Poker Player Murdered Over Table Talk

7 years ago
Player Murdered Over Table Tale
16:31
31 Dec

(Photo: Nbcnewyork.com)

A poker room argument led to former US Marine Fernando Duarte being shot dead in the parking lot of the Miccosukee Resort and Casino in South Florida on Christmas night.



“A little poker room talk at the table itself,” is how Detective Flavio Rivera of the Miccosukee Police Department described the beginnings of the deadly events, which saw 13 shots being fired at the deceased - the two 25-year old defendants Kenin Bailey and Mikey Lenard claiming self-defense.

CBSMiami reported that:

"Duarte was asked to leave the poker room. Later, in the parking lot, police say, they all continued to argue. At one point, investigators say, the two suspects cut off Duarte twice. The second time, Duarte got out of his car and approached the pair. Police say Bailey then opened fire, shooting off 13 rounds."

Bailey’s co-defendant Lenard is accused of driving the car as Bailey fired according to Det. Rivera’s version of events:

"The victim approaches the defendant’s car, the doors close and the car is put into reverse and there’s gunshots fired from the passenger side of the vehicle, as the vehicle drives in reverse.”

The 33-year old former Army Ranger was shot in the leg and wrist and died during surgery at the hospital.



"At that point, the defendants’ vehicle goes to the security, there’s a security personnel there, and, with a gun in hand, approaches security stating that he had just shot somebody,” said Rivera. “He goes, ‘I shot someone. I shot someone in self-defence.’”

The number of shots fired, prosecutors say, means that the self-defense claims are being met with scepticism.

"The firearm wasn’t discharged once. It was discharged 13 times,” said a prosecutor during Tuesday’s bond hearing. “The co-defendant continued to discharge the weapon even after the victim fell to the ground.”

This has led to the defendants being charged with 1st-degree murder and denied bail. The judge ruled:

"The odd thing is the man’s down and he continues to fire another multiple shots. There is probable cause for first-degree murder.”

Unfortunately such incidents aren’t quite as rare as poker players would like to think, with several deaths and near-misses resulting from poker arguments over the years, although more commonly they arise during robberies of poker games.



Bodyguard Kearn Nedd died in 2011 while trying to protect the organizer of an unlicensed poker event – leading to an eventual 11-year sentence for the man responsible for the robbery plan, and a life sentence for the actual gunman.

As CardsChat wrote at the time:

"22-year old gunman Marcus Alexis, along with a 14-year-old accomplice… began pistol-whipping innocent bystanders in the venue’s hallway before opening fire. As a wave of bullets ripped through the tournament area, Nedd was struck and died at the scene as the three criminals made off with an unspecified amount of money."

However, simple arguments have escalated into some horrific deaths too, Yoni Salazar Avilla being sentenced to 50 years for the brutal machete slaying of Eduardo Sepulveda after a night of drinking and poker at a friend's apartment.

In 2008, an argument between two poker players at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City left 61-year-old Arthur Prince dead from stab wounds after violence erupted in the valet area outside.

According to PokerNews at the time:

"Unofficial reports suggest that the argument started over a seat in a $1/2 no-limit game in the 70-table room at the Taj, the seat had been occupied by one player and then was given to the other when the first player departed momentarily to obtain more money."

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Andrew from Edinburgh, Scotland, is a professional journalist, international-titled chess master, and avid poker player.Read more

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