Highstakes poker player Leon Tsoukernik was rushed to hospital last night after an apparent overdose of the same medication that killed pop star Michael Jackson. The 51-year-old former casino mogul was said to be in “serious condition”.
According to reports, emergency services were called to Tsoukernik’s home in Chodová Planá, some 20km from Kings Casino in Rozvadov, home of the WSOP Europe.
Tsoukernik, who recently sold his share in Kings for an estimated €400million, is believed to have “collapsed after unprofessional intravenous application of a drug to induce short-term anesthesia”, according to the Novinky.cz news site.
“Serious Condition”
“I can confirm that we had two crews with a doctor on site. We handed over the patient to the air ambulance in serious condition,” said Andrea Divišová, spokesperson for the regional emergency services.
Sources have told Novinky that the drug in question is Propofol, a powerful anaesthetic that has several uses but should only be administered by a medical professional.
Known also as “milk of magnesia”, Propofol stimulates the dopamine expression in the central reward system and can give feelings of euphoria. It is also used as a treatment for insomnia but bears a potential risk of addiction.
Michael Jackson died from an overdose of propofol in 2009. His personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 for giving Jackson the lethal dose.
Police Investigating
Tsoukernik’s suspected overdose case is also now being investigated by the police.
“We are investigating possible illegal behavior that may have occurred at an undetermined time in Chodová Planá. There was a 51-year-old unconscious man who was airlifted for medical treatment,” police spokesperson Iva Vršecká stated.
“The police commissioner has initiated criminal proceedings on suspicion of committing the particularly serious crime of grievous bodily harm. All the circumstances of the case are the subject of further investigation,” Vršecká added.
Leon’s Poker Island
Tsoukernik, known as “Loose Leon” in the highstakes poker community for his aggressive playing style, sold his majority share in Kings Casino last year.
A Russian-born Czech citizen, Tsoukernik achieved his lifelong goal of opening a cardroom in 2003, describing Kings Casino in Rozvadov, close to the German border, as his “poker island”.
It grew to become the biggest cardroom outside of Las Vegas and in 2015 hosted a WSOP Circuit event. After expansion it was officially renamed King’s Resort and became the home of the WSOP Europe in 2017.
Tsoukernik’s decision to sell his 60% share last year came as a shock to many, a King’s Resort press release stating that Tsoukernik planned to “exit the gaming sector to pursue new business ventures”.
“Tsoukernik plans to dedicate his time to ventures he had previously sidelined, focusing primarily on the real estate sector and fulfilling his dream of constructing a Jewish synagogue in Mariánské Lázně,”the statement read.
We will update this breaking story as we receive more news on Tsoukernik’s condition.
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