AC Caesars fined $75,000 for letting high-roller touch cards

Thursday, June 20, 2002 | 11:11 a.m.

ATLANTIC CITY -- New Jersey regulators fined Caesars Atlantic City Hotel Casino $75,000 on Wednesday for allowing a high-roller to touch his Pai Gow cards after the hand was set.

The fine stemmed from three incidents in April 2000 in which a gambler violated rules that ban Pai Gow players from touching their cards. State Division of Gaming Enforcement investigators identified the gambler only as "A.B."

In Pai Gow, a player must divide his seven-card hand into a five-card high hand and a two-card low hand. After placing them face down on the table, the player may not touch the cards again.

The gambler, who was betting $5,000 per hand, rearranged his cards after the dealer's hand was set. The hand was determined to be a push, or tie.

The next day the same gambler turned over his two low hands and the dealer failed to turn over his cards. The hand was never completed. In another incident later that day he was allowed to merge his two hands into one and claim a push after realizing he was going to lose his $5,000 bet.

The infractions were permitted because "unknown management persons" at Caesars told the dealer and floor person working with A.B. to let him touch his cards whenever he wanted, according to Deputy Attorney General Steven Robertson, who prosecuted the case for the state Division of Gaming Enforcement.

The casino is owned by Park Place Entertainment Corp. of Las Vegas.