An English poker player has had his lawsuit against the Hippodrome Casino dismissed. He had claimed the property banned him after other players complained he cashed out too quickly in card-playing sessions at the property.
Dr. Mortaza Sahibzada was seeking £100,000 in compensation, according to The Independent.
Safe Gambling System
The Hippodrome is a PokerStars-branded poker venue and has hosted major events like the UK and Ireland Poker Tour.
The former engineering researcher at Imperial College in London said he was 86’d in September 2023 because of his “highly disciplined” approach.
Sahibzada, who has referred to himself as “an expert in safe gambling,” often used a “hit-and-run” approach, quickly leaving a table with wins of about £75. Other players typically frown on this practice because it does not give other players time to possibly win their money back.
Sahibzada referred to his strategy as “innovative” and noted that he won as much as £2,000 a month. He said the casino banned him after other players complained.
“I was making a living, and I became really good in my niche, which was to play for very short hours and to have a very modest target,” he told Central London County Court.
Court Weighs In
Officials at the Hippodrome pointed to other concerns during testimony, including negative interactions with players and staff.
“In September 2023, Hippodrome suspended him from membership following a number of unpleasant interactions with staff and concerns about problem gambling, and barred him from entering or gambling at its casino,” the casino’s attorney Harry Stratton said.
Stratton told the judge the case was “totally without merit” and “bound to fail.” He added: “It is not clear on what basis he says he has a legal right to gamble at Hippodrome, particularly in circumstances where Dr. Sahibzada explicitly acknowledges the casino’s statutory right to deny us the right to bet.”
Judge Andrew Holmes ultimately agreed with the casino and dismissed the case. He said Sahibzada had no grounds for the lawsuit.
“I cannot see how it can be said that there’s been any breach of a particular contract in these circumstances,” Holmes said. “The casino is entitled to decide who does or doesn’t come within its premises and use its services.”
Giving Action Becoming More Important
In recent years, private games became a popular facet of high-stakes poker games. As a result, players often need to give action to keep their seat and get invited back.
Some live-streamed cash games actually track VPIP (voluntarily put in pot) and PFR (pre-flop raise) to make sure players aren’t playing too tight.
Last year, Dan “Jungleman” Cates told Card Player he adjusted his play so that he could play in certain private games.
“One of the things that subtly helped me to get into these games was to have more style in my play,” the two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner said. “It takes a bit more risk to try and exploit people. No one wants to sit there and play boring-ass matches. They want to play games that are exciting, with action.”
The gambling world is full of lawsuits at the moment.
Kentucky residents recently sued to recoup losses from the Kalshi prediction market firm.
Also, a waitress at MGM National Harbor recently filed a lawsuit alleging the casino confiscated her $76,000 tip.
