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While Tobey Maguire fights tooth and nail –going so far as to release copies of checks from BOTH of his poker bank accounts—another defendant cited in the lawsuit filed by a bankruptcy trustee on behalf of the victims of Ponzi scheme hedge fund manager Bradley Ruderman has decided to settle out of court, in an apparent attempt to put the whole mess behind him.

According to TMZ.com, former Welcome Back Kotter star and poker aficionado Gabe Kaplan has agreed to return $27,900 of his estimated $62,000 in winnings from the games in which Ruderman participated. Kaplan has been a fixture in the poker world for decades and was one of the first Hollywood celebrities to really take to the game. Kaplan has worked as a commentator for the WSOP as far back as the 1980’s and more recently has worked as the host of the popular GSN show High Stakes Poker.

It’s unclear how Kaplan’s decision will impact the other defendants in the case, which include A-listers like Maguire, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Notebook director Nick Cassavettes, and poker player Dan Bilzerian. One point of interest will be if Kaplan’s decision to settle out of court will hurt the other players who decide to fight the case if, and when, they have their day in court, considering the payment by Kaplan could be seen as admission of guilt.

We’ll keep you updated as more details emerge in this bizarre story that simply refuses to die.