Mike Postle Escapes Court-Ordered Debt Following Poker Score...This Time
Rumors that Mike Postle's recent poker tournament winnings were seized are inaccurate, lawyers for Veronica Brill confirmed to PokerNews. But those same attorneys will continue to keep the pressure on the accused poker cheater in hopes of one day collecting a $27,000 court-ordered debt.
Postle finished seventh for $32,703 in the $1,200 buy-in Million Dollar Heater series Main Event at Beau Rivage Casino, an MGM Resorts property. On his final hand, in which he held an over-pair, his opponent Brock Gary tanked for 30 seconds facing an all in bet before calling with top set.
Rumors began to spread on social media that Postle's winnings had been frozen. PokerNews reached out to Adam Nash, the poker room manager at Beau Rivage, but he declined to comment. He also wouldn't comment on the Rounder Life claim that they were barred from reporting on the final table. Rounder Life is owned by Evert Caldwell, a personal friend and ally of Postle.
Although Postle resides in Northern California and is originally from Wisconsin, he has a lengthy history of playing poker in Mississippi, including at Beau Rivage.
Why the Money is Owed
Brill accused Postle of cheating during numerous Stones Live streams in 2019. She, along with others who competed in the games, filed a lawsuit against the Northern California poker pro and the casino, Stones Gambling Hall. Postle then returned the favor with a $300 million lawsuit against Brill and just about anyone within the poker community who accused him of cheating (Daniel Negreanu, Doug Polk, etc.).
As was predicted by virtually everyone, the lawsuit was a failure, and Postle received nothing — not even a consolation prize from the judge, just a bevy of legal fees and a shattered reputation. But it did cause Brill and others involved to countersue for legal expenses, and they won.
Per the court's order, Postle owes Brill over $27,000 but hasn't paid up. Thus, she sought a way to confiscate the alleged poker cheater's winnings while he competed in Monday's final table.
Rogen Chhabra, an avid poker enthusiast who heads the Chhabra & Gibbs, P.A. firm in Mississippi, offered to file a judgment in Harrison County on behalf of Brill ahead of the final table with the intent to garnish enough to cover Postle's debt.
Writ of Garnishment Filed Against Accused Poker Cheater
On Jan. 17, Chhabra, who represented Brill free of charge, filed a writ of garnishment against Beau Rivage Resorts, LLC in the Circuit Court of the First Judicial District of Harrison County, Mississippi. He provided the documents to PokerNews.
Mr. Chhabra, in a phone conversation, explained that despite the efforts to collect on a court-ordered debt, an email he received from MGM Resorts implied that Postle was paid his winnings.
Marc Randazza, the attorney who represented Brill in the California lawsuit to collect on legal fees accrued, confirmed to PokerNews that Postle "got away" this time due to not having enough time to file the court documents before the casino had to pay out the money.
"By the time we identified him and got our court documents filed, the casino was compelled under Mississippi gaming law to pay him out," Randazza said. "So he got away...this time. But if he thinks we are just going to go away, he is mistaken."
Chhabra explained that the initial writ of garnishment filing was required to be done "personally" and not electronically, which slows down the process. But he said that going forward, if Postle returns to Mississippi to play poker, things could be different.
“The time that it took from late Monday afternoon until today is because there’s all that paperwork needed to be done, and it needed to be personally filed," Chhabra explained. "Now that the judgment is enrolled, it’s on the Mississippi court system, so if Mike Postle is spotted in another tournament in Mississippi, I can file a writ of garnishment electronically immediately.”
What that means is should Postle cash again in Mississippi and still have an outstanding debt owed to his client, he could expedite the process and force garnishment before the casino pays him out. Chhabra resides in Harrison County but could have filed it in any of the state's 82 counties, he said.
“I’ve enrolled the California judgment in Harrison county. That will be there for seven years, and I can continue enrolling it as many times as I want to," Chhabra stated.
Beyond being a successful high-profile attorney, Chhabra has some poker accomplishments, including $286,000 in live tournament cashes, according to Hendon Mob. He competed in the historic $10,400 buy-in WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas last month but busted a bit short of the money on Day 2. He said he's heading to Seminole Hard Rock in South Florida on Thursday for the Lucky Hearts Poker Open Main Event.
Randazza said that the outstanding debt Postle owes "increases at 10% interest."
"He's either going to have to run forever, never make any money, or his evasion is actually a pretty good investment. We wouldn't be getting 10% APR on our money in any bank account."
