A Hong Kong judge has ordered Chris Au, the former boss of the Ku De Ta nightclub in Singapore, to pay HK$2m in security costs if he wants to continue his civil case against a friend who owes a poker debt.

 You know the score. You are playing in a game, and the fish runs out of money. They don’t move out of their seat. Instead, their puppy dog eyes scan the table for any sign of kindness. And they get what they want; only it isn’t kindness. You make the loan because they are a fish. You think you will win more money. And then, you never see them again.

For many people, especially professional poker players, handing out loans is an integral part of the business. But what does happen when someone refuses to give you back what is rightfully yours? The only possible route is through the legal system, but it is fraught with danger, as a former nightclub owner from Singapore has just found out to the tune of HK$2 million ($258,000).

Sometime during 2008, Chris Au, the former boss of the Ku De Ta nightclub at the Marina Bay Sands area in Singapore, played in a regular home game with his associate Steve Yoon. Au alleges that Yoon lost HK$7.2 million ($928,000) to him, spread over 33 sessions. Au never received a cent and decided his only option was to sue him.