It has not been a great week overall to be associated with poker, The WSOP 2010 is ploughing on proudly in Vegas. The WSOP is quite rightly something to be proud of and we all love the spectacle. However, elsewhere in the world the news is not so good, as another poker player appears in front the courts on a murder charge.

This time in Atlantic city, where amateur poker player Mark Magee admitted to the murder of a casino employee in May 2009. The poor victim Ray Kot 57 years old, a card dealer in the Taj Mahal casino was fatally shot inside the card and dice room. Magee clearly a deluded individual said he had stalked then killed the harmless Kot, after he believed the casino had electronically cheated him out of his cash. The odious Magee pleaded guilty and will now face at least 30 years in the Big house, without any chance of parole after his trial in Philadelphia.

Ray Kot a well liked Chinese immigrant first came to U.S. in 1970 aged 18, and speaking very little English, he took upon many different poorly paid jobs to support his close family. Eventually, he graduated through a community college, gaining a degree in accountancy. In 1978 Resorts casino opened its first establishment outside Vegas in Atlantic City, Mr. Kot became a dealer and quickly made many friends within the casino. Former colleagues and friends recalled Kot's love of the New York Yankees, and how he would often visit his favourite Italian restaurant after his shift. So, he could bring home a pizza for his wife and son, and that he was never a large drinker but enjoyed letting his hair down from time to time.

The Taj Mahal Casino Resort opened in 1990 and Mr. Kot took up his usual dealer supervisor position with them. Taj Mahal honoured Mr. Kot in October of last year after his untimely death, when building a small memorial park in his name. Leo Flasch the night supervisor at the resort said of Kot "He had a knack for defusing difficult situations," and admitted "The combination of alcohol and gamblers losing money is a volatile situation." However, Flasch thought Kot had the ideal persona for the role "If someone started yelling, Ray had a way of calming them down," Flasch recalled. "He'd talk them down to a lower level. He'd say, 'I can hear you just fine; there's no need to yell. Let's talk about it.' He was just such a gentle man."

Magee from Norristown, Pa, a clear loser in life contacted a T.V station just days before his killing spree. Accusing the casino of fixing tables in some sort of electronic fashion. It was on May 27th 2009, when Magee flipped, walked into the casino opening fire with a handgun which was loaded with hollow-point bullets. It was a pure signal of intent to cause maximum injury to his victim, A most callous act for which, he will hopefully spend the rest of his sorry life in jail.