Top 5 Poker Cheating Scandals of 2024 It’s that time of year when we look back at the past 12 months – the good and the bad! – and today the focus is on the (alleged says my lawyer!) bad guys of poker.

It’s that time of year when we look back at what we all went through over the past 12 months – the good and the bad! – and today the focus is on the (“alleged” says my lawyer!) bad guys of poker and their attempts to cheat the rest of us! 5 Marked cards at the WSOP We start with a simple but very brazen cheating attempt from this year’s World Series of Poker – card marking, one of the oldest cheats in the book!

Phil Hellmuth to Skip 2025 World Series of Poker Main Event Phil Hellmuth has announced that he no longer has the stamina to compete in the WSOP Main Event and will be skipping the tournament this year.

Phil Hellmuth has announced that he no longer has the stamina to compete in the WSOP Main Event and will be skipping the tournament this year. At the age of 60 — not that advanced compared to many players — Hellmuth says he just can’t cope with the long days and is calling for changes to be made as the current format “disproportionately affects older players.” I am not playing the @WSOP Main Event.

ACR and Pads Poker Declare Nacho Barbero Innocent of RTA Both Americas Cardroom and Patrick Leonard have found Nacho Barbero “not guilty” of using RTA-help during a recent online tournament.

Both Americas Cardroom and Patrick Leonard have found Nacho Barbero “not guilty” of using RTA-help during a recent online tournament. Nacho plays more like a malfunctioned bot than a gto guy checking hands. I remember the old bots who would be programmed to fold to min 3bs and you could min 3b them from the bb and get 60% folds 🙂 https://t.co/omQeYGLNIMpic.twitter.com/o2QdZHv40x — Patrick Leonard 🫡 (@padspoker) February 3, 2025

Sickest Hand of 2025 Locked up Already claims Patrick Leonard It’s only January but we have already had the “sickest hand of 2025” according to English pro Patrick Leonard after a brutal run out on GGPoker

It’s only January but we have already had the “sickest hand of 2025” according to English pro Patrick Leonard, a brutal run out on GGPoker’s highstakes cash game tables catching his eye. Patrick Leonard Played on GGPoker at a 4-handed table of $50/$100 NLH, the hand saw a clash between Dutch pro Kevin “KevinPaque” Paque and Russian pro Sergey “MunEZStaRR” Nikiforov. Both are online crushers well used to playing the highest stakes.

Antonio Esfandiari Returns to Poker with a Bang Antonio Esfandiari is back playing poker again after an extended break from the game making his return on High Stakes Poker with a spectacular hand.

Antonio Esfandiari is back playing poker again after an extended break from the game, making his return on PokerGO’s No Gamble, No Future with a spectacular hand. Antonio EsfandiariThe American has long been a prominent figure in the community and has had a storied career marked by significant achievements, including his $18,346,673 prize from the 2012 Big One for One Drop. Esfandiari has captivated audiences for many years and we expect fans will be pushing hard to convince him to make his return a full-time move.

Best Poker Hands of 2024 Every year we are inundated with a collection of special hands from the poker calendar. Each one is special in its own right for its own reasons.

Every year we are inundated with a collection of special hands from the poker calendar. Each one is special in its own right for its own reasons. Everyone has their own opinions on this, but our choices below were certainly amazing to witness. Adrian MateosPoker Hand Strengths Explained by VIP-Grinders Adrian Mateos Ends 2024 WSOP Main Event Run to Horrific Bad Beat This first hand hit Spanish poker legend Adrian Mateos for six, only minutes after he correctly hero-folded pocket kings against the aces of Will Berry on a queen-high board.

Nick Vertucci Dumped from HCL in Wake of Sexual Harassment Scandal Hustler Casino Live showrunner Nick Vertucci will “no longer be involved” with the show after multiple public allegations of sexual harassment

Nick Vertucci will “no longer be involved” with Hustler Casino Live after multiple public allegations of sexual harassment led to his colleagues distancing themselves from the controversial showrunner. Effective immediately, Nick Vertucci will no longer be involved with High Stakes Poker Productions. We look forward to continuing to deliver the best high stakes poker content to the community. — Hustler Casino Live (@HCLPokerShow) October 9, 2024 “Effective immediately, Nick Vertucci will no longer be involved with High Stakes Poker Productions.

HCL boss Nick Vertucci Accused of Sexual Harassment Nick Vertucci one of the main faces behind Hustler Casino Live has been outed by multiple women as a serial sexual harasser and general all-round sex pest.

Nick Vertucci, famous as one of the main faces behind the Hustler Casino Live brand, has been outed by multiple women as a sexual harasser and general all-round sex pest. 🚨🚨🚨Time to break the silence over @NickVertucciNV using his control over @HCLPokerShow to harass women and keep witnesses from speaking up. I’m posting some receipts. Poker world, please share your stories about #IckVertucci. Let’s stop the harassment! pic.twitter.com/iK6y6lODmr — Julia from Palmdale (@JuliaInPalmdale) October 5, 2024

ACR Poker Purges Four Bots with Huge stacks from the $12.6 Million Venom ACR Poker has purged four AI bots wielding big stacks from the $12.6 Venom tournament. The $230000 worth of buy-ins will now be redistributed.

ACR Poker has purged four AI bots wielding big stacks from the $12.6 Venom tournament. The unethical accounts were sitting with $230,000 worth of buy-ins which will now be redistributed automatically throughout the field. Recap of bots banned mid Venom:Withia – 23 starting stacksVerucasalt5 – 10 starting stacksMReGoR – 32 starting stacksacquiton – 27 starting stacksThats $230k worth of buy ins (ignoring rake).Now if I hopefully understand this correctly, this money is already being…

Francesco Garofalo GGMillions DQ sees $1.1million refunded GGPoker have been praised for their anti-cheating measures after refunding $1.1million following the DQ of one of their biggest online event winners

GGPoker have been praised for their anti-cheating measures after refunding $1.1million following their disqualification of Francesco “forzaitalia” Garofalo from one of their biggest online events… The shock news was met with delight by English pro Patrick Leonard, who woke up to an unexpected six-figure bankroll boost… Wow just woke up to this. I think my biggest security refund previously was at most $2k. It’s a beautiful day to have a beautiful day I guess!

Infamous Alleged Poker Cheat Mike Postle Falls short of Florida Final Table To most Mike Postle will forever be the crotch-gazing cheat with a win-rate only ever seen in poker’s darkest days.

To most, Mike Postle will forever be the crotch-gazing cheat with a win-rate only ever seen in poker’s darkest days. To a select few supporters, however, Mike Postle is a poker God, and this week saw him being put on a pedestal once again… To anyone brand new to the game of poker, the tl;dr of Mike Postle’s claim to infamy is that he was outed for cheating on a livestreamed cash game back in late 2019.

WPT Wynn Crackdown: New Rules on Phones & Hoodies Discover the strict new rules for the WPT World Championship at Wynn. Latest crackdown on mobile phones solvers hoodies and rail coaching.

The crackdown on poker “cheats” in the live sphere continues with strict new rules being introduced for the upcoming WPT World Championship. Wearing hoodies, accessing help from the rail, and the banning of mobile phones at the final table are just a few of the changes being introduced. To those that care about this sort of thing, the section of the @WynnPoker@WPT Terms and Conditions regarding solvers and electronic devices https://t.

PokerStars and Bwin ordered to repay more than €400000 player losses In a recent ruling both PokerStars and Bwin have been ordered to refund more than €40000 to losing players in the Netherlands.

In a remarkable ruling that could have implications for thousands of online poker players, both PokerStars and Bwin have been ordered to refund losing players in the Netherlands. This week’s Dutch court ruling found that the two online gaming companies had been illegally offering games from 2006 to 2021 and therefore the €hundreds of thousands lost by two gamblers were null and void. According to reports in De Telegraaf newspaper, a man from Almelo lost €217,000 on PokerStars, across a mix of poker, casino games and sportsbetting.

Father and Son Poker Cheat Duo Back on the Loose A father and son card-marking duo are back on the loose this time plying their poker cheating in Florida 

A father and son poker-cheating pair are back on the loose and may be coming to a game near you if you live on the east coast of the USA according to Twitter reports. Stay frosty my Tampa peeps. Looks like a cheating duo is on the loose. Marking cards. Caught at One Eyed Jacks in Sarasota. pic.twitter.com/NGBxz1uMx7 — Ondrei (@lowstakesdre) October 21, 2024 Though cheating is quite unusual in live poker, this family affair have apparently been at it for at least a decade on and off, from North Jersey down to their latest haunts in Florida.

Dan Bilzerian to Challenge Neymar Jr at HCL Legends on the Felt Dan Bilzerian will be taking on Neymar Jr Ninja and Mr. Keating this weekend at Hustler Casino Live

It was already looking like a cash game line-up that you’d happily pay to be part of, and that has only been boosted by the shock news that Dan “Blitz” Bilzerian will be joining Neymar Jr. and other stars for HCL’s Legends of the Felt this coming weekend. Even before Bilzerian was named it looked like the $50/$100 game was going to be a tremendous affair, with Brazilian soccer star Neymar Jr.

Nik Airball to Make Return on Hustler Casino Live Hustler Casino Live has announced that it will be making its international debut and inviting fan favourite Nik Airball to make his return to action on the show.

Hustler Casino Live has announced that it will be making its international debut and inviting fan favourite Nik Airball to make his return to action on the show. Ryan Feldman, the show’s co-founder, is bringing together a team of his own regs to square up against the regs from the Onyx Club at Merit Royal Hotel Casino & Spa, in Northern Cyprus. The exclusive poker club founded by Rob Yong is invite-only and has a plush streaming room set-up which will be perfect for the Hustler crew.

GGPoker Ambassador Kevin Martin Strikes Digital Gold in a “Sock Drawer” In a tale that feels like a modern-day treasure hunt GGPoker brand ambassador Kevin Martin recently uncovered a windfall of $35000 worth of Bitcoin.

In a tale that feels like a modern-day treasure hunt, GGPoker brand ambassador Kevin Martin recently uncovered a windfall of $35,000 worth of Bitcoin in his “sock drawer.” GGPoker Ambassador Kevin Martin – Photo Credit: Hayley HochstetlerThe reality TV star turned poker player seems to be on a roll of good luck right now. Because you see, Martin was already celebrating a nice find before a sharp-eyed follower on X prompted him to rediscover the long-forgotten Bitcoin stash.

Tom Goldstein Out of Jail After Arrest on Bail Conditions Violation Tom Goldstein is out of jail following a hearing where he convinced a judge that there is reasonable doubt he did not make the alleged crypto transactions.

Tom Goldstein is out of jail following a hearing where he convinced a judge that there is reasonable doubt he did not make the alleged crypto transactions. The poker playing lawyer strongly denied that he owned any of the crypto accounts that were used to send and receive millions of dollars during last week. Tom Goldstein During the latest hearing, he convinced Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan that there was sufficient doubt over the allegations made by prosecutors.

Tom Goldstein’s Crypto Gamble Lands Him Behind Bars Poker playing lawyer Tom Goldstein is in jail after his pre-trial bail was revoked following the discovery of two undeclared cryptocurrency accounts.

Poker playing lawyer Tom Goldstein is in jail after his pre-trial bail was revoked following the discovery of two undeclared cryptocurrency accounts. Tom Goldstein – Photo Credit: Danny MaxwellGoldstein previously pleaded not guilty to 22 charges related to tax evasion and was awaiting trial, apparently confident that the case would be found to have been a misunderstanding. But the rails have come off of his defence following the discovery of millions of dollars worth of crypto transactions, violating his bail conditions.

Tournament legend “Miami” John Cernuto Passes Away at 81 Legendary poker pro Miami John Cernuto has died aged 81 of colon cancer. Cernuto passed away at home in Las Vegas with his family by his side.

John Cernuto, known as “Miami John” and the record holder of tournament cashes has died aged 81 of colon cancer. Cernuto passed away at home in Las Vegas with his family by his side. News that the 3-time WSOP bracelet winner had entered hospice care at home broke earlier this week, long-time friend actor James Woods taking to Twitter with the news. Miami John’s son has asked me to speak to his friends in the poker community about his condition.

Record Bad Beat Jackpot Hits at Lodge Card Club A $289376 state record bad beat jackpot has been hit at The Lodge Card Club in Round Rock Texas.

A $289,376 state record bad beat jackpot has been hit at The Lodge Card Club in Round Rock, Texas. The rules for NL Hold’em are that both players must use both hole cards and lose with quads tens or better. But this hand took place at a PLO table with stakes of $2/$5/$10 where the rules are even tougher to meet. Not only must the losing player hit a straight flush that gets beat, but the best hand must have been made on the flop.

Tony G Reveals $300 Million Net Worth in Dubai Interview Tony G reveals his $300 million net worth in a new Dubai interview. Discover how he made his massive fortune through crypto and Sol Strategies.

Poker player Tony G has revealed that his net worth now exceeds $300 million in an impromptu interview in the rich man’s paradise of Dubai. The poker legend was approached by the presenter of the School of Hard Knocks YouTube channel as he exited his Rolls-Royce. As is usual, the presenter asks the obviously rich person a series of quickfire questions about how they made their wealth. Tony G was more than happy to engage with the young man and revealed quite a bit that isn’t commonly known in the poker community.

Gal Yifrach Indicted Again for Continuing Illegal Gambling Operation Gal Yifrach is up against a superseding indictment following claims by federal investigators that he continued his activities for more than one year after the first indictment.

Gal Yifrach is up against a superseding indictment following claims by federal investigators that he continued his activities for more than one year after the first indictment. The second indictment was filed by a grand jury in the United States District Court Eastern District of California on January 16, 2025, with two key additions from the original. Gal Yifrach Gal Yifrach Facing Serious Prison Time All the way back in March 2022, Gal Yifrach, a WSOP bracelet winner, hit the poker headlines after being indicted for running an illegal gambling business and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Dan Bilzerian Spills the Beans on Indicted Lawyer Dan Bilzerian has given his take on his relationship with indicted lawyer Tom Golstein revealing that the pair played in high-stakes private games together.

Dan Bilzerian has given his take on his relationship with indicted lawyer Tom Golstein, revealing that the pair played in high-stakes private games together. Dan BilzerianDan Bilzerian’s back story to his own poker career is that he made his fortune by playing against ultra-wealthy opponents in some of these games. What we didn’t know, until very recently, is that Tom Goldstein was another regular participant at the same tables, as revealed in Bilzerian’s book The Setup.