Drunk Poker Player Keeps Poker Face

An Australian man drank 42 beers over a 17-hour period while playing poker at Sydney's Star City Casino on New Year's Eve, and the casino has defended itself by saying his drunk poker face was convincing.

An Afternoon Drink

The man began drinking at around 2:30 P.M. on December 31 and finished his binge at around 7:30 the following morning, by which time he had drunk almost a dozen beers from the casino's Bluff Bar and had another 31 served to him.

The fallout has been severe, with Star City fined $10,000 by the Casino Liquor and Gaming Control Authority for breaking regulations about serving intoxicated customers, and three members of staff being disciplined by the casino.

Beer Poker

But despite owning up to serving the man, Star City has defended itself by saying that the man successfully concealed his emotions and drunkenness because he had on his best poker face.

"The nature of poker is that players tend to be ...very controlled in their facial expressions and body movements," Star City wrote in a letter to the authority that was later leaked to the local press. "This level of control means that many of the visible signs that a person...is affected by alcohol may be minimized."

The man, who was not named, might have to find a career in online poker until he is next allowed into Star City.