A known cheater has cashed twice at the ongoing Triton Poker stop in Jeju. Chinese pro Jinlong Hu was recently issued a formal warning for collusion at the U Series of Poker in Vietnam.
Collusion
Hu has cashed twice in the past week at Triton Jeju in South Korea, picking up more than $100,000 in prizemoney. However, a 2plus2 forum poster was quick to point out that just two months ago Hu and another Chinese player had their heads-up battle halted for collusion.
2plus2 forum user 555pr posted: “He and his CN friends were cheating in a Vietnamese poker series. The money was still awarded however stripped from the actual event/listing. If you’re a reg in these events then you’ll have more info about it. Kind of a shame Triton allows this player still…”
The poster is referring to the USOP Billionaire Club Challenge in December, which ended in controversy after viewers of the livestreamed final table raised concerns.
A $10k event with 61 entrants, the highroller tournament was down to the final five when some of the most egregious hands were played. As the OP asked: “…when can you consider a hand soft play/collusion?”
“Two Chinese professionals … play hands like these, and the chip leader folded in both cases. In the end, the short stack survived and laddered up, finally reaching HU with his fellow countryman, with a ton of money up top.”
After the concerns were raised, the organisers decided not to award the title, although the two Chinese players still received their prizemoney.
Official statement
A statement from the USOP stated:
“During the final table of this year’s event, concerns arose regarding the conduct of two players. Although our thorough review found no clear or solid evidence of foul play, the behavior observed during the livestream – including the two hands played and the excessive use of private conversations in their own language – has raised some valid questions about whether these actions align with the spirit of true sportsmanship.
“As a result, we have decided not to award the tournament trophy for this event. While this decision does not imply wrongdoing, it reflects our commitment to upholding the values that define the Billionaire Club Challenge.
“Additionally, the two players involved have been issued formal warnings. Should any further incidents occur involving either player, whether on-stream or off-stream, much stricter measures will be applied, including possible disqualification or suspension from future events.”
Should Bans be Site/Series-wide?
It is rare for a tournament not to have a winner, but rather less rare that known cheats are allowed to ply their trade at other events.
Just this week, VIP Grinders shared Doug Polk’s thoughts on the recent GGPoker decision to ban 31 online accounts and ambassador Fedor Holz’s comment that this could lead to players receiving live bans as well.
Cheating Coincidence..?
Coincidentally, one of the other final tablists in Vietnam, Frenchman Ivan Deyra, was also in the headlines just a few years ago for cheating. In 2021, Deyra – a Winamax Team Pro – took down the Winamax Series €2,000 SHR for €83,300 (roughly $101,000).
However, a forum-led investigation discovered that the name of the winning account – “MATIVANAO” – was compiled of the first names of Deyra’s brothers and sisters.
Deyra had his Winamax contract terminated and later released a statement admitting he had won using his father’s account while also playing on his own “ValueMergez” account.
Although cheating in poker isn’t as rife as the headlines may make it seem, it is a problem that the game hasn’t managed to overcome. It’s as well to be aware of the latest scams and scandals in order to prevent falling for them yourself.
Triton Poker have been contacted for their comment on allowing Jinlong Hu to play their Jeju event after his recent warning.
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