Poker players are known for their risky and sometimes living in the fast lane lifestyle. But there’s one poker player who is currently in trouble mainly for killing a cyclist when he was driving his luxury car. If you are following the Australian poker scene, you may have heard of Warwick Mirzikinian already.
Who exactly is he? Warwick Mirzikinian is no stranger to poker. However, he was recently charged over the death of a French cyclist who was apparently hit by Mirzikian’s vehicle in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs late last year.
What Actually Happened?
Warwick Mirzikinian was driving his luxury Tesla car when he accidentally hit the French cyclist on New South Head Road at Double Bay on November 14, 2017. The 26-year old cyclist worked six days a week as a laborer for Pimas Gale Construction and also works at night wherein he delivers for UberEATS.
A Popular Poker Player
For almost a decade, Mirzikinian has been featured on the Australian poker circuit most notably for his thousands of dollars-worth of winnings. He has amassed more than $640,000 of casino winnings according to his profile on cardplayer.com.
Last year, Mirzikinian was able to win more than $95,000 at poker events held at Star Sydney. Aside from his career in poker, Warwick Mirzikinian is also a successful businessman. He is also a mobile phone entrepreneur and a former director of Strathfield which is a car stereo company.
Unfortunately, he is currently in hot waters. The 49-year old pro poker player was brought to the Rose Bay police station on Sunday and was issued a court order notice for dangerous driving that has resulted in the death of the cyclist. Mirzikinian will be facing Downing Centre Local Court in April.
According to the friends of the cyclist who was allegedly killed by Mirzikinian, Julien Trameaux was a hardworking laborer and works as a part-time food courier. He also dreamed of one day opening a patisserie in Sydney. According to his flatmates, Trameaux lived with a quote by Steve Jobs which is to “Stay hungry, stay foolish”. Leo Villaume mentioned in the Easter Suburbs newspaper The Wentworth Courier after the accident that the victim was known for his optimism and his positive outlook on life. He also mentioned that “he was more than a friend, we were all a family and he was a brother. He was someone so determined”.
According to his friends, Trameaux actually had a three-year plan. And included in this three-year plan is to one day open a French patisserie in Sydney. According to his site manager, Matt Bell, “he was a legend of a person”.
The victim along with his friends had been able to compete in their first Sydney marathon in September 2017 in order to help raise funds for a school located in Congo.
How will this affect Mirzikinian in his poker games? Was he really guilty? We will all have to find out in the coming months when he makes his first appearance on the court on April 18, 2018.
