Actors in the case
If the name Anthony Zinno is unfamiliar to you, he is a seasoned pro with over $11.6 million in live tournament winnings, three WPT Main Event titles and four WSOP bracelets to his credit. What's more, Zinno has a reputation in poker as a "likeable guy," which makes this case all the more shocking.
The other player in the case is Corel Theuma, who has $628,000 in winnings, according to the Hendon Mob. Theuma is number one on Malta's All Time Money List and currently lives in Florida. The players do not appear to know each other. "I know about Zinno, just like I know about Daniel Negreanu, but I don't have any relationship with him," Theuma said. "I've never even played on the same table with him."
What actually happened?
Theuma claims that a prominent pro was supposed to take his bag, which he forgot he had placed under his chair, and steal $19,000 in cash from it during December's WPT World Championship. The accusations were posted by Theuma on social network X and he shared more details with PokerNews. He also reported the theft to the police. Zinno, on the advice of his attorney, is not commenting on the matter at this time.
He described the matter to Theuma in a reply to a deleted comment thread. He claims that the bag he left under his poker seat at the Wynn Las Vegas contained $20,000 in cash, but when it was returned to him, only $1,000 remained. The incident was said to have taken place late in the evening of December 18, 2023, in the ballroom of the aforementioned hotel, where the opening Flight 1B of the WPT World Championship had just concluded. Zinno as well as Theuma were among the 200 players who packed their chips into a bag and slowly left the hall as successful advancers.
What happened next was reportedly caught on security camera footage, and led to Zinno's indictment. The latter was alleged to have taken Theuma's bag into the toilets and taken from it most of the chips and/or cash that were allegedly in Theuma's bag. The player realized that he had forgotten his bag a few minutes after leaving the Wynn Ballroom. When he returned, he allegedly discovered that the bag was gone.
The next morning, he was elated when the casino called him and told him that his missing property had been found. However, he soon discovered that only $1,000 of the $20,000 he said he had left in the bag remained. Theuma subsequently reports that the casino conducted an investigation that included many hours spent reviewing security camera footage. Allegedly, they were able to use them to identify Zinno, a four-time WSOP bracelet winner, as the person who returned the bag. Theuma told PokerNews that investigators told him they had footage of Zinno taking the bag. That, he said, was the reason he decided to press charges and gave police his side of the story.
Theuma is not a high-profile player within the poker community, but he has been endorsed online by several prominent figures, including Jesse Lonis, one of the best and most respected high stakes players. Lonis said on Twitter that he is a friend of the victim and can "guarantee he's not lying." He described Theuma as an "honest and good guy".
What's next?
As is typical in these situations, time will tell. If Zinno were arrested and faced trial in connection with any crime, it would eventually be known from public court records. Theuma alleges that Zinno was barred from all properties owned by Wynn. Whether that is indeed the case, we may never know officially, as casinos do not comment on the record in such matters. However, Zinno's absence from tournaments at Wynn would show up in poker databases after some time.
Some of the early parts of the incident appear to have been indirectly confirmed by people close to both players, but the truth of the matter remains hidden. Both Zinno and Theuma have confirmed in unison that their lawyers have urged them not to comment specifically on the matter. This includes disclosing any police or casino security report.
There are still several possible explanations for the incident, which include innocence or guilt. Theuma's claim that the bag originally contained $20,000, but only contained $1,000 when found by casino security, will also be subject to further investigation. In his Twitter/X thread, he claimed that he might be able to prove that he had $20,000 in his possession. However, even if Theuma could prove it, it might not be enough.
Whose side do you think the truth is on? What really happened to the contents of the bag? Let us know in the comments on our social media.
Source - PokerNews, Poker.org, Twitter (X), VegasSlotsOnline
