The CEO of Russian poker skin PokerOK, Ivan Bryksin, has declared war on the stables that he feels are ruining the game for recreational players. Bryksin stated this week that stables are “hands down, the greatest threat to the purity, integrity and equality of poker today”.
Poker stables, or “funds” as they are sometimes referred to, back groups of players financially and often include a training school element, utilizing the latest techniques and technologies to improve their “horses” chances of winning.
On the other side of this are the recreational players, the mainstay of the poker community, who play poker as a hobby, but who are targeted relentlessly by stables, according to some.
Allegations of softplay, collusion, multi-accounting, bum-hunting and other decidedly dubious tactics are often levelled against stables, and recently, it came to a head when PokerOK launched a public offensive.
The following (translated) message was posted on Telegram…
…and Bryksin, CEO of the GGPoker skin in Russia, followed it up by having a meeting with the bosses of several stables.
That didn’t resolve the issues outlined above, with Bryksin reverting to the baseline that the GGPoker network has always had the interests of amateurs at heart and that the stables have been getting away with poor behaviour for too long.
With two stables – FiatLab and FunFarm – already either banned or soon to be, Bryksin (known as DonkvsFish on the gipsyteam.ru forum where most of this battle took place) set his sights on others, giving them and their players an ultimatum:
- Stables must leave PokerOK and GGPoker completely
- Players who “permanently cease cooperation” with their stable may be allowed back on the network
- Should players break these rules “the most stringent measures will be taken against them”.
On the side of the stables, there were counterclaims that Bryksin was trying to “destroy the dreams” of players looking to turn professional.
One fund founder, Alexey “Fiat” Vandyshev, stated: “We sincerely believe that the only harmful subject of this entire discussion is the idea of turning poker into a pure casino, disguised as a ‘fight against stables.’ Destroying the very dream of a professional career.”
Bryksin, however, doubled down on his attack, stating: “Come and bow before it’s too late. My position is clear. Your stables will not play on PokerOK.”
The war of words soon sparked discussions on Twitter/X:
If stables operate in unethical ways or cheat, then ban them for that.
Literally no one is against that.I have seen contracts of stables that require players to be ghosted. They got reported & sites didn’t do anything back in the day.
— Beriuzy (@beriuzy) April 2, 2024
Although this argument so far only affects the Russia-based PokerOK skin, similar ‘discussions’ have taken place around the world over the past few years.
The most infamous case involved Bryn Kenney, who hit the headlines when a former “horse”, Martin Zamani turned whistleblower.
Zamani claimed that players in Kenney’s stable were required to be ghosted, forced to collude, and even punished for not following Kenney’s lifestyle choices.
This allegedly involved being injected with frog poison by a shaman. Kenney denied all the allegations and threatened his accusers, including Doug Polk, with legal action.
What are your views on poker stables? Are they good for the poker economy? Necessary? Or as Bryksin describes them, “an absolute evil”? Please let us know what you think on our social media channels.
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