It's a beautiful stretch of beach, a picture perfect vacation spot for parents and children...and for potential card players.
Good evening and welcome to Dateline, I'm Chris Hansen. Tonight we are back with our 11th to catch a card player investigation. We've come to this scenic coast of New Jersey and once again just like our 10 other investigations online poker players we're pratically lining up at the door.
We've been catching supsected internet poker players for more than three months, exposing players on the hunt for online poker games. More than 200 players have been arrested and after 11 different investigations in eight different states 117 players have pleaded guilty or have been found guilty by a judge or jury. Yet there are still people out there willing to take the risk of getting caught. It seems that no matter where in America we go we find players ready and willing to put up their bankroll for online poker.
During our latest investigation in Ocean County, New Jersey it's no different, players familiar with our reports show up anyway.
We're operating out of this multi-million dollar house on the Jersey shore. On the top floor members of Gambler's Justice, a watchdog group we have hired as consultants are on local poker forums posing as bad poker players.
"It's so nice outside we could log on on the beach"
The Gambler's Justice team have set up profiles throughout the city with lifetime negative ROIs, some in the house and others on computers across the country are waiting to be offered a game by online players. GJ says it's decoys never make the first contact if the player decides to join them for an online poker game, the decoy will agree and invite the player over to for a private online session.
Waiting in the detached garage are officers of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. They have teamed up with Gambler's Justice to conduct this operation. Prosecutor Tom Kellor was open to outside assistance for his online poker playing unit.
"We only have four people in that unit and if we could get help that met with our standards we would welcome and embrace that kind of help."
The prosecutor admits he was concerned about working with Gambler's Justice.
"We had heard some criticism from official sources as a matter of fact which is why I was so reluctant. After we did our due dillegence, I was satisfied to go ahead with it."
5/19/11 9:37pm:
"That should be 'whosurdealer' in the silver corrola"
A total of 11 cameras have been hidden outside, the moment a card player drives into the neighborhood his every move is recorded as he pulls up to the house, gets out of his car, approaches the door, even if he goes to the front of the house cameras will be watching. Should he go into the house another six cameras have been installed inside.
We've hired 23 year-old Casey to play the part of the online donk home alone with a still active Full Tilt account. She has a 52% vpip and goes to showdown 92% of the time.
Casey: "Would you like to go play out on the beach first"
Man: "Yeah, sure"
This is 44 year old Greg Smith, FTP name: whosurdealerNJ. He's a credit and collections consultant who drove an hour and a half to get here. He thinks Casey is the online fish he's been chatting to in the FTP forums for 2 weeks. The girl whose bankroll he planned on taking.
whosurdealernj: Once we're logged on we can do all kindsa stuff
Decoy: Really what kinda stuff?
whosurdealernj: 3-bet each other and feel how excited each other are
Decoy: ...lol ya never gone allin before lol
whosurdealernj: i'll make it nice for you
The Decoy asked whosurdealernj to bring some magazines of various poker players. He said he would bring her favorite: Cardplayer featuring an article on Patrik Antonious.
Casey: "I turned around to walk up the beach and all of a sudden I hear the laptop bag opening and he's setting up his screen, that scared me the most"
But Casey knew security was close by ready to protect her.
Casey: "Once they are logged on it's fine they are not getting up for any reason."
He tells Casey he brought her the presents he mentioned online.
Casey: "So you bring the magazines?"
Greg: "Yeah, the one with Patrik Antonious as the centerfold"
Casey: "Oh yeah, he's my favorite!"
And....he brought one more thing....
Casey: "So....did you bring a bankroll for online?"
Greg: "Yeah I did, it's on paypal waiting to transfer"
Casey: "Oh paypal, ok. So I see you like to play online poker?"
Greg: *Big Grin* "yeah....yeah"
Now it was time for this consultant to meet someone closer to his playing ability.
Chris Hansen: "What type of consulting is going on today?"
Greg: "Nothing."
Chris: "Nothing huh?...what's happening?"
Greg: "Just....getting ready to go."
Chris: "What were you doing HERE though?"
Greg: "Nothing, I just came down to hang out, that's all."
Chris: "Just to hang out."
Greg: "Yeah, i'm not gonna do anything. I'll leave right now."
Chris: "How much illegal online poker do you play?"
Greg: "Maybe once or twice a week."
Chris: "Once or twice a week? Wanna try again?"
Greg: ".....everyday"
Chris: "Everyday."
Greg: "yeah."
Chris: "You talk about Pot Limit Omaha with the girl."
Greg: "No sir! I never --"
Chris: "Uh, No? It's in the chat log right here."
It appears whosurdealerNJ is not familar with our to catch a player broadcasts and thinks I am with law enforcement.
Greg: "Please don't arrest me, please! I swear to God please!"
Chris: " I mean these are your words...."
Greg: "I know I am so embarassed. Please I am really a good guy. I swear I would never do this again."
Chris: "Well what's a good guy trying to do down here having an illegal online poker game with a 23 year-old fish?"
Greg: "I don't know sir."
Chris: *Quoting from the chat logs* "I'd love to see how deep stacked I can get while playing with you."
Greg: "Alright, maybe I have a problem maybe to go see a gambling therapist. I'm a very lonely guy, I don't have a girlfriend. I know it's wrong."
Chris: "Well Greg, what do you think ought to happen to you?"
Greg: "Please if you let me go I swear....you can have the poker magazines and anything I have on me"
Chris: "Oh you're gonna give ME the magazines....what a swell guy you are."
Greg: "No I swear I'll go home, I'll get help."
Chris: "You knew you could get in trouble for this right?"
Greg: "No, I know sir."
Chris: "You know since April 15th, this is illegal right?"
Greg: "Yes, yes I know. I'm a very religous person."
Chris: "You're a religious person?"
Greg: "I am. I am a very good family man. I'm very close to my family, my mother is very sick."
Chris: "Well then why aren't you hanging out with your mother as opposed to trying to play online poker with a 23 year-old fish? Explain to me how religious that is."
Greg: "I know, there's something wrong with me"
Here's the part where I tell him I am Chris Hansen with Dateline NBC and give him a chance to respond.
Greg: "I have nothing else to say."
Chris: "Then you are free to go."
Free to go....but not very far. Officers have moved into position and are ready to arrest him.
Officers: "Get down. Get down! GET DOWN NOW! Face down right now! Face down! Hands behind your back!"
Darlene from Gambler's Justice hands over the chat logs to the arresting officer. The suspect is then taken away to an unmarked car and brought into a local police station and brought in for questioning.
This is just one of the many players who will be arrested here in New Jersey over the Next three and a half days. Most of them will claim they weren't doing anything wrong. If you think you have seen it all on to catch a player. You haven't seen Player: New Jersey.
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