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New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez, affectionately known as A-Rod, has denied he took part in Hollywood high stakes poker games connected to a high profile ponzi scheme that netted Spider Man actor Toby Maguire.
The Spider Man star is named in a lawsuit in which investors are seeking over $300,000 from Maguire and other high profile defendants.
Investors claim hedge fund manager Bradley Ruderman, currently serving prison time, used their funds to host underground high stakes poker games in Tinseltown, losing $5.2 million of the monies invested as part of an elaborate ponzi scheme. Big name actors the likes of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were also mentioned as having taken part in the games but were not named in the lawsuit.
A-Rod was linked to the underground high stakes poker games by Star Magazine and he has flat out denied any involvement.
"Mr. Rodriguez has not participated in these poker games," spokesman Richard Rubenstein told the Daily News.
Star Magazine claimed it had three sources aware of Rodriguez’s attendance at these games.
"Initially, A-Rod came to the game and simply watched," an unnamed source told Star. "But once he knew what it was all about, he (bought) into the game. He played two or three times, I would estimate."
"This is the first we have heard about this and we will look into it," MLB spokesman Pat Courtney said when asked about the allegation.
Poker pro Adam Bilzerian, who along with his brother is named in the suit, told the Daily News he has played in high stakes poker games with the Yankees slugger before.
"Alex busted everyone except me. I was like whoa, this guy can play. He had an amazing run. He won about $20,000 and left with everyone's money," Bilzerian, 27, said of the encounter at the Bellagio in Vegas.
- Ace King, Gambling911.com
