Taj Poker Room Slasher Sentenced Today

Vicente Perez (pictured), the Georgia man who stabbed and killed Arthur Prince, of N.J., during an argument over a seat at the Taj Mahal poker room, will be sentenced today after pleading guilty to manslaughter charges.   

According to news reports, Perez, 57, is expected to get five years in prison and must serve at least 85% of his sentence.

For the back story, click away below:

NBC10 in Philadelphia Has Different Sources than We Do

Vicente Perez Makes First Court Appearance, Details of Stabbing Emerge

UPDATE: Poker Player Fatally Stabbed at the Taj Named, Bled to Death after Artery Severed

Poker Player Stabbed to Death at Taj Mahal in Atlantic City

NBC10 in Philadelphia Has Different Sources than We Do

Reading up on some of the news reports about the poker-related stabbing death of Arthur Prince outside the Taj poker room in Atlantic City on Saturday, we noticed that NBC10 in Philadelphia is contradicting what we've heard from several sources, saying that it was Vicente Perez (at right, with black eye) who got up from the table to get more cash and returned to see the 61-year-old Prince in his seat.

As we posted earlier today, we've been hearing that it was Prince who left the table to go to the ATM, only to return to see Perez in his seat.

The NBC10 reporter then goes on to say that their sources claim Prince grabbed a cane from an older man standing nearby, and not from Perez, as others, including us, had reported. Looking at photos of Perez walking around the crime scene on Saturday and in court today, we tend to believe that NBC10 has it right here, as it doesn't look like Perez uses a cane. We'll wait to see though as more details come out.

To add to all of this, a new poster over at 2p2 named DaCatMe was allegedly at the table when the argument broke out and had the following account to share (Prince is the "black guy" in his post):

Vicente Perez Makes First Court Appearance, Details of Stabbing Emerge

Vicente Perez (at right in photo), the 57-year-old poker player from Macon, Ga., who is accused of stabbing and killing Arthur Prince, 61, outside the poker room at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City, made his first court appearance this morning before the Superior Court Judge in Mays Landing. The charges against him include the first degree offense of aggravated manslaughter, which carries a sentence of 10 to 30 years in New Jersey. Even if the charges are lessened to plain ole manslaughter, Perez could still face anywhere between five to 10 years in a New Jersey prison.

Present in the court this morning were Perez's wife, two adult daughters and a brother, according to The Press of Atlantic City. The judge kept bail at $500,000 "full cash," and Perez's lawyer told the judge that he will file a bail application later today on his client's behalf.

Based on the eyewitness accounts we are hearing and reading from people who were there, Perez will no doubt argue self-defense if prosecutors move forward with the charges. Some eyewitnesses are saying that Prince was the initial aggressor, attacking Perez with a cane that the latter used to walk.

After the jump is a recap of the incident compiled from what we've heard. Obviously, the details alleged below are hearsay and may not be accurate, as all of the facts have yet to fully come out as to what actually took place between the two . . .

UPDATE: Poker Player Fatally Stabbed at the Taj Named, Bled to Death after Artery Severed

The poker player who was stabbed to death this weekend after an argument in the Trump Taj Mahal poker room in Atlantic City has been named.

Arthur Prince, 61, of Toms River, NJ, was pronounced dead at the hospital a little more than an hour after the altercation took place Saturday afternoon between him and Vicente Perez, of Macon, Georgia. The 57-year-old Perez (seen with the victims blood covering him in news photo to right) is charged with aggravated manslaughter, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

According to the medical examiner, Prince died as a result of a knife wound to his left cheek that severed his carotid artery (hockey-ers, think Clint Malarchuk or Richard Zednik) and caused him to bleed to death. Prince also had wounds to his mid-back, left lower abdomen and left upper abdomen.

Read more here.

According to Bluff Magazine, the argument began at a $1/$2 table after one of the two men returned from the ATM to find his seat was occupied by the other man.

In related news, the Taj is a crap-hole, Atlantic Shitty blows and a 57-year-old grown man stabbing a guy over a $1/2 seat is about as down low, pathetically disturbing as it gets.

And the Taj is a crap-hole, if we didn't mention that already.

Poker Player Stabbed to Death at Taj Mahal in Atlantic City

Vicente Perez, a poker player from Georgia, is being held by authorities today in Atlantic City and faces charges of aggravated manslaughter after he stabbed another player to death at the Trump Taj Mahal, the crap-heap casino featured in the poker movie Rounders and which was voted "Atlantic City's Most Likely Place to Get Stabbed While Playing Poker" by Atlantic City Weekly readers*.

The incident took place Saturday afternoon after the two got into a verbal confrontation while playing cards in the Taj's poker room. The argument carried over into the valet area of the parking garage when Perez pulled out a knife and repeatedly stabbed the now-deceased player.

Perez is being held at the Atlantic County Jail on $500,000 bail.

Story here and here.

Photo above of the now-deceased, we assume, Perez courtesy of the Press of Atlantic City.

* Not true, but if they had a poll, it probably would be considering the place is rife with the type of blowhards you'd expect to pull out a knife and stab you for no good reason. In case you're not reading between the lines, we're not big fans of the Taj.