Poker pro Nadya Magnus has lashed out at her detractors, the 2021 GPI Female Player of the Year in the hot seat after accepting Bryn Kenney’s offer of a $10k WSOP Main Event ticket.
This is my one and only comment on the situation around accepting WSOP Main Event seat from Bryn Kenney. Last picture is what’s it’s all about for me, nothing else… pic.twitter.com/zlLMX3e5aV
— Nadya Magnus (@NadyaKGB) May 24, 2022
The $10k ticket was one of two donated to Magnus, who gives away poker tournament entries to women to ensure they get an occasional fair crack of the whip in a male-dominated game.
However, accepting Bryn Kenney’s offer did not go down too well with many, with Irish pro David K. Lappin calling her out on Twitter, hinting at something more than just bad decision-making.
At best, this is tone-deaf nonsense. At worst, it’s indicative of something far more shady and duplicitous. https://t.co/B02I9pzjPU
— 🃏 David Lappin 🃏 (@dklappin) May 23, 2022
Matt Berkey was another who thought accepting Bryn’s money was the wrong move: “I could get behind this messaging if Bryn had been left anonymous. But as it stands this is a cheap method of him using your platform to repair his image. Think of the seat winner and the potential moral quandary they stand to face if they are aware of how the money was sourced.”
Kenney, of course, has been in the headlines recently for alleged cheating, the man at the top of the all-time moneywinner list accused of ghosting, multi-accounting and expecting his stable of players to act unethically.
Magnus fired back at her accusers on Twitter: “You’re bitching at me for accepting an extra WSOP ME seat from Bryn Kenney…would you be happier if Bryn had just kept the $10k and spent it at a nightclub on a bottle service, instead of giving it to an unknown female player?”
I’ll add a wsop main event seat to your giveaway. Great what you’re doing ❤️🙏❤️
— Bryn Kenney (@BrynKenney) May 12, 2022
Though Magnus doesn’t state who exactly she is directing her anger at, she doesn’t pull any punches, asking: “…has any of you tried to bitch at the WSOP or PokerGO tour for not banning Bryn from their events…?”
She continues: “I haven’t seen a single hater trying to take up on the big guys, but sure enough all of you are attacking WOMEN for accepting $10k…”
“Men are fighting women instead of their equals,” said Magnus, describing her detractors as “hypocrites” trying to build their “reputations” on the back of the story.
Not all men were against Magnus, of course, just as not all women were with her…
I don’t agree with her taking it. He is using her.and she is daft enough to be used by him. Still a grimmer and a groomer.
— Donna Morton (@darkangel709) May 23, 2022
…with others still pointing out that there is no necessarily right or wrong way to look at the $10k WSOP seat offer.
Two things can be true at the same time.
1. Accepting money taken from Lauren Roberts on behalf of Brynn is wrong. This is akin to trying to buy forgiveness from the community.
2. You’re providing a life changing opportunity for two women who normally wouldn’t play the Main.
— Jonathan K 🇨🇫🇸🇻 (@ispLashcrans) May 24, 2022
Poker reporter BJ Nemeth backed Magnus, tweeting: “You’re doing great things, Nadya. You’re not even accepting anything for yourself; you took Bryn’s donation and gave it to somebody else who is incredibly grateful for a rare opportunity.”
He added: “If people have a problem with Bryn, they need to direct their displeasure at him.”
Others were happier playing Devil’s Advocate, poker fan Jason Southwell asking: “Would you accept a 10k seat from… Trump? Putin? Bernie Madoff? Ana Sorokin? Tinder Swindler? Hitler?”
The destination of the two Main Event seats was decided by a puzzle contest, open only to women, with Shelby Wells bagging the first $10k ticket, the second going to Kristen Lapari, both now looking forward to their first-ever WSOP Main Event.
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