The case of “poker player” Mike Postle has taken another unique turn in the past week. Faced with having to pay off two people he had falsely accused of slandering him, Postle has allegedly gone on the run to avoid paying the two people. The problem with that is they can seize his property to seek redress (or payment).
Brill and Witteles Want Their Money
The money issue goes back to the $330 million defamation lawsuit that Postle filed against a host of people in the poker world. Two of those people, former Stones Live host Veronica Brill and poker professional/podcast host Todd Witteles, decided they would strike back against what they viewed as a frivolous lawsuit. Upon hearing that Postle had filed his massive lawsuit, the duo filed separate anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) cases, alleging that Postle was simply filing his case to try to squelch their statements in the poker community.
Postle’s case began to unravel from the start. First, his attorneys walked away from the case, citing non-payment of fees as a reason for their recusal from the case. Postle then decided that he would serve as his own attorney, which would prove to be a complete mistake. Just before the case was set to go to trial, Postle withdrew his case from the California court system without the ability to refile.
That was enough for the judge in the cases of Brill and Witteles. With the withdrawal of the Postle lawsuit, Postle opened himself up for an automatic decision in the anti-SLAPP cases against him. In the Brill case, the judge adjudicated that Brill was to receive $27,745 for her attorney’s fees and Witteles would get $26,982 for his lawyers.
But the story doesn’t end there…
Postle Refuses to Pay
With the decisions against him, Postle is supposed to come up with the money. But he has been able to avoid being served with the final verdict in the case. Although he has been able to avoid the barristers to this point, that course of action is beginning to run out for Postle.
Attorneys for Brill and Witteles have filed motions for involuntary bankruptcy against Postle last week. These filings would allow the courts to seize the property – homes, vehicles, cash, furniture, basically anything of value that Postle owns – and pay off Brill and Witteles from the proceeds. In addition to the Brill/Witteles cases, it is alleged that Postle owes other creditors to the tune of $13,000 in credit cards, at the minimum. Any other money left after paying off these debts could also be held by the courts for any future litigation by some of Postle’s alleged victims.
It All Started with Stones Live
The case dates back to 2019 when Postle became the darling of the poker world through an internet stream broadcast by Stones Gambling Hall in Northern California. Stones Live featured $1/$3 No Limit Hold’em cash games, a lower stakes version of what Live at the Bike did from the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles. Postle quickly became a star of the program, making outrageous moves to win large pots and always knowing exactly when to fold when his opponents had the better of him.
This was mighty suspicious to Brill, who not only did commentary on the games on Stones Live but also would step forward to play in the game. She presented her thoughts to the poker world in 2020 and a litany of top pros and commentators, including Witteles, the sports juggernaut ESPN, several poker news sites and other professionals in the game, agreed on one thing: that Postle was using some sort of technology to know what cards his opponent was holding. Postle, Stones Gambling Hall and an employee of the casino vehemently denied the accusations, presenting what many have called a “sham investigation” that cleared all parties (the evidence was never presented in public).
Civil cases filed against Postle in both California (dismissed because gambling losses cannot be litigated in the court system) and Nevada (dismissed for lack of jurisdiction) didn’t go anywhere, leading Postle to take his defamation suit action. Stones Gambling Hall, while denying any involvement in the case, settled out of court with about 80 players who played against Postle and had filed a class action lawsuit in the California courts.
Whether this latest action will bring about the end of the Postle situation is unknown. Postle has until August 12 to respond to the involuntary bankruptcy motion and, if he does, it is entirely likely that litigation will extend into 2022. The situation doesn’t look good for Postle, however, who allegedly made as much as $300,000 in the Stones Live games and, by this point, has probably burned through those winnings.
