Not everything or situations brought into the poker spotlight during 2024 were pleasant or grand. Here, we bring you some of the major controversies from the world of poker in 2024. Feel free to share your own picks.
Solver Usage at the WSOP 2024 Main Event Final Table
The laptops on the rail of the WSOP final table were a common sight and they rarely raised eyebrows. However, that changed in 2024 during the WSOP Main Event when Jonathan Tamayo and his rail were seen with a solver on a laptop. The photo quickly went viral, sparking controversy and allegations of cheating. Sharing his thoughts, Daniel Negrean called for clearer rules to avoid such situations. Here is the detailed story.
Vanessa Kade’s Criticism of CoinPoker’s New Hire Leads To Controversy
In 2024, Benjamin “bencb789” Rolle became a poster child for sexism in poker after a few of his controversial comments and posts. When CoinPoker hired him, Vanessa Kade criticized the crypto-based poker platform for hiring Rolle. Kade’s controversial remarks led to a feud on social media with her former ACR Poker peer and vlogger Ryan DePaulo.
GGPoker’s Privatization of High Stakes Leads To Major Controversy
Last month, GGNetwork replaced its publicly accessible $25/50 and higher cash games with Exclusive Cash Games, making them available only to players approved by a host. The decision did not go well with the poker community. It caused a major uproar among high-stakes poker pros who later started looking for alternative games on other major platforms like WPT Global and CoinPoker. This move alienated many players, sparking a fresh debate about the future of poker’s most prestigious games.
Hellmuth Throws Mike & Storms Off No Gamble, No Future Set
In July 2024, No Game, No Future saw one of the most memorable Phil Hellmuth blowups. In an epic Poker Brat moment, the 17-time bracelet winner erupted into an expletive-laced tirade against Humboldt Mike after losing a $50k pot on the river and exited the game in a dramatic fashion.
While leaving the table, Hellmuth removed his microphone pack, threw it down on the table and stormed off No Gamble, No Future, a popular cash game show on PokerGo. He even vowed to never film with fellow player Humboldt Mike again. His infamous ‘brat’ temper coupled with some controversial remarks did not go well with the community with many in the community criticizing Hellmuth for his behaviour at the poker table.
WSOP Paradise Controversy: Bonomo Faces Super Main Disqualification Over Keffiyeh
Another big controversy happened recently at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise ahead of the Super Main Event final table. This was triggered by Justin Bonomo who wore a Palestinian black-and-white keffiyeh and even announced that he would be donating some of his winnings at Paradise to charities to support Palestinians. When the Main Event came down to the final table, the WSOP staff informed him that he would be disqualified from the tournament if he did not remove keffiyeh, a controversial clothing according to the WSOP Rulebook. After facing criticism from the poker community and WSOP itself, Bonomo had to remove the keffiyeh to play the Super Main Event FT.
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