LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A professional poker player says two men were waiting inside his Summerlin short-term rental when he returned from playing in the World Series of Poker on July 12, bound him with tape, and stole $50,000 in poker winnings along with his phone and wallet.
Jared Griener said he was on the ground before he could react.
“Before I could even think and register what happened, I was on the ground,” Griener said. “They pinned me to the floor, immediately had my arms behind my back and said, ‘don’t move or we’re going to kill you,’ over and over and over.”
Hog-tied and left on the floor
An incident report obtained by F0X5 shows the thieves hog-tied Griener after pinning him down.
“They tied my ankles, they tied my wrists behind my back, and they, like, connected my ankles and wrists so that I was just prone on the floor, completely immobile,” Griener said.
His attackers placed dishes on his back and told him they would return and shoot him if they heard any noise, Griener said. His statement to police shows he remained on the floor for approximately 10 minutes before attempting to free himself.
“The tape was kind of stuck to my shoes and socks… so I was able to slip my shoes and socks off, and that got me to be able to get one foot free and stand up,” Griener said.
Barefoot escape, neighbor calls 911
Griener said he ran barefoot to a neighboring home for help. A 911 caller described the moment he arrived.
“Some guy just came knocking on my door, and he was, like, bleeding and asking for help,” the caller said.
In a separate 911 call, Griener described what was taken.
“They hit me in the face, they took my phone, they took my wallet. And I’m a poker player. I’m here for the World Series. The poker had $50,000,” he said.
Griener said he believes he was targeted because of his status as a poker player.
“They know that I’m a poker player, man. I’m here for the World Series of Poker,” he said in the call.
‘No desire whatsoever to ever step inside a casino’
Griener said he escaped without serious injury but described a lasting impact on his career.
“It’s really unfortunate because that’s my living, you know what I mean? That’s what I’ve done for the last 10 years. And right now, at least, I have no desire whatsoever to ever step inside a casino or to have… I don’t even want to have $500 on me,” he said.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police told Fox5 the case is an ongoing investigation. The suspects remain at large.
A pattern of WSOP player robberies
Griener is one of at least seven World Series of Poker players to be targeted by robbers.
In 1998, WSOP player Doyle Brunson was left handcuffed to his wife following a home invasion robbery at his Las Vegas home.
In 2004, two gunmen attempted to steal $150,000 from Greg Raymer, who fought them off.
Robbers tied up and beat Jonathan Duhamel in his Montreal home after a tournament in 2011, stealing cash, a Rolex and his WSOP bracelet.
In 2019, Joey Salvaggi lost $8,000 in cash and chips to an armed robber in the parking garage of the Rio.
Also that year, Darren Elias faced a home invasion robbery when he returned to his home outside Philadelphia after playing in a Las Vegas poker tournament.
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