Gal Yifrach Wins NAPT Title as Court Date Looms Next Week

California poker player Gal Yifrach won PokerStars North American Poker Tour Las Vegas $5,300 main event for $543,025 after a heads-up deal with Thomas Boivin. Now, Yifrach must turn his attention to an upcoming court date, as he still has felony charges looming.

In 2022, Yifrach was indicted on federal charges of operating an illegal gambling business and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The case has been slow to get started, as the defense and prosecution both have over 100,000 pages of evidence to dig through. However, it is finally moving forward with a pretrial status conference set for November 17.

Yifrach will only have a few days to fully celebrate the massive win. It’s the biggest career score for the 2018 World Series of Poker bracelet winner, whose Card Player profile now lists more than $3 million in tournament earnings.

Long-Running Case May Be Resolved in Coming Months

Yifrach has been out on bail since being indicted in March 2022. Investigators allege he headed an illegal slot operation in California that involved multiple co-conspirators, some of whom have pleaded guilty.

The operation allegedly produced proceeds of more than $500,000 in cash, “approximately 4.25 bitcoins,” and multiple real estate purchases.

Yifrach is accused of laundering at least some of the proceeds through California card rooms. He allegedly exchanged some of the cash they illegally earned for chips. He would then turn those chips into checks from the casinos or card rooms, which he then deposited in his bank and subsequently invested in real estate.

Yifrach has appeared on some high-stakes cash game streams in California, such as Hustler Casino Live.

The charges against Yifrach carry a prison sentence of up to 25 years, along with fines of up to $750,000.

However, it appears unlikely Yifrach will receive the maximum penalty. Others involved in the alleged operation have already received considerably milder sentences. Alleged co-conspirator Nick Shkolnik pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time served and a $10,000 fine.

The status conference scheduled for Nov. 17 will get the ball rolling on Yifrach’s case once more. Lawyers and prosecutors will go over the evidence and have the opportunity to discuss a last-minute plea bargain. If the case proceeds to a criminal trial, it would begin up to 120 days after the status conference. Such a development would mean Yifrach’s trial would likely begin in early 2026.

Yifrach Upsets Boivin at Final Table

In the meantime, as he awaits resolution of his case, Yifrach has busied himself at the poker tables. According to his Card Player profile, he has cashed 21 times in poker tournaments and won approximately $875,000 since the indictment.

The NAPT victory came against a field of 738 entries. PokerStars’ flagship U.S. live event at Resorts World Las Vegas produced a final table that included longtime ambassador Jen Shahade as well as top tournament pro Boivin.

Boivin looked like a massive favorite heading to the final day, holding more than half of the chips in play with six players remaining.

Given that advantage, it came as little surprise that the Belgian navigated his way to heads-up play with Yifrach. At the start of their showdown, Boivin held a 4-1 chip advantage. However, Yifrach found a way to even up the stacks, putting himself in a position to negotiate a deal. Both players secured $500,000 in the chop, leaving $24,450 to play for, which Yifrach ultimately won.