Stefano Ampollini Poker

Stefano Ampollini, an Italian Poker player thought he had an ingenious plan to cheat and win himself a pile of cash. The 56 year old Italian who goes by the nick name of ‘Parmesan’ invested nearly $2500 to buy himself a pair of infrared contact lenses in China.

He then decided to work the casinos along the French Riveria and see if his infrared contact lens worked the way he wanted them to. Ampollini worked out an innovative scheme of marking playing cards with invisible ink by using the help of casino employees and through this method was able to win as much as $85,000 in just one night.

In 2014 invisible ink was used by casino workers in France to mark cards. The Italian gambler Stefano Ampollini used infrared contacts to see the cards marked with ink. He was fined and jailed together with his band of helpers. The examples show that cheating at a casino, online or land-based, usually lands up in a jail. A man named Stefano Ampollini was sentenced to two years in prison for the offense. Opponents of Sunglasses and Pushes to Ban the Practice There are several poker pros who have advocated against the use of sunglasses at the poker table. One of the biggest critics is Daniel Negreanu who feels that the integrity of the game is at stake.

Stefano Ampollini Poker Player

Ampollini was assisted at the stud poker table by an accomplice whose sniffs and snorts guided the selection of cards. His initial $95,000 winning streak attracted the attention of casino security. Stefano Ampollini, 56, was sentenced to two years in prison, and fined €100,000, after a court in Grasse found him guilty of cheating the ‘Les Princes’ casino in Cannes out of €100,000.

By marking his cards with invisible ink, he was able to read them with his infrared contact lenses and hence always have an edge over his fellow players. In a statement, Marc Concas, barrister for the owners of the casino, said:

Security found his behaviour rather strange as he won very easily and, above all, because he folded twice when he had an excellent hand, suggesting he knew the croupier’s cards.

Ampollini returned two months later to the same casino to test his infrared lenses once more. Once again he proved to be successful winning close to $25, 000. However, this time police moved in and arrested him. On further investigation, Ampollini admitted his modus-operandi but said he was proud of the innovative techniques he used to win and did not show any remorse.

The judge who tried the case was amazed at the innovative scheme that Ampollini had adopted to trick, cheat and win. The judge ordered Ampollini to pay back nearly $100,000 and spend 2 years in prison. His accomplices were also arrested and also have to serve over 2 years in prison.

Ampollini described himself as a ‘player and cheat with an international reputation’ and confessed to a criminal court that he was proud of his work and achievements. Ampollini was dressed extremely well and came across as a sophisticated and wealthy Italian which gave him a lot of confidence in going ahead and executing this high level scheme

Casinos across the world will now have to tighten up their security measures as criminals are adopting innovative methods of cheating by using advanced technology. Casino’s will have to invest and upgrade their security systems in order to ensure they are not taken for a ride by sophisticated criminals posing as genuine poker players.

Stefano Ampollini Poker Game

Stefano Ampollini Poker Table

Of all the cheating techniques used to scam poker games over the years, the latest one to be unearthed was so sophisticated in its use of high-end technology as to impress even the presiding judge at a French court in Grasse.
For days, judge Marc Joando marvelled at the techniques used by Italian Stefano Ampollini, known as ‘Parmesan,’ who along with a small gang of accomplices, was able to take Les Princes Casino in Cannes for €71,000 back in 2011.
At the heart of the deception were two corrupt casino staff who had previously marked all the cards with invisible ink, and a pair of infra-red contact lenses costing €2,000, which enabled a discreet accomplice known as “The Israeli”, to read the cards and relay the information through a series of gestures to Stefano Ampollini, 56, who was also playing in the same poker game.
Nevertheless, despite winning bundles of cash, surveillance staff at Les Princes Casino became suspicious, with the casino owners’ barrister, Marc Concas, explaining in court:
“Casino security found his behaviour rather strange as he won very easily and, above all, because he folded twice when he had an excellent hand, suggesting he knew the croupier’s cards.”
Consequently, when Stefano Ampollini returned to the casino two months later and won a further €21,000 for himself, he was promptly arrested by police as he exited the casino.
Soon after, the sophisticated gang’s scam was revealed and this week the men were handed down fines and prison sentences. For his part in the crime, Ampollini received a two-year prison sentence and €100,000 fine; Gianfranco Tirrito, 55, described as “probably the mastermind”, was given a three-year jail term and €100,000 fine; while Rocco Grassanno, 57, received 30 months behind bars and a €50,000 fine.
Talking about the case after sentencing was handed down, prosecution lawyer Mr Concas told The Daily Telegraph; “This is the first time this sort of technique has been seen in Europe.”