button in SafariPoker-Playing Couple's Argument Led to Alleged Stabbing, Victim Claims
Kevin "KGAO" Gao claims he was viciously stabbed by his on-again-off-again girlfriend, fellow poker player Lynne Ji, following a dispute over Ji allegedly being an escort.
The victim of the alleged violent crime told his side of the story on Doug Polk's YouTube channel. Gao also addressed rumors that have surfaced on social media suggesting he stabbed himself and then called police to pin it on Ji, which is also allegedly her defense.
The conversation began with Gao giving his backstory, which started with the poker player dropping out of school a couple years ago to play poker. He was playing low-stakes games, but hit two massive bad beat jackpots within a short period. Winning that jackpot money encouraged him to take a shot at higher stakes.
Relationship Turns Sour
Gao previously dated Britney Jing, the popular player on Hustler Casino Live who was recently involved in her own scandal. He has since been dating Ji off and on, and the two, despite not technically being involved in a relationship, signed a lease and moved in together a few months back. Polk asked the alleged victim why he'd move in with someone he is off and on with.
"This is a great question," Gao answered. "I really enjoyed spending time with Lynne. Her sublet was ending, and she really wanted to move in. So, I decided to give it a shot and kind of see what happens."
The poker players, according to Gao, stayed together at a hotel the night before the incident. He said he found out some troubling news during that evening.
"The night before (the stabbing incident) happens, I find out that Lynne has been escorting while seeing me for the past few months. And, yeah, even though we were officially not together, I mean, it didn't feel great," Gao claims.
A dispute broke out, and the two returned to their apartment the next day, per his story. Ji came over to him while he was playing online poker and asked if they could talk about their argument. Gao said he didn't want to talk and asked her to give him some space and go somewhere else, but she refused.
"Eventually, she comes at me or kicks me or hits me and I restrain her. She's really trying to hurt me at this point. She takes a really, really hard bite into my leg," Gao claims.
He said he pulled her hair to get her off of him. She then took off and said, "you're going to regret that." Gao continues with his story, stating he looked out the door and saw her pull out a kitchen knife. He said his next move was to lock the doors and call 9-1-1 for emergency help. But he claims a few seconds later, she busted open the door and chased after him with a knife.
Gao said he fell down and was trapped in the corner of the room.
"She reaches up and stabs down. I'm pretty lucky because I was able to roll over onto my right shoulder, so she kind of like got me (in my shoulder area)," Gao alleges.
A photo showing Gao with a deep cut on his left shoulder surfaced online. After being stabbed, he alleges that he grabbed a hold of the knife and ran downstairs. That is when police showed up.
Gao said he was stabbed just one time. But while being treated for the wound, he was put in handcuffs and told by an officer that he was under investigation for stabbing himself, a claim Ji apparently made to police. He denied to Polk that the stab wound was self-inflicted.
"I don't think it would even be possible for me to stab myself that deep in the shoulder. It's physically not possible for me to reach there with a knife," he argued, pointing to his left shoulder.
Gao claims he'd seen signs of Ji's violent behavior in the past, including an alleged incident in Las Vegas where Ji was accused of smashing his computer. He said the police officer who arrived at the scene advised him to stay away from her.
"I also never thought that she would do something so extreme as to actually attack me with a kitchen knife," Gao said.
Ji was arrested in Los Angeles and charged with attempted murder. She was given a $1 million bond and bonded out the following day on Oct. 11. The poker player who has appeared on shows such as High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark has denied the accusations on X. She faces potentially five or more years in prison if convicted on the felony.
