A Heist Straight Out of an Action Movie
The incident occurred on Sunday, July 12, around 8 p.m. Griener had just returned to his Airbnb after picking up his WSOP winnings. According to him, the attackers were waiting right behind the door. “When I walked through the front door, two men were there. They immediately tackled me, tied me up, and took my backpack with my entire bankroll,” Griener described the shocking moment on social media platform X.
The robbers, whom he described as two Black men, threatened him against making any movement. The backpack contained “literally all” his money, which he had planned to take home to Los Angeles. Griener ended up bound with duct tape in a painful position. “I was tied up like a calf,” he explained. He eventually managed to free himself and escape to a neighbor’s to call 911. “It took me about 10 minutes to wriggle out of it,” he added about his escape.
Here is a detailed description of what happened. Las Vegas detectives are on the case and doing everything they can to find out who did this and how they had access to the house. That’s all I’ll say for now I don’t want to hinder the investigation. https://t.co/1NdtpPvQTT pic.twitter.com/mtXjzK1whN
— Jared Griener (@jaredgriener) July 14, 2026
Griener mentioned on X that the attackers had to have detailed information about him and his accommodation. “These people knew the code to my Airbnb door,” the shocked player wrote. Neighbor's video footage additionally showed that the robbers arrived at the house just 10 minutes before him.
Jared believes he was being followed already in the Paris and Horseshoe casinos, where WSOP takes place, and someone knew precisely that he was leaving with a large sum of cash. Although physically unharmed, the psychological trauma is significant. Despite this, he plans to continue playing poker: “Besides the loss of money, I am immensely traumatized and hurt at the moment. But what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I’ll be back, you can count on it!”
Just want to say thanks to my friends and colleagues who have reached out here and privately to show support to me, it means a lot.
— Jared Griener (@jaredgriener) July 14, 2026
Apart from the loss of my $, I am so traumatized and hurt rn. But what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I’ll be back, you can fkn count on it! https://t.co/oGx7XtqYm7
Jared Griener is a well-respected player with career tournament winnings exceeding 3.3 million dollars. His successful results at WSOP 2026 made Griener a likely target. Just days before the brutal incident, he achieved one of his standout results of the summer, finishing in 218th place in the prestigious $10K WSOP Main Event, securing a reward of $57,500 in fierce competition.
The Dark Side of Poker: When Success Becomes a Target
Jared Griener’s case is, unfortunately, not isolated and serves as a chilling reminder that successful poker players are frequent targets for criminals. Other stars have faced similar horrors in the past.
Popular Antonio Esfandiari lost assets without violence in 2020, though even more insidiously. A former poker dealer stole cash, chips, and jewelry worth approximately 1 million dollars from his Las Vegas apartment.
A year earlier, an armed robber broke into Darren Elias's New Jersey home. Although Elias and his wife weren’t home, the attacker held their 19-year-old babysitter at gunpoint while she looked after their young child.
Danish poker legend Theo Jorgensen fared even worse in 2012. During a robbery at his house, the attackers stole a five-figure sum and shot him in the leg three times.
These cases clearly indicate that safety should be a top priority for every player. Increased caution can save not only money but lives.
Sources: X, WSOP
