One of Australia’s most recognizable poker players has admitted to cheating during a relatively small New Year’s Eve tournament called “Poker With Fred” that had an AU$125 (US$83) buy-in. After the emergence of incriminating video footage, Chris Skinner admitted that he added more chips to his stack.
In a social media post, he said that there was no excuse for his actions. He went on to remark that he deeply regrets his actions and is “genuinely heartbroken” about tarnishing his name in the tight-knit poker community.
people believe he deserves a lifetime ban
Skinner doesn’t intend to play poker again for several months while he reflects on what happened. The Southern Poker Tour (SPT) has removed Skinner as an ambassador and banned him from playing indefinitely. Some people believe he deserves a lifetime ban.
The country’s poker community is now questioning the legitimacy of his past wins. A player at another table spotted Skinner adding the chips from his pockets, which led to the examination of CCTV footage. Skinner initially denied any wrongdoing.
He had a reputation for transporting chips from tournament to tournament, which led some people to wonder if he had exploited his access on other occasions to boost his stack. Skinner’s Hendon Mob figures show he has amassed over US$312,270 in live tournament earnings.
The SPT confirmed that Skinner transported tables during the first two years following its launch in 2020. Only SPT owners and established staff members transport the chips now, and they are “stored securely after each series.”
In a statement to the Daily Mail, a Victoria Police spokesperson said that it didn’t receive any reports regarding Skinner’s cheating.
