American poker player loses $30,000 win to mugger

A YOUNG American poker professional has been fleeced of $30,000 in cash - not playing high stakes cards inside Crown casino, but walking home.

Police believe Jason Potter, 22, - in Melbourne for the lucrative Aussie Millions, where he won the cash - was stalked by his attacker from the casino after cashing in his chips.

The attack on Potter soured the internationally televised tournament, which ended yesterday with Russian Alexander Kostritsyn, 21, pocketing $1.6 million.

The heavily built professional from Oklahoma played well during the week-long event to finish 31st but made a poor move when the tournament ended by seeking out an early morning burger.

Potter was walking back to his hotel room at Crown Plaza after feasting at McDonald's about 4.30am. "I had already been home to my hotel room but decided to go out and get something to eat because I was hungry," he said.

The knife-wielding bandit took off with the cash in Australian and US $100 bills.

Potter, who has made several hundred thousand dollars on the poker circuit, said he wished he had picked up his winnings as a cheque rather than in cash.

"I heard someone running resolutely behind me. As I turned around I just got knocked on the back of the head. I fell down and this guy reached immediately into my hooded pocket," he said.

Potter believes his attacker may have been a spectator at the poker tournament at the casino earlier in the day.

Potter, who dropped out of a political science degree to play poker professionally, has won about $300,000 in 12 months. He was stunned and shaken after the robbery but not injured. "I thought about trying to fight him but I thought no amount of money is worth it," he said.

Kostritsyn, meanwhile, was counting his $1.65million - the largest prize ever awarded in a live poker tournament in the southern hemisphere. Kostritsyn, from Moscow, was the youngest player and the only European at the final table of seven players.

He started playing poker full-time when he turned 18 and used his biggest previous win - $8900 - to buy straight into the Aussie Millions main event at Crown.

Melbourne's Michael Chrisanthopoulos finished third and won $700,000.

News Added: 21 January, 2008

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