Tony Hakki is a professional poker player in the UK and also a father. His wife, Devrise Blair had filed a case against him four years ago accusing him of not paying child support and the court was asked to settle the issue. After a four year battle, the court finally released a verdict and ruled in favor of Hakki.
Hakki is a former stockbrocker turned professional poker player and is a popular and well known player on the poker circuit. Hakki, who goes by the nick name of ‘Tony the Hitman Hakki” contested his wife’s claim for child support by saying that he did not have a regular job and a steady and full time income.
In the past, Hakki has appeared on a late night poker tv programmer where he has made the final round. He has also owned a poker website and is a regular at the casino, often playing 4 days a week and betting from £40 into the thousands.
The Appeal Court ruled in his favor and said that since Hakki’s income does not come from ‘gainful employment’, he cannot be forced to pay out child support. There were 3 judges who deliberated the case and came to the conclusion that although Hakki was a professional poker player, his poker routine was not organized enough to be considered a business, profession or trade and hence could not be subjected to the rules and regulations that governed child support.
There is not enough information to clearly determine how much money Hakki makes on a weekly or monthly basis playing poker. It is reported that Hakki, set’s himself a target to win around £200 each day. He is a cautious poker player and generally prefers to play with opponents who he is confident of defeating. He has not held a full time job since 1998 and is ranked 4,440 on pokerpages.com.
His wife is a hairdresser and has been trying to get Hakki to pay child support for the past few years. She was initially under the impression that Hakki would be forced to pay child support when a tribunal judge ruled that Hakki was indeed gainfully employed but Hakki asked the court to analyze the case again and this time the case was ruled in his favor.
No information has been released by Devrise Blair on how many children still require child support nor if she plans to take any other action against Hakki in the court of law.
