Tobey Maguire is buying his way out of that high-stakes poker lawsuit -- agreeing to fork over $80,000 ... this according to new court docs.

As we previously reported, Tobey was one of 22 people sued this summer for taking Ponzi schemer Bradley Ruderman to the cleaners ... in multiple underground poker games back in 2007 and 2008.

Ruderman was arrested soon after for bilking boatloads of money from his clients.  In a grand showing of chutzpah ... Ruderman filed for bankruptcy and the bankruptcy trustees turned around and sued Maguire, Nick Cassavetes and others, trying to recoup Ruderman's gambling losses in an effort to pay his Ponzi victims back.

It sounded like a bogus bunch of lawsuits, but  according to TheHollywoodReporter, Tobey folded by paying $80 grand.  Still not bad, considering the actor burned Ruderman for more than $300,000 at the tables.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire took a joy ride in a vintage 1929 Duesenberg convertible with some pals while on the set of "The Great Gatsby" in Sydney on Thursday.

It's no $100K hybrid but it'll do.

There's a reason Tobey Maguire took his poker pal Brad Ruderman to the cleaners ... it's because dude's harder to read than the Dead Sea Scrolls.



We asked Tobey about the poker scandal last night at LAX -- along with his thoughts about the new "Spider-Man" reboot -- and the guy didn't move a single muscle from the neck up.

Tobey Maguire has just filed legal docs, categorically denying that he participated in illegal celebrity poker games.



As we previously reported, Tobey is being sued by the bankruptcy trustees of a convicted felon who claims Tobey won more than $300,000 in unlicensed poker games in L.A.  The trustees are trying to get the money back.

In his answer to the lawsuit, Tobey says the hold 'em poker games were not "controlled games," which required the host to have a license. 

Tobey also denies there was any scheme on his part to defraud anyone.  According to the complaint, the person whom Tobey took to the cleaners was Bradley Ruderman, who is serving time for defrauding a bunch of people out of more than $50 million in a Ponzi scheme.

In the docs, Tobey "admits that he was invited to participate in the Poker Games" ... but denies that there was a "regular roster of players consisting of wealthy celebrities, entrepreneurs, attorneys and businessmen."

Tobey Maguire's super-exclusive high-stakes celebrity poker circle was SERIOUS when it came to cash -- in fact, TMZ has learned, if you didn't pay up ... you were blackballed for life. 


A regular player in the exclusive poker circle -- which included Leo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Nick Cassavetes and Todd Phillips -- tells TMZ, the poker games took place every Tuesday night for nearly 2 years ... from 2005-2007. 

The circle was small -- only 8 or 9 players at a time -- and we're told, the mood was always "super serious" ... no joking, no drinking. The games would start around 10PM and go all night.

It wasn't uncommon for tempers to flare either -- we're told screaming matches happened on the regular ... and on the rare occasion, the table even got tossed over.

There was no official buy-in -- but we're told, hands often got as big as $150,000 a pot. We're told players would regularly lose $500,000 in one sitting ... no big deal.

But these guys weren't carrying briefcases of cash with them -- we're told most of the time, they played on credit ... and if someone didn't pay, that was it ... they were out of the circle forever.

Inside the room, there were dealers, massage girls, lots of security, food, and a full bar ... presumably for the spectators -- which included a list of billionaires ... and one time, the Olsen Twins.

As for who was the ultimate card shark -- we're told that was Tobey, no question.

"Girls Gone Wild" kingpin Joe Francis -- who was named as a player in the Tobey Maguire poker scandal -- is adamant the card games are "perfectly legal" ... and he can back it up!


Francis was leaving Katsuya in Hollywood last night ... when he told us the legendary Hollywood games have been going on for "quite a while."

Joe also claimed he had a lawyer research the law about private poker games and found out, "As long as [the games] are between those few [players] and there's no house that takes a commission ... all these games that go on in Hollywood are perfectly legal."

TMZ spoke with powerhouse poker attorney Marc Zwillinger -- who reps the interests of poker players including through the Poker Players Alliance -- who backed up Joe's claim ... telling us, "Private home games in California are not illegal where there is no 'house.'"

Tobey Maguire once received a $69,200 check from convicted hedge fund manager Brad Ruderman -- after Maguire allegedly STOMPED the guy during an illegal high stakes poker game back in 2007.



Maguire is only one of several high-profile people named in legal docs as a player in the poker games -- along with "Girls Gone Wild" kingpin Joe Francis and Paris Hilton sex tape partner Rick Salomon.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the games took place at fancy establishments and all over town  ... including the famous Viper Room on the Sunset Strip.

One game allegedly went down in the club back in 2005 ... AFTER former club owner Johnny Depp sold his shares of the place.

"Hangover 2" star Nick Cassavetes says he ain't returning a single cent of the $73,000 he allegedly won from a convicted Ponzi-schemer during several celebrity-filled poker matches.



Cassavetes' lawyer is firing back against allegations the actor "improperly received funds" during the high-stakes poker games involving crooked hedge fund manager Bradley Ruderman -- who's now serving time in prison.

According to his lawyer, Nick will fight any efforts to recover the $73k from him -- because he feels he won it fair and square.

As we previously reported, several celebrities including Tobey Maguire and Paris Hilton's sex tape partner Rick Salomon are being sued for the same reason -- as trustees in Ruderman's bankruptcy case scramble to recover the con man's money ... to repay his victim's.

Tobey Maguire is the only one getting sued for allegedly playing unlicensed poker with a ponzi scheme criminal, but we've learned other big celebs regularly put their chips on the table with Tobey.


Here's what we know.  Tobey, Leo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon often played high-stakes, Texas Hold 'em poker together, where tens of thousands of dollars regularly changed hands.  We've learned the games were sometimes played at the Hollywood Hills home of Rick Salomon, Paris Hilton's sex tape partner in "One Night in Paris."

Tobey is being sued by the trustees in the bankruptcy case involving Brad Ruderman, who's currently in prison for running a Ponzi scheme.  Ruderman was allegedly involved in some of these illegal, unlicensed poker games with Tobey, who came out on top to the tune of over $300,000.  The trustees feel the scheme was illegal so they want Tobey's winnings back.

Here's a fun fact.  The house these stars sometimes played at -- located above the Sunset Strip -- was purchased by Rick Salomon with the proceeds from his sex tape. 



And here's a funner fact.  We're told Leo pulled out of the games after he started dating Bar Refaeli and he didn't think it would be a good idea to continue.

Tobey Maguire has been dragged into a bankruptcy case ... all because he's really, really good at Texas Hold'em poker.

Here's how it went down.  A hedge fund manager named Bradley Ruderman is currently in prison for operating a ponzi scheme, defrauding a number of clients by essentially stealing from Peter to pay Paul.  But according to legal docs obtained by TMZ, Ruderman was also a not-so-good poker player.

Ruderman's company is now in bankruptcy and the trustees are looking for money anywhere they can find it to pay his victims and other creditors.  Now here's where Tobey enters the picture.

According to the docs, Tobey, Ruderman and others laid down lots of loot in private, unlicensed, high-stakes games at posh hotels in L.A., including the Four Seasons and the Peninsula.  Ruderman -- who has already admitted to losing $5.2 million on the poker tables -- fell victim to Tobey's card skills.

Problem for Tobey  -- in California unlicensed poker games are illegal so the winnings are considered ill-gotten.  As for how much, the docs say more than $300,000 betweeen 2007 and 2008.

So now the bankruptcy trustees are going after Tobey, trying to seize his winnings so they can use the money to pay off creditors.

Note -- TMZ is aware of big-named celebrity poker games at a Hollywood Hills home in which Tobey and others have been secretly playing high-stakes poker for years.

Spider-Man geeks may have a huge problem with the new reboot -- and it has nothing to do with the fact that Tobey Maguire isn't starring in it. This time, it's location, location, location!!!



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