Paul “Cigar” McKinney, the 2005 Seniors Division Champion of the World Series of Poker, has been arrested in a gambling raid of a poker event yielding $20,000.

McKinney was arrested on Friday together with 15 other men after police received a tip-off on an illegal poker game taking place in Kingsport, Tennessee.  All the men were charged with gambling.

It seems a big slide from the heights of two years ago when McKinney, now 82 years old, took home prize money of $202,725 for his World Series of Poker seniors win.

McKinney made a name for himself as quite a character at the World Series of Poker as his biography for the tournament listed his pursuits as “moonshine, cigars and young women.”  He remains the oldest winner at the World Series of Poker.

As well as the gambling charge, police also found some Schedule III narcotics in McKinney’s pocket. 

46 year old Donnie Godsey, together with McKinney, were also charged with aggravated gambling promotion on suspicion of organising and promoting the illegal poker event as they are thought to be the brains behind the illegal poker game.

Paul “Cigar” McKinney and the other men were said to have been sitting round the table playing their illegal poker game when the police stormed in to make their arrests.  The police seized cash, playing cards, poker chips together with betting slips for college and professional American football games.

Other players who were charged besides the gambling charge were; Mark Ketron of Kingsport, for possession of moonshine and Randy Sims of Elizabethton who had a handgun in his pocket, therefore he was charged with being armed.

Police Chief Gale Osbourne said, “We do see this from time to time, though drugs are our top and foremost vice priority.”

McKinney lives in Weber City, Virginia however he has no phone number listed in Weber City and it wasn’t clear whether he had an attorney.

Paul McKinney was released on Friday on a bail bond of £3,250.  At time of writing, no court date has been set.