Years earlier than he was federally indicted on tax evasion prices associated to tens of millions in poker winnings, Tom Goldstein’s high-stakes poker and playing escapades have been documented in Dan Bilzerian’s 2021 autobiography The Setup.
The social media playboy, whose dad and former firm are going through some legal issues stemming from his hashish enterprise, and the esteemed non-public legal professional have been longtime pals who met enjoying poker and later raced round a Las Vegas racetrack in luxurious sports activities automobiles as a part of a $385,000 prop guess.
“To today, I’ve by no means met anybody with much less respect for cash proportionate to their internet price than Tom,” Bilzerian wrote of Goldstein, who final week was charged by the US Legal professional’s Workplace District of Maryland in a 22-count indictment. “And I’ve met some true degenerates.”
Goldstein, who additionally represented Bilzerian in a number of authorized issues, even wrote an excerpt for 2021’s The Setup, a guide detailing Bilzerian’s life from childhood to his time as a Navy Seal and later changing into a controversial social media superstar. PokerNews reviewed the bestseller when it first got here out.
Lawyer Allegedly Won $50 Million in Heads-Up Poker Matches
Assembly at Bellagio
Goldstein is talked about in Bilzerian’s guide as an early character he met enjoying in high-stakes poker video games on the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
“Folks have been all watching the sport and speaking about what a f***ing maniac he was,” Bilzerian wrote. “After I walked up, he had been enjoying with out his playing cards for 2 hours straight. Often on the flip or the river, he would look after which hearth large bluffs.”
Goldstein’s wild enjoying model with out his playing cards on the Bellagio was documented on the time in a Two Plus Two post.
Bilzerian goes on to say that Goldstein — who he later refers to as “my maniac bluff-happy legal professional” and “my crazy-ass energy legal professional” — “wasn’t superb at poker” however “was tremendous clever and savvy sufficient to learn folks and conditions.”
“He cherished the motion, but it surely was virtually like he subconsciously wished to lose,” wrote Bilzerian. “I feel he appreciated that everybody on the desk cherished him a lot, and as a ruthless lawyer, he most likely didn’t get that sort of a heat welcome elsewhere. The extra he misplaced, the happier everybody round him bought, and I feel he was partially hooked on that feeling, however he was totally hooked on the frenzy of playing.”
A Excessive-Stakes Racing Guess
The guide additionally paperwork a 2011 six-figure prop guess between Bilzerian and Goldstein in a chapter titled “Ford vs. Ferrari.” The 2 have been initially going to guess $100,000 that Goldstein’s Ferrari 458 may beat Bilzerian’s 1965 A/C Cobra in a quarter-mile race round Las Vegas Motor Speedway, however Goldstein upped the guess to $300,000.
“Tom talked s*** the whole time … Because the race neared, his s***-talking bought worse. The evening earlier than the race, he posted his $300,000 in Bellagio chips and begged me to up the stakes of the guess.”
The 2 negotiated that Goldstein would put up an extra $85,000 to Bilzerian’s $40,000. They added within the phrases that if Bilzerian misplaced, he “couldn’t have intercourse or masturbate for a month,” and if Goldstein misplaced, “he needed to get excessive with me.”
“Regardless of his craziness on the desk, he was a sq. in some ways and had by no means accomplished a drug in his life. Playing was one among his few vices, however he was a sicko, so he agreed to smoke weed if he misplaced.”
Bilzerian gained the race and Goldstein allegedly saved his phrase. Based on Bilzerian, they “hit a number of bong rips” at his Las Vegas house earlier than Goldstein claimed he did not really feel something and left.
This is how Bilzerian remembers what transpired subsequent:
The cellphone rang ten minutes later.
“Blitz, the weed labored,” he (Goldstein) yelled.
“I am within the poker site on the Bellagio. I could not drive anymore, so I left my automotive.”
“The place’s your automotive?”
“On Las Vegas Boulevard.”
I raced down there and certain sufficient, that asshole had left his brand-new Ferrari sitting on the boulevard with the keys nonetheless in it. He did not even flip the lights off. I parked the automotive in valet and went to the poker site.
Bilzerian goes on to say that Goldstein requested to borrow some cash to “gamble” and let Bilzerian maintain onto his Ferrari as collateral.
“He clearly misplaced the cash I gave him,” wrote Bilzerian. “It took him six months to pay me. However for as soon as in my life, I had collateral on a mortgage, and with that automotive I did not care if he by no means paid me.”
Goldstein Self-Described ‘Internet Winner’ in Poker
Goldstein wrote an excerpt for the guide in a chapter that particulars a controversial lawsuit involving an grownup movie actress who was injured throughout a promotional shoot. Goldstein represented Bilzerian within the case and penned what Bilzerian described as “one of the vital notorious authorized missives ever written.”
“Over the many years, we have accomplished loads of desert driving, firing automated weapons, paintballing, and enjoying poker (internet winner) and chess (I am hopeless). I am fortunate sufficient to say that he is one among my greatest pals.”
Goldstein writes of the contents of the guide, “the one and solely a part of the guide that is bulls***” is when Bilzerian says, “I am no smarter than you.”
Goldstein faces a 22-count indictment in Maryland stemming from his high-stakes poker winnings and money owed. Federal officers say he evaded taxes on tens of millions in poker winnings and used authorized charges from his legislation agency to cowl his poker losses.
He’s represented by John Lauro of Lauro & Singer and Christopher Kise of Continental, who disputed the fees in opposition to their shopper in a written assertion.
“Mr. Goldstein is a distinguished legal professional with an impeccable popularity,” wrote Lauro and Kise, who’ve each represented President Donald Trump. “We’re deeply disenchanted that the federal government introduced these prices in a rush to judgment with out understanding all the essential info. Our shopper intends to vigorously contest these prices and we count on he will probably be exonerated at trial.”
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