Poker Player ‘Skillsrocks’ Accused of Cheating During Hustler Casino Live Stream

Posted on: February 4, 2022, 06:47h. 

Last updated on: February 4, 2022, 10:16h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.

A poker player going by the name of “Skillsrocks” has been called out for continuously peeking at his opponent’s cards during a Hustler Casino Live stream Wednesday. The player, since identified on poker forums as Julio Cedillo, is also accused of colluding with another player by kicking him under the table.

skillsrocks
Sillsrocks, left, appearing to peak at the cards of his long-suffering opponent, Barry. (Image: Hustler Casino Live)

Cedillo’s antics went unnoticed by casino management and commentators but were later spotted by eagle-eyed viewers, who took to the forums to express their disgust.

As “cheating” scams go, this one was pretty unsophisticated. Cedillo arrived at the table in a light pink designer jogging suit and a baseball cap on backward. He proceeded to draw even more attention to himself with his brash table talk.

The Hustler Casino later said in an official statement Thursday that Cedillo had “acknowledged what he did was unethical, and he has accepted our decision to not welcome him back.”

Playing Footsie

Seated to Cedillo’s immediate left was a player named in the stream only as “Barry,” who was the victim of Cedillo’s questionable antics. To Cedillo’s right was “So Flo Antonio,” a former YouTube prankster who is apparently Cedillo’s friend.

Throughout the stream, Cedillo appears to peek at Barry’s cards when he squeezes them up. Sometimes he cranes his neck to get a better look. At one point he even moves Barry’s sunglasses to a different position on the table to get a clear view.

This is how Cedillo knows, during a three-way pot between Barry, Antonio, and himself, that Barry made a straight-on turn. Antonio has top pair with his A-4 and, first to act, is reaching for chips. At this point, Cedillo apparently kicks Antonio under the table to warn him not to bet.

Antonio doesn’t get the hint and asks at least twice, “Why are you kicking my foot?”

Antonio bets. Cedillo has two-pair. He gives it some “Hollywood” and folds.

That’s an unusual play in this spot for a loose player. Unless, of course, you happen to know the player to act behind you has the nuts.

Barry eventually wins a $19,440 pot from the hapless Antonio, and he probably should have left the game right there.

Rubbing It In

But he doesn’t. On least three more occasions, Cedillo appears to peak at Barry’s cards, and this enables him to bluff his opponent out of big pots.

But it’s not Cedillo’s style to do it quietly. On each occasion, he rubs Barry’s face in it, slapping his cards face up on the table, before getting up from the table and showboating around the room.

Later, some poker forum posters pointed out that seeing an opponent’s hole cards, although unethical, is not technically cheating. Instead, it is the responsibility of each individual player to ensure their cards cannot be seen by an opponent.

Collusion at the poker table is cheating, plain and simple, although this would imply that at least two parties were aware of a conspiracy, of which Antonio appeared to be blissfully ignorant.

Whether Cedillo is technically guilty of cheating or not, people are now going to think twice about sitting down with him for a game of cards.