Gossip Column: Video of Brawl Outside Goa Casino Goes Viral, Chris Ferguson Apologizes After 7 Years & More

And so we’re back again with another edition of our PokerGuru Gossip Column with not one but four interesting and shocking incidents from the poker felts and the lives of people connected to them.

Our first story takes us to Goa, where an argument between a bunch of people and the staff at the pick up point of an offshore casino went from bad to worse leading to a brawl. A video clip of the incident got viral the tremors of which could be felt in the political circle with Congress demanding an investigation.

We then move to our second story that features Chris Ferguson, who has finally decided to speak up, or rather apologize to the poker community for the Full Tilt Poker’s indictment in fraud, way back in 2011. Now, poker pros like Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth had a lot to say on this!

But speaking of Hellmuth we come to our next update, on Hellmuth’s health. The poker champion who recently tweeted about his “heart condition” has now tried to assuage his fans as he prepares to join the WSOP grind.

In our last story, we will take you straight to Austin where the two men who had assaulted Tom Steinbach and his friend outside Texas Card House have been nabbed. One of them was a security officer of the poker club! What is this world coming to we say?!

So get your reading glasses on and check out our bounty of gossipy updates right here on PokerGuru!

Video of Brawl Between Casino Employee & Tourists Outside Offshore Goa Casino Goes Viral

A video clipping of a brawl that occurred at the entrance of an offshore casino in Panjim, Goa has gone viral. Sending shockwaves across the casino circuit the video shows the casino staff arguing with a group of Indian tourists and in the heated moments that ensued one of the casino employees was seen engaged in a violent struggle with a man and assaulting a women member of the group.

Meanwhile, Congress has renewed its attack on the BJP-led coalition government in Goa.

“Thevideo shows how the casino industry has not just taken Panaji, but the whole of Goa to ransom. Their employees are brutally assaulting people on the streets and yet no police complaint is registered against casino operators for assault,” State Congress spokesperson Siddhanath Buyao said, during a talk with reporters in Panaji.

Buyao demanded a probe into the incident and chargedthat casino operators are taking law in their own hands while the Goa government is busy cracking down on small street kiosks.

North Goa police has said no formal complaint on the incident either by the casino operator or the victim, has been made.

Video Clip Of The Incident That Went Viral And Was Uploaded on YouTube By a User Called Sj-Talk

Chris Ferguson Breaks Silence After 7 Years, Apologizes in a Video Upload

We haven’t heard of Chris Ferguson talking much in a while now, seven years to be exact! Ferguson, who was part of the core team of ‘Full Tilt Poker’ that got busted in 2011 after Full Tilt Poker was heaped with allegations of fraud and malpractice and lost its Alderney license after investigations, had kept mum about the entire incident.

In fact we couldn’t even spot Ferguson on the poker grind until 2016 when he reappeared at the WSOP and cashed 10 times.

Ferguson refused to comment on the ‘Black Friday’ sticking to his “I’m just here to play poker” line. The 2017 WSOP saw Ferguson make a better comeback and he finished up runners-up in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud to cash $151,700 amid other wins equaling a total of 15 cashes.

Finally, in a video clipping Ferguson has made an attempt to reach out, and apologize. Poker world pros including Daniel Negreanu expressed their surprise on this!

It took all this time for Chris Ferguson to come up with THIS apology?

So heartfelt. Had me in tears. 😂😂😂https://t.co/2fthKNDdqo

My prediction: this doesn’t actually help his cause. Quite the opposite.

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) May 24, 2018

Phil Hellmuth also had something to say!

Here is a video from Chris Ferguson. It’s a shame that so many of the younger poker players have JUDGED Chris so harshly. I believe that the whole truth about Full Tilt Poker will come out, and I believe the “Haters” will be surprised #IAmALoverNOTAJudgehttps://t.co/CABB6MXqS6

— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) May 24, 2018

“I worked relentlessly to ensure all players got paid back, and I sincerely apologize it took as long as it did.” …those of us who were red pros and had a smaller balance than what we were paid rakeback for being a red pro got nothing — will Chris pay us back out of pocket?

— Mike Schneider (@schneidspoker) May 24, 2018

Phil Hellmuth Reveals Heart Condition, Says He’s Better & There’s No Reason to Worry

After sending his fans in a tizzy by revealing that he has a heart condition called atrial fibrillation’ aka AFib,Poker superstar Phil Hellmuth has now assured the poker fraternity that there’s no reason to worry and he’ll be seen on the poker felts with full force this summer.

The 14-time WSOP bracelet winner took to Twitter recently and talked about his health.

Feels like I’ve been covered in stardust the last few months: flowing along, great things happening, having fun funfun. Then Sunday 11 AM went into AFIB (not a big deal) until 9 AM today (damn it!). Didn’t leave bed for 36 hours. Flowing along and then…This #LIFE#UpsAndDowns

— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) May 21, 2018

Concerns have poured in from the poker world. Poker pro Doyle Brunson took to Twitter and advisedHellmuth to take care.AFib, according to healthcare organizations can be a serious condition.

But it looks like Hellmuth,who’s known for his bratty withas decided not to be cowed down by AFib.Hellmuth said it’s “just a littleAFib!”

Earlier this week the poker pro entered the $10,000 buy-in WPT Bobby Baldwani Classic at Las Vegas. He will also be seen at the $300,000 buy-in Super High Roller Bowl on May 27 from where he will jump right into his WSOP grind.

Police Nab Culprit in San Antonio Armed Robbery Outside Austin Poker House

Weeks after local poker player Tom Steinbach known in poker circles as ‘3betpanda’ and his friend were assaulted and shot at outside the Texas Card House, Austin police have now nabbed the two men who were involved.

While one of the accused, Charles Clines-Martinez who was employed in the club as a security officer was arrested earlier in Austin, prime suspect, Jermain Spirlark, 41 who had been on the run has finally been arrested.

APD Robbery Detectives announce two arrests in April 30, 2018 Texas Card House aggravated robbery. https://t.co/fWQEK813j5

— Austin Police Dept (@Austin_Police) May 21, 2018

After the shootout Steinbach who was near-fatally injured had been taken to a local hospital where he recovered. The arrests have brought a sigh of relief amid the poker playing community in Texas who had taken to Instagram and Twitter to express their outrage after the shootout.

So this is all for today’s PokerGuru Gossip Column. We shall soon bring you interesting and sensational stories from around the poker globe!