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Former King’s Resort owner Leon Tsoukernik said he is “absolutely fine” and feeling “fantastic” two weeks after awakening from a 40-hour coma.
The businessman and longtime poker industry leader spoke to Forbes Česko after collapsing in his Czechia home earlier this month and being hospitalized in critical condition following a reported overdose of the same drug that killed pop star Michael Jackson.
Former King’s Owner Making Quick Recovery
A translated version of the Jan. 29 story describes the 51-year-old as “more alive than ever” after awakening from the coma on Jan. 17.
“His vitality just oozes from him and, according to him, he feels better than before,” wrote Forbes Česko Editor-in-Chief Zdravko Krstanov.
Tsoukernik told the Czech publication that he “even had memories of things I had long forgotten” as he looked fondly at his orchids.
It has been a quick recovery from a scary incident for the former King’s owner. Tsoukernik, who sold his stake in the European poker venue for an estimated €400 million in July 2024, was rushed to the hospital by helicopter in critical condition on Jan. 14 after a reported incident involving unprofessional administration of propofol, a powerful anesthetic that requires expert handling.
The drug gained notoriety after it was linked to the death of Michael Jackson, who reportedly received a lethal dose administered by Dr. Conrad Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 following the death of the pop star two years earlier.
“We are investigating possible illegal behavior that may have occurred at an undetermined time in Chodová Planá,” police spokesperson Iva Vršecká said at the time of the overdose.
A “Second Life”
Tsoukernik thanked the Clinic of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Care Medicine at the University Hospital Pilsen and credited the doctors with saving his life.
“These wonderful people gave me a second life,” he told Forbes. “Led by Professor Beneš. At the same time, I am deeply grateful to my wife Sandra, who spent days and nights at my bedside. I believe that played a role.
Tsoukernik, once dubbed “the King of Casinos,” is a regular at poker’s high-est stakes and has amassed over $5.4 million in Hendon Mob tournament earnings. He sits fourth on the Czech Republic all-time money list behind Martin Staszko, Roman Hrabec and Martin Kabrhel.
King’s Resort has long been home to the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE).
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