Poker Pro Denies A-Rod Involvement in Illegal Poker Game

Poker Pro Dan Bilzerian has disputed some of the details of the Star magazine piece which alleged that New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez played in illegal poker games. Bilzerian, who was named as a source in the story, says that A-Rod may have played in the games at times, but wasn’t present for some of the incidents that were mentioned in the story.

In the story, A-Rod supposedly played in a game where cocaine was being openly used, and where a fight started over gambling debts. However, Bilzerian, who says he was at that game, says that Rodriguez wasn’t there.

"It's ridiculous," Bilzerian told the Daily News. “He wasn't there, I'm telling you. He was playing in the World Series at the time.”

While some of the details may be wrong, Rodriguez has long been known as a fan of poker, playing in home games and – reportedly – underground games as well. These high-stakes games have reportedly involved other celebrities, including actors Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire. The games were reported to have taken place in the final months of 2009, at the Beverly Hills home of record label owner Cody Leibel.

Major League Baseball officials have taken an interest in Rodriguez’s poker playing, and investigators are said to be arranging a date to talk to the slugging third baseman. While it’s unlikely that simply playing poker could land Rodriguez a suspension, it’s possible that the illegal nature of the games could run afoul of the league office.

At the moment, Rodriguez isn’t playing, and the reason has nothing to do with his poker playing. On July 11, A-Rod had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. He is currently rehabbing at Yankees facilities in Tampa, Florida, and expects to be back with the team in New York before the end of the season.