Nick Vertucci has made it clear on his YouTube podcast this week that Garrett Adelstein will not be back in the Hustler Casino Live setup anytime soon, the cash game crusher paying the price for his accusations of cheating against Robbi Jade Lew. Adelstein, for his part, was unimpressed by the decision.
Watch Nick Vertucci’s podcast here:
Garrett Adelstein was quick to comment on it on his Twitter:
Make no mistake, I have chosen to avoid all poker streams for the last 6 months, not the other way around. And my life has been awfully blissful in the interim. I still may hop on a stream I trust later, but until then, stay thirsty and keep using my name for clicks. I’ll help: https://t.co/6gLUiNcqPT
— Garrett Adelstein (@GmanPoker) March 20, 2023
Vertucci, co-founder of HCL, appears to have reversed plans to invite Adelstein back, in particular for the Million Dollar buy-in cash game in May, having previously tweeted: “Simply put, HCL is open to having @GManPoker back.”
On his show this week, however, Vertucci told guest and HCL reg Ben “BlankCheckBen” Lee “not at this time” when asked about Adelstein’s return.
“There’s a number of reasons behind our decision”
He later told media that it wasn’t just Adelstein’s claims that the HCL game was rigged that led to his continued absence.
Producer of Hustler Casino Live Nick Vertucci explained:
“There’s a number of reasons behind our decision. For one, our players don’t want him back. And you can see that our games have grown even larger. Players are buying in deeper because Garrett is not there. So, there’s more action, which makes the pots bigger and more exciting.”
Garrett Adelstein’s cheating accusations in the infamous J4 hand against Lew also factored into the decision.
“He didn’t do us any favors by leaning that he was cheated”
Nick Vertucci stated:
“This is hard on all of us. But he didn’t do us any favors by leaning hard into the position he held and still believes – that he was cheated. Even after an extensive investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing.
In the most unexpected turn, Vertucci then added: “I hesitate to use the word banned, in regard to having Garrett back on the show. Maybe things will change down the line. We will never say never.”
As Garrett Adelstein’s tweet above shows, he has been absent from the highstakes livestreamed cash games that brought him fame and quite some fortune.
When the HCL investigation into the cheating allegations concluded, he tweeted how pleased he was at the security measures were being tightened.
1/2: I was heartened reading the details regarding several security measures HCL has implemented. Security vulnerabilities are THE existential threat facing the poker livestreams we all love, and thus these updates are a win for everyone in our industry. https://t.co/BSLw4MST3i
— Garrett Adelstein (@GmanPoker) December 14, 2022
However, it seems he won’t be able to check them out in person anytime soon. With his wife heavily pregnant, he clearly has other things on his mind.
Even Vertucci mentioned as much on his podcast: “I’ve always called Garrett a friend. And I truly wish him and his wife the very best during the birth of their child.”
- Get the best rakeback deals
- View all poker strategy articles
- View the latest poker news
- Watch more poker videos
- Get the biggest poker bonus
- Watch the best Twitch Poker streamers
Terms and conditions apply. New customer offer and 18+ only. Please gamble responsibly! Should you require help regarding your betting pattern, visit www.begambleaware.org
