Might Annie Duke have to ban her brother from Epic Poker League play?

Howard Stutz

September 21, 2011 - 5:26 am

This might get a little awkward.

The U.S. Justice Department added poker superstars Howard Lederer and Chris Ferguson Tuesday to its civil money laundering complaint against online gaming company FullTilt Poker. The two are among four accused of defrauding online players out of some $443 million.

So why is this uncomfortable?

Lederer is the brother of poker standout Annie Duke, the commissioner of the upstart Epic Poker League.

In an email statement, a spokeswoman said the Epic Poker League was aware of the actions by federal prosecutors, and the matter “has already been referred to the League’s Standards & Conduct Committee.”

Lederer accepted his Epic Poker League player’s card, but did not compete in either of the league’s first two events. Ferguson is eligible to compete but he has not yet completed the forms required for participation.

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