High-Stakes Poker Player Accused of Cashing $300K in Bad Checks at Wynn

A controversial high-stakes poker player known for his appearances on Hustler Casino Live was arrested in Las Vegas for allegedly cashing bad checks at a prominent casino.

China’s Ye “Tony Mars” Shen, was charged in Nevada with one count of passing a check without sufficient funds and a count of theft of $100,000 or more for allegedly writing two bad checks totaling $300,000 at Wynn Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Journal-Review reported on Tuesday.

According to the Review-Journal, Shen was charged back in March and was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on May 14. He has since been released from custody.

History of Controversy

Shen has played on high-stakes poker streams like HCL, but his appearances were not without controversy. Regulars in the game, including Nik Airball and Wesley Fei, accused the Chinese high-roller of cheating in off-stream private games.

In December 2023, PokerNews obtained and published audio of a phone call between Fei and Shen where Fei accused Le of cheating a Southern California private game out of more than $3 million. Shen later issued a statement to PokerNews denying the allegations and questioning Fei’s character.

Shen had hinted during the call that he was returning to China, but he seems to have landed in Las Vegas and now finds himself in hot water.

According to a criminal complained reviewed by the Review-Journal, the checks Shen allegedly cashed were written in December 2024.

It is unclear whether the checks at the Wynn, which is home to one of the nicest poker rooms in Vegas, were related to poker or other forms of gambling.

Connor Richards is a Senior Editor U.S. for PokerNews and host of the Life Outside Poker podcast. Connor has been nominated for three Global Poker Awards for his writing.