ShareOver the years, there have been many cheating scandals in the poker world, ranging from online to live poker high-stakes games. Below are some instances in which the poker world has been hit with cheating scandals:
The Ultimate Bet Superuser Scandal
Ultimate Bet was one of the biggest poker sites during the poker boom. In late 2007, the poker community started accusing a player going under the moniker "POTRIPPER" of cheating. The accused player had amassed enormous winnings by playing tournaments on the site in a very unconventional style.
After players examined hundreds of hands against POTRIPPER, the online poker community concluded that POTRIPPER was a cheater. The one unknown thing was how he could play flawlessly; most thought he could see player cards.
Following thorough scrutiny, the site traced the "superuser" account to Russ Hamilton, renowned for winning the 1994 World Series of Poker Main Event. Hamilton's involvement was particularly notable as he had been working as a consultant for the site.
Hamilton confessed to the scam on secret recordings, and it is believed that he defrauded players of more than $20 million.
Mike Postle Cheating Scandal
As we approached 2020, streaming poker on platforms like YouTube and Twitch gained significant popularity in the poker industry.
One notable example was the live cash games streamed from the Stones Gambling Hall in California.
Despite playing a highly unconventional style of poker that most professionals would never consider attempting, a player named Mike Postle seemed to be taking home the big bucks. Postle seemed to be engaged in more pots than everyone else, and his wild bets resulted in winning massive pots in a peculiar style.
Following Veronica Brill's allegations of cheating, several other players and poker community members resolved to investigate the situation, which grew more intense with each passing day.
The investigation involved personalities in the poker community, such as Doug Polk and Joey Ingram, and all the evidence pointed to Postle employing a device to obtain information regarding the strength of his hand and the best course of action.
In the end, a group of around 90 players who believed that Mike scammed them sued him for $30,000,000; nonetheless, Mike was able to win the case.
Even though Mike Postle was never found guilty of cheating, most people in the poker industry still consider him a cheater.
Robbi Jade Lew Jack-Four Hand Controversy
Robert Jade Lew and Garrett Adelstein played a cash game with a lot at stake at Hustler Casino Live. With 8♣7♣, Adelstein raised, and Lew made a call with J♣4♤.
Even though the chances were against Adelstein after the flop, Lew kept playing. Lew made a min-raise on the turn, which prompted Adelstein to go all-in.
Lew called with a lucky river card, winning even though he only held Jack high. Adelstein questioned the change, thinking there could have been foul play, but an inquiry turned up no evidence to support this.
Many thought Adelstein had cheated when Lew returned her $135,000 in chips. She insists, though, that she is innocent. There was an investigation into the matter, and it concluded that Lew did not cheat.
However, the poker community was not satisfied and believed she cheated.
Ali Imsirovic Multi-Accounting
In 2022, Ali Imsirovic, a high-stakes top player, was involved in another incident that shook the world of high-stakes poker. During the PokerGO Super High Roller Bowl in North Cyprus, Alex
Foxen claimed that Imsirovic cheated by peaking at another player's cards. Imsirovic was also accused of using illegal real-time assistance (RTA) software and having multiple accounts, which got him kicked off an online betting site.
In a video posted during the SHRB, Imsirovic denied the card-peeking allegations. Still, he did admit to multi-accounting and stated that he wanted to move on from the scandal.
Brynn Kenney Staking Group
In 2022, some strange claims of shamans, frog poisoning, and cheating popped up around high-stakes player Bryn Kenney. Poker pro Martin Zamani claimed that Kenney led a group of players that behaved like a cult and often engaged in cheating, multi-accounting, and other illegal activities.
There were allegations that Kenney played on other group members' accounts, and it's also believed that the staked players colluded amongst themselves.
Zamani purportedly had more intriguing information, including Kenney sending a few players to a "shaman" to aid their mental health.
It seems that part of it was a purification ritual from South America known as "the Kambo," which includes frog poison. According to Zamani, several players who ingested the poison became extremely sick.
Many people started to see Kenney from an entirely different perspective once the incident made headlines. However, Kenney refuted claims that he cheated.
Conclusion
Poker has a shady past, and wherever there is an opportunity to earn money, someone will attempt to do so through unscrupulous means.
Despite the prevailing demand from the poker community for enhanced security protocols in live and online poker, these concerns have remained mainly unattended, seemingly at the expense of monetary gain.
