Poker Player KGAO Says He Was Stabbed by Girlfriend Lynne Ji; Ji Denies Allegations

Poker player Kevin “KGAO” Gao claimed on Doug Polk’s channel that he was stabbed by his girlfriend Lynne Ji following a dispute involving escorting. Ji denies the allegations, has been charged with attempted murder, and was released after posting bail.

Kevin “KGAO” Gao claims he was seriously stabbed by his on-and-off girlfriend, fellow poker player Lynne Ji, after the pair argued over allegations that Ji had been working as an escort. The alleged victim of the violent crime told his side of the story on Doug Polk’s YouTube channel. Gao also addressed rumors circulating on social media suggesting that he stabbed himself and then called police in an attempt to frame Ji—reportedly also the basis of her defense.

The conversation began with Gao providing some background. He said he dropped out of school a few years ago to play poker, initially playing low stakes, but hit two massive bad beat jackpots in a short period of time. After winning the prize money, he decided to take shots at higher-stakes games.

Relationship Takes a Turn

Gao previously dated Hustler Casino Live fan-favorite player Britney Jing, who has recently been embroiled in a scandal of her own. He subsequently had an on-and-off relationship with Ji. Although they were not technically dating, they signed a lease and moved in together a few months ago. Polk asked the alleged victim why he would live with someone with whom he had an on-and-off relationship.

“That’s a good question,” Gao replied. “I enjoyed spending time with Lynne. Her sublease was about to end, and she really wanted to move in. So I decided to give it a try and see what would happen.”

According to Gao, the poker-playing couple was staying at a hotel the night before the incident. He said he learned some disturbing information that evening.

“The night before the incident, I found out that Lynne had been escorting throughout the months we had been seeing each other. Yes, we weren’t officially together, but it still didn’t feel good,” Gao claimed.

According to his account, an argument erupted, and the two returned to their apartment the following day. Ji approached him while he was playing online poker and asked whether they could discuss the argument. Gao said he did not want to talk and asked her to give him some space and go elsewhere, but she refused.

“Eventually, she came at me, kicked me or hit me, and I restrained her. At that point, she really wanted to hurt me. She bit my leg really hard,” Gao claimed.

He said he pulled her away by her hair. She then left and said, “You’ll regret this.” Gao continued, saying he looked outside the door and saw her pull out a kitchen knife. He said his next move was to lock the door and call 911 for help. But he claimed that seconds later, she broke through the door and chased him with the knife.

Gao said he fell and was trapped in the corner of the room.

“She raised her hand and stabbed downward. I was very lucky because I rolled onto my right shoulder, so she probably hit my shoulder area,” Gao claimed.

A photo of a deep cut on Gao’s left shoulder has circulated online. After being stabbed, he claims he grabbed the knife and ran downstairs, at which point police arrived.

Gao said he was stabbed only once. But while his wound was being treated, he was handcuffed, and an officer told him he was under investigation for stabbing himself—apparently the account Ji gave police. He denied to Polk that the wound was self-inflicted.

“I don’t think it would be possible for me to stab the knife that deeply into my own shoulder. With the knife and my left shoulder, physically I just couldn’t reach it,” he argued, pointing to his left shoulder.

Gao claimed that he had previously seen signs of violent behavior from Ji, including an incident in Las Vegas in which Ji allegedly smashed his computer. He said responding officers advised him to stay away from her.

“I also never thought she would go to such an extreme as to actually attack me with a kitchen knife,” Gao said.

Ji was arrested in Los Angeles and charged with attempted murder. Her bail was set at $1 million, and she was released on bail the following day, October 11. The poker player, who has appeared on shows such as High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark, has denied the allegations on X. If convicted of the felony, she could face more than five years in prison.

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