Professional poker players Robbi Jade Lew and Garrett Adelstein were competing at the Hustler Casino during a high-stakes game, when a row erupted following a betting gambit by Lew that led her to win the $269,000 pot.
After the hand was over, both players exchanged private words and Lew gave Adelstein his money back, alleging she’d been threatened by him.
When the game had finished, Adelstein accused Lew of having a vibrating device about her person to help her cheat – which she vehemently denied.
Now, the casino has responded to the cheating allegations by hiring an independent law firm to conduct an investigation into the event, which could include players taking a polygraph test. Furthermore, the casino has also hired a third-party cyber security company to sweep the casino system to ensure no cheating has taken place.
However, despite the intense lengths Hustler has gone to in investigating the claims of cheating, it highlighted the lack of evidence in its statement, stating: “It’s important for us to reinforce that we have found no evidence of wrongdoing by anyone at this point.”
The scandal resembles allegations made by chess world champion Magnus Carlsen, after he accused his opponent Hans Niemann of cheating at a US tournament earlier this year. Carlsen had been on a 53-match unbeaten win in classical chess before Niemann defeated the Norwegian grandmaster under suspicious circumstances.