRinkema @Kevmath pic.twitter.com/PHMf6dI4aZ

— Ian Chan (@chanian) July 5, 2019

The #nakedbandit strikes again. First the Rio, and now a show for everyone at the Luxor. ?‍♂️?‍♂️@Joeingram1 @WSOP pic.twitter.com/yxxoopzTsJ

— Jeremy Brown (@JGBrown22) July 6, 2019

However, the madness did not end there. Strauss posted a garbled tweet on the day that he was arrested: “Shootings are taking place all over Las Vegas. Please leave me alone @VenetianVegas I have no place to go currently. And all Casinos that have me banned will be destroyed effective immediately. And @Rio, get my belongings together immediately when @POTUS declares safe I’m going.”

It didn’t end at that. Strauss went on to carry out a string of bizarre acts – both clothed and unclothed – at various Vegas properties, including the ARIA, Red Rock, and the Venetian, before being arrested at the Trump International Hotel on July 27, 2019.

He was ultimately indicted on one count of conspiracy to make a threat or convey false information concerning an act of terrorism. In October last year, Strauss was found incompetent to stand trial and was ordered by a judge to undergo more psychiatric tests.

The 46-year-old has undoubtedly avoided a lengthy prison sentence. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Strauss was sentenced to probation after a deal with prosecutors. Under the ruling from District Judge Mary Kay Holthus, Strauss must undergo mental health treatment, not visit Clark County or have any contact with Las Vegas casinos for two years.

Appearing via video conference for sentencing, Strauss said, “I’m just very sorry for what happened. And I’m just going to continue focusing on my mental health improving.”

Bollywood Actor Arjun Rampal to Play Poker to Support NGOs

Bollywood has been at the center of an enormous storm following the death of beloved actor Sushant Singh Rajput. However, some celebrities are still trying to do their best for the people of their country in such dire circumstances. After actor Sonu Sood stepped up to help out the migrant workers to reach their homes safely, another Bollywood star has come forward to do his bit. This time its model-turned-actor Arjun Rampal.

The 47-year-old actor, a partner and brand ambassador for PokerHigh, has decided to play poker to raise money for NGOs.

With the shutdown of casinos in Goa and Sikkim, live poker has come to a halt, but online poker is booming. Talking about the growth in number for online poker, Rampal said, “There was a big surge in the number of people logging in to play [poker] during the lockdown. We thought why not use this skilled game to give back to smaller NGOs that have not been getting recognition.”

There are different teams representing the charities, and people can decide which one they wish to play for. The initiative, which Rampal says has been “successful”, started two months ago when the group began sending food parcels to around two lakh people. “This is our third month, and we get players from all over India. The winners get to keep what they win. Whatever stake the ‘bank’ makes goes to the NGOs,” he said.

Chennai-based Pudhiya Udhayam, CUPA in Bengaluru, and Humanity for Animals in Kochi are among the NGOs benefitting from this initiative. “Human life is important but so are the lives of animals,” Rampal stated.

He also disclosed that during phase one, they managed to generate ₹2.11 Lakhs, of which CUPA received a little over ₹72,000 (it took care of the feeding of over 150 dogs at the center for a month). Pudhiya Udhayam received ₹1.38 Lakhs, which took care of dry rations for over 500 families in Chennai.

Talking about his gameplay, the D-Day actor said, “My game is decent. But there is room for improvement.”

He also said that he has been using his time at home during the lockdown to improve his game. “This time has been amazing as it allows you to introspect, pause, and have a lot more clarity. Lot of things in life seem unnecessary, and you can put them out of your list.”