Uk-Poker.co.uk

Poker is renowned for its diverse selection of professionals: jewel thieves, safe crackers and mobsters have often sat alongside astrophysics graduates, housewives and teenagers (obviously only those of legal age to play poker – nobody would ever lie about their age to enter a poker tournament!). Whilst these somewhat unusual suspects will invariably strike up good relationships in many international and UK poker tournaments, the case of Marcus Bebb-Jones, who is generally regarded as one of the top UK online poker and live event players, has shocked the professional poker community. Bebb-Jones is awaiting extradition to the US on charges of murder in the first degree, concealing death and domestic violence. The victim of this alleged crime is Bebb-Jones’ deceased wife, Sabrina.

Having disappeared some 12 years ago, Sabrina’s case was largely forgotten by US police until a skull was discovered in 2004 by a rancher near Douglas Pass in Colorado. Forensic experts later established that the skull belonged to Sabrina, at which point a warrant for Bebb-Jones’ arrest was issued and, as the champion of numerous UK poker tournaments had returned to the UK with his son in 1998, extradition procedures were initiated. Under the US-UK extradition treaty, Bebb-Jones will not face the death penalty if convicted in the US, but he would serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

The probable extradition of Bebb-Jones has sent shockwaves through the international poker community, who regarded the player as a gentle, friendly and polite character. Although Bebb-Jones is yet to stand trial in the US, the odds of his securing a verdict of innocence are deeply stacked against him. Eye witness reports suggest that Bebb-Jones had argued with his wife shortly before her disappearance and was soon after spotted cleaning out the interior and exterior of his minivan at a car wash. Bebb-Jones also failed in a subsequent suicide attempt.