Anthony Zinno posted on social media to reject the allegation that he stole $19,000 from Corel Theuma and give his side of the story. [Image: Flickr.com / World Poker Tour]

Zinno gives his side

More than a week after being accused of stealing $19,000 from a fellow poker player’s bag, Anthony Zinno has broken his silence on the situation. Posting briefly on X (formerly Twitter) Thursday morning, Zinno denied the allegations from Corel Theuma, adding that he will reveal more “after the legal matter finishes.”

I'd like to share some thoughts, and I'll provide all details after the legal matter finishes:

We had all made it into the money, which ended the day. The ballroom was shut down for the night. I stood up to leave and then noticed a lost bag close by. My first instinct (it was a…

— Anthony Zinno (@AntZinno) February 8, 2024

Zinno explained that Day 1B of a $3,000 buy-in event at December’s WPT World Championship festival had concluded and he saw an unattended bag nearby when he was getting ready to leave. He took the bag to try to get it back to its rightful owner.

Zinno said that he wanted to figure out who the bag belonged to, get in contact with them, and meet up. When he was unable to do that, he took the bag to Encore Las Vegas lost and found and that was that. Zinno said he saw money in the bag, but did not count or otherwise touch it.

“I absolutely deny what is being alleged,” Zinno concluded.

Moment of forgetfulness leads to accusations

The theft allegations came to light in late January, first mentioned on the “Only Friends” poker podcast, then gaining traction on the Two Plus Two and Poker Fraud Alert sites. On January 29, Corel Theuma posted on X to tell his side of the story.

ran back to the poker room only to find the bag, which he said contained $20,000, missing

The beginning is the same as Zinno’s: Theuma accidentally left his bag at the poker table at the conclusion of the night. When he realized what he had done, he ran back to the poker room only to find the bag, which he said contained $20,000, missing. Nobody he asked knew about it.

The next day, Theuma called the casino’s lost and found and was told his bag was there, but only had $1,000 in it. He picked up the bag and filed a police report. That night, he got a call saying the police wanted to speak with him at the casino. When Theuma arrived, he said he saw Zinno being questioned. He claims that police told him that they saw Zinno on security footage pick up the bag and take it to a restroom. Theuma also claims security told him that Zinno had been banned from all Wynn properties.

Police report a mixed bag

The police report corroborates the meat of Theuma’s story, but does contain some details that differ. For example, while Theuma posted on X that he left the Encore ballroom (where the poker tournament was being held) to go outside and catch a cab, the police report says he told investigators that he went to use the restroom and “had to” leave his bag at the poker table.

Theuma told PokerNews that he did not say that.

doesn’t say how much time had elapsed since Theuma left

The police report confirms that Zinno was identified on security video taking the bag, though it doesn’t say how much time had elapsed since Theuma left. It also varies a bit from Theuma’s claim that he was told Zinno was seen on camera entering a restroom, instead reading, “Zinno walks quickly passing several security guards and exited the casino in a Lyft ride.”

The report also says that Theuma told the police officer that he “only had 19k to tip cocktail waitresses.” It is unclear what that exactly means.

Anthony Zinno is one of the most successful live tournament players of the past decade, with nearly $11.5m in earnings. He has four World Series of Poker wins in his career, three World Poker Tour titles, and earned WPT Season XIII Player of the Year honors.

Zinno’s story largely matches what the police report says he told law enforcement. In addition, the report confirms what Theuma admitted on social media, that he could not prove that the bag originally contained $20,000, though he said he will do his best to prove it.

Anthony Zinno has not yet been formally charged with a crime.