I know you don't want to hear this, but it is in fact beta, and you are a tester not a player. You can certainly play the game and have fun but your primary concern should always be testing, if bugs happen and come up, it's oh well and move on. If this was the final release it would be a different story, but I'm sorry to say, because it's beta and you are a tester, that's just how the dice rolled and you have to live with it.
However, if you got screenshots, the devs will probably give you your gold back.
Also I suggest doing blackjack over poker, it's faster, while potentially smaller amounts per round, rounds go much faster, you can chug out a round every 45 seconds(ish) and make 500-1000 per round. it will outscale poker really fast.
Also-also the game will call you out on cheating when the dealer notices there are two of the same card in play (I.E two ace is spades in your hand or one in yours and one in another's hand) it's much easier to avoid getting caught cheating in blackjack cuz you can always see the other players hand, allowing you to get up as soon as you see a double and avoid getting caught.
Lastly, while I'm sorry it happened and I certainly empathize with you, it's important to remember you're a tester and not a player.