Poker player Mortaza Sahibzada was permanently banned from cash games by a casino for using a "flash" strategy (leaving the table immediately after winning small amounts of money). He sued for £100,000 in damages but was ultimately ordered to pay £11,000 in legal costs.
A low-stakes poker player, banned for hit-and-run behavior, sought a six-figure settlement from a London casino but ended up paying the bill himself.
According to The Independent, the player, Dr. Mortaza Sahibzada, claimed in court that he was a "safe gambling expert" and stated that he was banned from the Hippodrome casino in September 2023 for "cashing out too quickly" at the poker cash table.
Poker player seeks compensation
Sahibzada, from England, is a regular at PokerStars LIVE Hippodrome, a PokerStars-branded poker room that has hosted the European Poker Tour (EPT). He claims to have a winning strategy: leaving the table after winning a small amount (around £75), even if he has just sat down.
This "flash" style of play has apparently led to the casino permanently banning the poker player. Sahibzada claims he wins around £2,000 a month through regular play. He is now banned from the casino and is attempting legal action by filing a £100,000 lawsuit.
Sahibzada has accused a casino manager in London's Central County Court of secretly favoring other poker players in the room who disagree with his "flash mob" strategy. Many poker players disagree with leaving the table immediately after winning a large pot, especially if the winner has just sat down. This is one of the unwritten rules of poker etiquette.
However, a casino employee told the court that the player, who claimed to be a professional poker player, had been temporarily suspended by Hippodrome Casino as early as September 2013 due to "multiple unpleasant interactions with staff and concerns about problem gambling," thus prohibiting him from entering or gambling at the casino.
Dr. Sahibzada was a former engineering researcher. According to The Hendon Mob's records, he had $17,000 in live tournament winnings, but had not won any since 2018.
He argued that his actions did not violate proper poker etiquette; on the contrary, "I was simply executing an extremely disciplined strategy." He then told the judge that players who disagreed with his "flash mob" tactics were being racially discriminatory, citing the Equality Act 2010. This act legally protects individuals from discrimination, harassment, and victimization in the UK workplace and wider society.
"They don't like foreigners winning money, that's how they see me—even though I'm not actually a foreigner," he said.
However, Judge Andrew Holmes told the poker player that his discrimination allegations were baseless. The judge then informed Sahibzada that "casinos have the right to decide who can enter their premises and use their services," and dismissed the case.
To make matters worse for the banned poker player, Judge Holmes ordered Sahibzada to pay the casino £11,000 in legal fees.
Hippodrome Casino has hosted numerous major poker tournaments over the years, including last year's "PokerStars at The Hippodrome Winter Series." The poker room, located on the third floor of the casino, has no rules against "flash mob" behavior.
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