Kevin Ruscitti, a successful poker player from Michigan who recently won a WSOP Online bracelet, has been suspended from the World Series of Poker Online amid allegations of cheating. Ruscitti, known online as “GR4ND_THEFT,” was crowned the WSOP Online Michigan player of the year after winning his first bracelet in a $500 No-Limit Hold’Em PKO event by defeating Cherish Andrews.
The controversy surrounding Ruscitti began when several fellow Michigan poker players accused him of using real-time assistance (RTA) software during tournaments. Ryan Hiller, another player from Michigan, claimed that Ruscitti had bragged about using RTA to gain an unfair advantage. Hiller and other players began running fair play checks on Ruscitti’s hands using GTOWizard, a popular poker study tool that can detect if players are using solutions during a game.
After multiple checks, Hiller and his colleagues found instances where Ruscitti’s hands failed fair play checks, leading to their decision to report him to WSOP. Mario Arribas, a professional poker player, publicly accused Ruscitti of cheating on his X account, revealing evidence of the alleged foul play. As a result, Ruscitti’s WSOP.com account was suspended pending further investigation.
Ruscitti denied the accusations, stating on social media that he has dedicated years to playing poker and that he is simply a skilled player. He dismissed the need for RTA to succeed and expressed confidence that he would be proven innocent. Despite the public allegations, some prominent figures in the poker community, like Matt Berkey, cautioned against jumping to conclusions based on the fair play checks submitted, suggesting that they could be false positives.
Andrews, the player who lost to Ruscitti in the bracelet event, did not openly accuse him of cheating but suggested that if the allegations are proven true, his opponents should be reimbursed for any unfair advantage he may have gained. The situation has sparked a debate within the poker community about the use of RTA and fair play in online tournaments.
Ultimately, the suspension of Kevin Ruscitti from WSOP Online serves as a reminder of the importance of fair play and integrity in the world of competitive poker. As the investigation into the allegations continues, the poker community will be watching closely to see how the situation unfolds and what consequences, if any, Ruscitti will face if found guilty of cheating.