ShareChance Kornuth has backed calls for a poker “blacklist” to deal with cheats and scammers, claiming that the current situation is “inadequate and unacceptable” in light of this week’s extraordinary revelations...
We as the poker community have accepted the poker sites' decisions not to expose the cheaters for too long. The perpetrators are directly stealing money from the rest of us… Enough is enough and it’s time for a thread
— Chance Kornuth (@ChancesCards) April 21, 2022
The world of high stakes tournament poker has been rocked multiple times in the past few days, ever since Alex Foxen outed Ali Imsirovic claiming he is a live and online cheat. Among the accusations to be aired so far are:
- “rubbernecked” Paul Phua at the SHRB
- is banned from GGPoker for using RTA
- also multi-accounted and chip-dumped
These claims were backed by Justin Bonomo, and others.
Bonomo claims:
- at least one other high stakes reg (believed to be Jake Schindler) was also banned at the same time as Imsirovic.
- he lost “over $1million” in the games involving Imsirovic and the other banned players.
If that wasn’t enough drama for one week, Martin Zamani then came out and claimed that leading all-time tournament moneywinner, Bryn Kenney, has also cheated the high stakes games.
Zamani claims Kenney:
- ghosted players in his stable
- arranged for other players to ghost and collude
- often abused his poker stable “horses”
Zamani also named Sergi Reixach as another player banned from GGPoker for RTA as the site clamped down on cheats.
That’s the backdrop to Chance Kornuth’s calls for a poker blacklist that doesn’t rely solely on one site anonymously banning players, leaving them free to play – and cheat – on other online platforms or in live events.
When a poker site decides conclusively someone is cheating, they ban them, keep their identity a secret, and disperse the money as they see fit. The current system that’s in place is inadequate and unacceptable. We need a Poker Blacklist.
— Chance Kornuth (@ChancesCards) April 21, 2022
Kornuth says that the RTA and multi-accounting is “basically a freeroll” for the cheats, who when caught have their funds confiscated but no other action taken.
“Not being outed and still being allowed to play on other sites has problems as well,” says Kornuth, adding: “What if you are playing them heads-up on a diff site and unbeknownst to you they are using RTA? What about playing with them live and being friendly or even actual “friends” without knowing they have cheated you online?”
Kornuth states “the only two that I personally know for sure [as being banned by GGPoker] are Jake Schindler and Ali Imsirovic. Making matters worse, these are supposed to be two of the heroes in the poker world!”
He also explained that the radio silence from the alleged cheats is proof in itself of wrongdoing. “If these accusations about being banned for this weren’t true Jake and Ali would just refute the claims and show proof.”
Colorado-born Kornuth, the founder of Chip Leader Coaching, admits to his own failings, stating: “I am personally guilty of still being friendly with Jake and Ali in the PokerGO studio instead of shunning them for stealing from us for years.”
Describing Foxen as “heroic” for being the first to openly call out the high stakes cheats, Kornuth also singles out Matt Berkey, Justin Bonomo and Kahle Burns “for quickly being outspoken and backing up Alex’s accusations.”
Burns ramped up the drama for the week by calling out Foxen and his now-wife Kristen Bicknell Foxen over the historic soft-playing accusations, asking for them to accept arbitration.
Curiously, or perhaps not given the relatively small field that comprises high stakes tournament regs, Kristen Foxen claims she and her husband lost $1.5million in the games involving those suspected of cheating.
Well @GGPoker this is madness. Between me and @WAFoxen, we lost $1.5 million in all of these games. I think we've received under $15k in refunds.
— Kristen Foxen (@krissyb24poker) April 21, 2022
Hearing the extent of the cheating makes me sick.
Kornuth wants GGPoker to continue to take the lead, but go even further in their clampdown on poker’s biggest cheats.
“IMHO I’d like to see @GGPoker and their ambassador @JasonKoon , who was brought on specifically to serve a major role in game integrity take the lead because GG is the only site that I believe with zero doubt in my mind has 100% irrefutable evidence.”
Also calling on Phil Galfond (“When Phil talks, the poker community listens”) partypoker and Rob Yong (Based on Rob's recent tweets it really seems to me like they do care about us”) to get even more involved in the fight.
He states that until all the major sites get together to crack down on the, he won’t be playing another hand on the major sites, even going as far as to call for a poker boycott.
...they see their rake declining. For that reason, I won’t play another hand on these sites until I feel an acceptable effort has been made. I encourage pros and recs alike to join me in this #OnlinePokerBoycott.
— Chance Kornuth (@ChancesCards) April 21, 2022
We will continue to bring you the latest developments in the incredible accusations rocking the world of high stakes tournament play, and as always offer the right of reply to anyone who feels they are being unfairly accused.
