Stones Gambling Hall Takes Legal Turn as Players Sue for $30 Million

October 9th, 2019 | by Jason Reynolds

The Stones Gambling Hall scandal involving Mike Postle has taken another turn after Veronica Brill started legal proceedings.

Stones Gambling Hall

Alleged cheaters Stones Gambling Hall and Mike Postle may find themselves in court thanks to a lawsuit filed by their accusers. (Image: Stones Gambling Hall)

In what’s quickly becoming one of the biggest poker stories of 2019, those involved may now be heading to court. Following a series of unsatisfactory responses from Stones Gambling Hall and Postle, the incident’s instigator Brill has enlisted the help of Maurice VerStandig .

Himself a poker player and the owner of a law firm, VerStandig will work alongside California counsel Julian K. Bach to sue the plaintiffs. Also helping with the case will be Pennsylvania lawyer William Pillsbury as well as attorney and poker player Kelly Minkin.

Scandal Could Cost Stones Gambling Hall Millions

Collectively, the team will represent Brill and the 24 co-defendants now suing Stones Gambling Hall and Postle for cheating. Operating on the basis that this is a RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) case, the aggrieved are claiming for damages that could total $30 million.

The lawsuit itself has been filed by Bach and categorized as a “complaint and demand for trial by jury.” Under the list of causes, the legal team has noted possible instances of fraud, negligence, unjust enrichment and libel.

Postle and Stones Gambling Hall employee Justin Kuraitis have been explicitly named in the suit. Additionally, the filing makes provisions for “John and Jane Does,” meaning that other employees may yet be implicated in any wrongdoing.

At this stage, only theories on how Postle may have cheated exist. However, the lawsuit identifies some of the most likely scenarios.

One suggestion is that Postle was receiving messages on his phone or via a hidden radio device. The assumption is that Stone Gambling Hall had failed to properly secure the software powering its live streams.

This allowed insider actors to view hand information and transmit it to Postle.

Theories Abound but Truth Remains Unclear

Digging for better understanding of live streaming technology, Pokernews spoke to Andrew Milner of PokerGFX. Although he wasn’t privy to the exact IT infrastructure used at Stones Gambling Hall, the California card room did use PokerGFX.

For Milner, the security of the system is only as good as the person it’s entrusted to. Because the software is designed to be flexible, users have to set their own conditions.

With that being the case, there’s a chance poor security protocols left the streams open to exploitation. Although Milner stopped short of making any accusations, he said it was entirely possible PokerGFX could have been used in a malicious way.

Since news of the lawsuit broke, Postle has remained silent. However, he, along with Stones Gambling Hall, have denied any wrongdoing.

Streams from the card room remain offline while a second investigation takes place. However, with a legal threat looming, any internal efforts could become public if the case goes to trial.

While Postle and Stones Gambling Hall remain innocent until proven guilty, the saga will remain headline news.

Indeed, with many factions of the poker community joining forces to review the case, it may yet prove to be one of the biggest scandals in the game’s history.

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