Crouch End man admits cheating Paddington casino out of thousands of pounds

A man from Crouch End has admitted being part of a gang which cheated a casino in Paddington out of thousands of pounds by ‘card swapping’.

Ergun Yasar, 33, of Chettle Court, was one of five men who pocketed £33,600 playing three-card poker at the Grosvenor Victoria Casino in Edgware Road, between April 12 and May 2 in 2014.

The Old Bailey heard they used the cheating method where players swap cards with each other covertly to achieve high value hands against the dealer.

The scam worked with two players switching cards to make up a winning hand, as a third plotter distracted the dealer with talk and a fourth acted as a lookout.

The lookout also collected winnings after chips have been handed to them away from the table - in this case inside the toilets.

All five pleaded guilty to conspiracy to cheat.

Yasar will be sentenced next week.

Ozgur Aytekin, 40, from Enfield, and Ali Kuyar, 44, from Tottenham, were both jailed for 12 months, suspended for two years, ordered to complete 250 hours unpaid work and placed on a tagged for three months banning them from leaving home between 11.30pm and 6am.

Murat Kolcak 43, from Cornwall was sentenced to nine months, suspended for two years, and given 200 hours unpaid work.

He has also been banned from entering any casinos in the UK for a year.

Tarik Nergiz, 33 from Stoke Newington, failed to turn up at court and a warrant was issued for his arrest.