World Series of Poker professional Cory Zeidman pled guilty on Wednesday to defrauding bettors by falsely claiming to have inside information on sporting events.
Zeidman was arrested in May 2022 on charges of fraud and money laundering related to a sports betting scheme. He allegedly brought in over $25 million from his victims.
Before he schemed individuals into claiming he had inside information to fix games and provide nonpublic injury information, Zeidman had a pretty laid-back life. He was well-known in the poker world.
I stalked his Twitter/X (because that’s what I do), and he would do play-by-play with his poker games, which is interesting.
Zeidmanalso used to have a column that he would write at All IN Magazine. That doesn’t appear to be in publication anymore. He would do radio appearances, so he wasn’t afraid to speak. That might be different now.
With pocket fours. I had pocket nines. All action was preflop. He gets up to pack his stuff to leave and binks a four. #pokerisfun
— Cory Zeidman (@CoryZeidman) August 24, 2013
Growing up, Zeidman was a casual poker player who had a knack for the game of strategy, and he learned how to play from his mom.
As time went on and Zeidman began to win, he earned a reputation as one of the game’s rising stars.
In day 1 of the WSOP Main Event, there was one of the most epic hands in poker history with Zeidman and Jennifer Harman.
In 2012, Zeidman won the illustrious WSOP bracelet, earning him a reputation as one of the best.
Things didn’t stop from there, however. The success continued. Tournaments and cash-game winnings came, and he became known for his fearless style of play.
But… of course, you know how the story goes. The highs come with the lows. Despite earning respect from his poker peers and admiration from fans, things changed in 2018.
The sports betting scheme he orchestrated with partners lasted from 2006 to 2020. The charges piled up from money laundering, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. He would use the funds from his victims to support his luxurious lifestyle. They were under the impression this was a risk-free operation. Some even gave up their life savings and retirement to invest.
[ESPN]
