‘Secret’ Hollywood Poker Scene Turns Deadly

Los Angeles’ glittering underground poker world just got darker.

Federal prosecutors claim that Assaf “Ace” Waknine, a 52-year-old alleged Israeli mobster once deported from the U.S., tried to muscle his way into L.A.’s high-stakes poker circuit — and threatened to kill a game host who wouldn’t pay up.

According to a new indictment, Waknine demanded $5,000 per game in “protection” money from the organizer of a weekly poker night where the buy-in hit $20,000. The crowd reportedly included everyone from A-list celebs and tech moguls to Instagram models and pro players.

When the host refused, Waknine allegedly texted, “I guess you really want to end up like your other b—- a– poker buddy” — a chilling reference to Emil Lahaziel, who was shot dead outside a Hollywood Hills game in 2023.

Federal agent Matthew Hernandez described Waknine’s poker network as a “cottage industry” born during the pandemic — one that blended money, fame, and danger in equal measure.

These weren’t just friendly games. Players were served by models doubling as waitresses, food came from private chefs, and guests rolled up in Bentleys and G-Wagons.

But by spring 2023, the scene spiraled. Authorities say multiple arson attacks hit Beverly Hills and Benedict Canyon homes tied to the poker nights. One house burned after hosting a game. Another saw its Bentley SUV torched, followed by gunfire days later.

In one case, a Molotov cocktail was hurled at a car outside an Encino mansion — the flames spread to the home itself.

Two men, Ricardo Corral and Jose Martinez Sanchez, were charged in Lahaziel’s killing and have pleaded not guilty.

Meanwhile, investigators allege that the Waknine brothers have deep ties to the Mexican Mafia and L.A. street gangs like the Crips, using them as muscle for their extortion network.

The host targeted by Waknine reportedly shut down his game altogether, telling security, “I just don’t want to deal with that s—.”

What started as an elite playground for Hollywood insiders has now turned into a cautionary tale — proof that when fame and fortune meet the underworld, someone always ends up folding.