An infamous jack-four hand was dealt at Hustler Casino Live (HCL) over two months ago. But, a third-party investigation reveals that the scandal lacked evidence of wrongdoing.
Robbi Jade Lew, a popular recreational poker player, made a strange call on the turn using jack-high in a September 29 livestream. He faced Garrett Adelstein's all-in $105,000 bet. Lew's call turned out to be technically correct since it was the best hand and Adelstein held eight-high while on a draw.
Unfortunately, cheating accusations made the hand one of poker's crazy moments in history. Adelstein claimed that Lew cheated and many conspiracy theories emerged.
Some people accused Lew of conspiring with Jacob "Rip" Chavez, another player in the event. Still, an investigation into the issue revealed that the accusation lacked definitive proof.
More Details About the Investigation's Findings
Hustler Casino Live's production company, High Stakes Poker Productions, released a report on Wednesday explaining its findings. Nick Vertucci and Ryan Feldman, the casino's co-owners, contracted a third-party GLI company, Bulletproof, to audit live-stream procedures and operations.
Vertucci on The Nich Vertucci Show podcast stated that he would accept a transparent investigation into all HCL workers. The report indicated that Bulletproof had exclusive access to the casino's facilities like the producing show, stakes, poker table, and production room. But, its largest takeaway was the general conclusion that the investigation didn't find enough wrongdoing evidence in that night's hands including the J4 hand.
It had other findings such as the Deckmate automatic shuffle machine triggered rumors on social media. Cybersecurity investigators concluded that the machine is secure thus making it difficult for a card-reading device kept on the table, jewelry, or in a water bottle to intercept the card signal.
The Casino Will Enhance Game Security
Hustler Casino Live declared that it will improve game security even though the third-party investigation concluded that it didn't cheat. The poker show has made some changes since the scandal including reconfiguring its production room to make one monitor showcase hole cards.
The gaming operator installed a new door and wall in the room which closes in live streams. The production room is only accessible to High Stakes Poker Productions staff and out of bounds for Hustler Casino workers.
Some people who criticize the casino's live-stream security are concerned about Vertucci's admission that he didn't perform background checks on each employee. It developed into a huge issue after Bryan Sagbigsal stole casino chips worth $15,000 from Lew's stack in the show.
The 25-year-old has a criminal history and many poker players questioned why the casino hired him. Lew advocated for charges to be filed against Sagbigsal. The Gardena Police Department issued his arrest warrant for felony theft.
The investigation report adds that High Stakes Poker Productions will start conducting background checks on all prospective workers.
Robbi Jade Lew's Statement
The report thrilled Lew since she always denies wrongdoing and was confident about what it would reveal. The player thanked her global trail for sticking with her during the investigation. Lew didn't comment on the scandal despite being a renowned high-stakes poker player.
