Poker Writer
A shocking robbery of poker pro Jared Griener has captured the attention of the poker world in recent days after he posted the details of the ordeal.
According to Griener, two men were waiting inside the door of his Airbnb rental in Las Vegas. They tackled him and pinned him down, telling him they would kill him if he moved. The robbers hog-tied him with duct tape and took his bag with “literally all of my money” in it and his phone.
A door cam video from the house across the street, obtained by News3 Las Vegas, shows the aftermath of the robbery, with Griener in distress, duct tape visible on his wrists.
Another video also shows the two men that Griener described walking to and from the scene of the crime with what appears to be a backpack after the robbery.
Griener, from Huntington Beach, California, was coming back home to his Las Vegas Airbnb that he had rented for the World Series of Poker and spent over a month at while playing a full WSOP schedule. The robbery occurred on one of the final days of his stay, after his elimination from the main event in 218th place for $57,500. He said he had planned to go back to Los Angeles the following day.
Griener said the robbers took all his money after he cashed out. If Griener had all of his WSOP cashouts on him, that would have totaled around $77,000.
The one positive for Griener is that he did not come to any physical harm in the incident.
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Griener a Tournament Regular
The tournament grinder is often seen at poker events around the country and is a familiar face for many poker media members due to his frequent presence.
He travels to WSOP Circuit and World Poker Tour events and plays often in Los Angeles. He’s secured many of his results in his home market. Griener’s deep Day 5 main event cash of $57,500 was his biggest since August 2023, when he won more than $84,000 in a Bell Gardens event.
His career winnings exceed $3.3 million. Most of his best six-figure cashes came in a window from 2017 to 2020.
Carrying Cash a Risk For Poker Players
Carrying large amounts of cash is common among poker players who are used to paying entry fees and other players in cash. It is always a big security risk for these players to be carrying around thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of dollars in a backpack. Heading back to a parking lot or garage after cashing out is always one of the most stressful times for any player.
This case is more concerning for poker players because it happened inside his Airbnb. Many players choose to stay in Airbnbs in the Vegas area during the series, saving on costs with long-term rentals.
Many modern Airbnbs now use a pin code for a lock. In theory, someone could be in cahoots with the hosts to rob the visitor, or the code could be figured out in other ways. The robbers in Griener’s case knew the code and knew exactly when he was arriving, as they showed up at the residence just 10 minutes before he arrived. They also knew somehow that Griener had all his cash on hand.
The entire incident highlights the need for caution when poker players rent houses. The mere mention of poker or poker tournaments can constitute a heightened risk. Anyone with knowledge of the player’s living situation and patterns could conceivably plan a crime like this one.
There have been plenty of other examples of poker players getting robbed. One high-profile case from 2021 saw poker pro Chad Power robbed of $1 million from his home safe.
Criminals also attempted to rob Greg Raymer in his hotel hallway at the Bellagio a year after he won the WSOP main event.
Photo Credit: Monique Marestein / WSOP
