Nick Vertucci Threatens Matt Berkey with Blackmail over Hustler Casino Live Situation

The Hustler Casino Live cheating scandal threatened to get even more out of control this week as Nick Vertucci was accused of trying to blackmail Matt Berkey in a tit-for-tat Twitter storm…

Screenshots of the now-deleted Twitter spat reveal that HCL co-owner Vertucci apparently threatened to reveal information about Berkey if the SolveForWhy founder didn’t recant his position on the recent cheating scandal.

“Some information has come out that Matt needs to answer to immediately,” wrote Vertucci, implying that skeletons in Berkey’s closet might be shaken loose.

Quite what those might be is unknown, but Vertucci has been as vehement in his attacks on Berkey, as Berkey has been adamant that the HCL show should be closed down until proven safe.

🚨Current security failures🚨
Commentary in server area.
Server not separate/secured.
Cards shared real time w/production.
Unsecure control/server room.
Real time info shared over radio

Cali gaming: “Carry on”

Andrew Milner, system developer on security:https://t.co/cCl6T03W0M https://t.co/usysuNTL3F

— Matt Berkey (@berkey11) October 12, 2022

Berkey added to this tweet: “I stand by the fact that @HCLPokerShow should shut down until they remedy their security failures, if for no other reason than to be the industry leader in both entertainment and security.”

All this relates, of course, to the ongoing investigation into alleged cheating by Robbie Jade Lew several weeks ago on the HCL livestreamed highstakes cash game.

Garrett Adelstein claimed she had to be cheating after she called his all-in for $135k in an incredible spot.

The poker community soon took sides, and HCL eventually launched an investigation – which has so far only found that an HCL employee had palmed $15k in chips from Lew’s stack after the show ended.

Lew has denied everything thrown at her and has since passed a lie detector test. But with Adelstein claiming he was facing multiple cheats working together, and the arrest of Bryan Sagbigsal for the chip theft, Berkey and others have been worried about the game still running.

With the HCL situation spiralling out of control, even Mike Postle and Justin Kuraitis – Postle’s alleged sidekick in the Stones Live cheating scandal – put in appearances this week.

Meanwhile, Berkey signed off with a rather personal meme aimed at Vertucci, now deleted, but to clear the air, Vertucci was invited onto the Only Friends podcast with Berkey to discuss their beef!

With that happening as we go to press, hopefully the pair will sort out their differences and get back to focusing on the potential cheating aspects of the case.

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Andrew Burnett

Professional Poker Journalist

An avid poker player, he dreams of one day playing the WSOP Main Event and has promised himself he will fold aces and kings if he gets them on the first hand to avoid front-page headlines. [more]