The winner of a $25k World Series of Poker Online high roller event, known as “forzaitalia,” has been disqualified, permanently banned, and had his winnings of $1.1 million denied by GGPoker. The player emerged victorious over a final table that included well-known names in the poker world such as Adrian Mateos, Bryn Kenney, and Chris Brewer. Despite his success in claiming the bracelet and the top prize, the player’s disqualification and ban came as a shock to the other players at the table.
The identity of the player was shrouded in mystery as the account only had $36k in cashes on GGPoker before the event. Speculations arose among players about the reasons behind the decision to disqualify the player, with multi-accounting being the primary suspicion. However, the use of real-time assistance or other tools was also considered as a possible reason for the ban. GGPoker has not provided any clarification on the exact grounds for disqualifying the player.
In a surprising turn of events, the player who came in second, Chris Brewer, will not be receiving the bracelet that usually accompanies a first-place finish. Brewer expressed his contentment with receiving the difference in prize money between first and second place, stating, “I got the difference between 2nd to 1st. But I don’t get the bracelet, quite happy either way.”
The decision to disqualify the player and redistribute the prize money among the other players marks one of the largest refunds in online poker history. The biggest refund occurred during the poker boom era when the winner of the 2007 PokerStars WCOOP Main Event had their $1.37 million prize denied due to multi-accounting. In another case, Dutch player “wann2play,” who won the WCOOP Main Event in 2018 for $1.35 million, was also disqualified for the same reason.
Overall, the disqualification of the $1.1 million champion in the World Series of Poker Online event has sent shockwaves through the poker community, raising questions about fair play and integrity in online poker tournaments. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding the rules and regulations of the game to ensure a level playing field for all participants.