Rick Salomon Can’t Claim a Gambling Debt

Poor Rick Salomon can’t claim a gambling debt from a French game of poker. The American professional poker player has come unstuck in his bid to claw back a $2,2million gambling debt that was run up by a Saudi Sheikh.

Introduction: Rick Salomon Can’t Claim a Gambling Debt

Rick Salomon is probably more famous to the public for his efforts in starring in, publishing and promoting the infamous Paris Hilton sex tape. Also for twice marrying and divorcing Pamela Anderson. Online poker news in the US claim says that he won the money during a game of Texas Hold’em being played at the Tiara Miramar Beach Hotel on the French Riviera. As for the man he won the money from, that was the son of one of Saudi Arabia’s wealthiest of families, Raad al-Khereiji.

Archaic French Laws

Salomon has spent a considerable amount of both time and money pursuing the debt through the French Court system. Though the Saudi welshed on the debt, Salomon has come face to face with an archaic French law which deals with the enforcement of French gambling debts. The law, dating back to 1804 and never repealed, only enforces gambling debts on certain games. These are bets which involve “involving weapons, foot or horse racing, chariot races, tennis and other games of the sort which involves physical skill and exercise.” Yes, you read that right, it really says chariot races!” It’s obvious that the authors of such a law could only envisage a gambling game that required the use of, “the exercise of the body.” As opposed to playing cards. Unless you’re in a moving chariot!

Rick Salomon Can’t Claim a Gambling Debt: A Saudi Whale

Ronald Sokol, who is the lawyer for Salomon, was certainly able to demonstrate that poker is a game of skill. But on the “exercise” part, he was not so successful. Though his claim was that the playing of poker over a lengthy period of time should be considered just that. After all, the Tiara Miramar session was an “energy consuming” 48 hours. Raad al-Khereiji claimed that the game was a “friendly” one, “with no financial stake.” Like you can play with Intertops Poker. This claim appears to be based on shaky evidence. Records obtained of previous games he had played at the Aria in Las Vegas revealed he wasn’t one to play with small amounts.

Both Big Spenders

To put this in perspective, the Saudi spent around $34 million over a 29 month period. This was whilst playing at the Aria’s high-stakes game in the Ivey Room (named after the poker player, Phil Ivey). Likewise, Salomon doesn’t like to play for small stakes. He could be often found in Molly Bloom’s. This is where high stakes poker games take place. The venue was immortalized in the film, “Molly’s Game.”

Rick Salomon Can’t Claim a Gambling Debt: Yet More Fraud

And how do we know this? Well, because he was once part of a law suit. A group of investors bought a legal action, which also names, Nick Cassavetes, Dan Bilzerian, Tobey Maguire and others. It turns out that the  stake money had been obtained via crime, coming from the pockets of the fraudulent hedge fund manager, Brad Ruderman. Ruderman managed to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars to this group of players. Not surprisingly, after going after Ruderman, the investors then turned their legal guns towards the players, who were unaware of the real source of their funding. Toby Maguire later settled out of court. Should of stuck with online poker sites from the US.

Not So Friendly Divorce

Whilst going through a very messy divorce with Pamela Anderson, court filings showed that Salomon managed to win $40 million from Andy Beal. That’s the billionaire Texas banker and high stakes poker player. Unfortunately for Salomon, this came out as Anderson sought to prove that he was hiding money.  And that was from both the taxman and from her.

Could Be a While

Back to the French courts. Sokol told the UK Daily Telegraph, “We are considering taking this all the way to the French supreme court. The French rule on gambling debts has been in effect since 1804. There has been no case law since in the civil courts.” So they will try and go through the French legal system and trying to introduce new legislation in order to repeal a law. So it’s no surprise that Rick Salomon can’t claim a gambling debt and will be out of pocket from some time. Anyway, good luck with that. Better stick with an online site like Intertops Poker.