A notorious high-stakes poker session at Bellagio’s Bobby’s Room pushed Rick Salomon to the brink, ending with massive losses, career fallout for others, and Salomon’s decision to enter drug rehab
Rick Salomon’s decision to check into drug rehab didn’t come after a quiet moment of reflection—it was triggered by a punishing, drug-fueled poker session at Bellagio’s Bobby’s Room that left him financially battered and questioning his life choices. The fallout from that game still echoes in the high-stakes poker world, with careers launched, bankrolls destroyed, and Salomon’s own trajectory permanently altered.
The Session That Changed Everything
What began as a routine $50/$100 cash game with a $10,000 buy-in quickly spiraled into a marathon of escalating stakes and reckless play. By the third day, the table was stacked with $500,000 per player, and Salomon—already a fixture in the high-stakes scene—was straddling to $5,000 and then $10,000 every hand. The session’s intensity was fueled not just by money, but by Salomon’s admitted drug use, which kept him awake and aggressive long after others would have folded.
Salomon’s approach was anything but conservative. After being stacked, he returned to the table with a pillowcase full of cash, determined to chase losses and outlast the competition. The spectacle drew attention from regulars and pros alike, including Dan Bilzerian and Steve "Mr Smokey" Billirakis, the latter becoming Salomon’s chief adversary as the session wore on.
Career Highs and Lows at the Table
The consequences of that session extended far beyond Salomon’s personal crisis. Andrew Robl, who recounted the story during a recent High Stakes Poker livestream, credited the game with doubling his net worth and launching his career. In stark contrast, two other professionals lost their entire bankrolls—reportedly around $1.5 million each—and left the game for good. The volatility of high-stakes poker was on full display, with fortunes made and lost in a matter of days.
Salomon’s own breaking point came in a hand that has since become infamous. Defending his straddle with six-four offsuit against Billirakis’s $36,000 raise, Salomon flopped two pair on a six-four-king board—only to discover Billirakis held pocket kings. The loss was so devastating that Salomon later told the table, “The progression of me going to rehab for a year started with blowing all the money in my (Bellagio) box.”
Aftermath and Ongoing Impact
Salomon’s decision to seek treatment marked a rare moment of self-awareness in a world where excess is often celebrated. He credited Billirakis with forcing the issue, saying that without that crushing defeat, he might still be using drugs. The story, clipped and shared by PokerGO, has become a cautionary tale about the risks that lurk behind the glamour of high-stakes poker.
Even years later, Salomon’s fortunes at the table remain volatile. During the latest High Stakes Poker livestream, he lost over $2.2 million across three sessions, underscoring that the swings at the top remain as brutal as ever. The Bellagio session stands as a reminder that poker’s biggest games can deliver life-changing wins—or losses that force players to confront far more than just their bankroll.
Context in the High-Stakes Poker World
Salomon’s ordeal is not unique in the annals of high-stakes poker. The game’s upper echelons are littered with stories of players who soared and crashed, sometimes in the same weekend. Fedor Holz’s recent return to the PokerStars EPT Barcelona, as reported earlier, highlighted how even the most successful players must adapt to the relentless pressure and shifting priorities of the modern poker landscape. For every career made at the table, there are others ended by a single catastrophic session.
In poker, a straddle is an optional blind bet made before cards are dealt, typically by the player to the left of the big blind. Straddling increases the stakes and can create larger pots, but it also raises variance and risk. In high-stakes cash games like those at Bellagio’s Bobby’s Room, aggressive straddling can quickly escalate the size of the game, amplifying both potential winnings and losses. For players, understanding the mechanics and consequences of straddling is essential before entering games where a single hand can alter a career—or a life.
