Table Of Contents
- Did Poker Pro Spill the Beans on ACR's Anti-Cheat Strategy?
- The Cat's Out of the Bag - ACR Speaks Up
Unregulated Online Poker Platform Not Successfully Addressing Concerns About Cheating, Says ACR Poker Pro
ACR Poker Pro Nacho Barbero, a WSOP bracelet winner, might've let the cat out of the bag about the unregulated poker site's approach to combating cheating - do nothing.
The exchange between Barbero and Isaac Haxton during the U.S. Poker Open coverage on PokerGO raised eyebrows. Haxton questioned his opponent's software usage on ACR Poker, to which Barbero responded, "I don't think they're even trying."
Many poker players have long accused ACR of being lax about preventing suspicious activities such as Real-Time Assistance (RTA), collusion, and outright cheating. Earlier, another ACR Pro, Ebony Kenney, was caught with an RTA chart up during her play on the site.
Conrad Simpson, a poker player and Only Friends podcast co-host, shared a clip from the PokerGO stream that raises serious questions about ACR's dedication to eliminating cheating on the US-facing poker site.
Haxton admitted to Barbero that he was surprised ACR hadn't detected the software automatically. Barbero's response, whether joking or serious, sparked criticism from poker players on social media, with jokes about AI and questioning the site's efforts against cheating.
Ike: I’m surprised @ACR_POKER didn’t just like catch it automatically to be honest
Nacho: laughs
Ike : you can just have GTO Wizard open on your computer while playing? Are they even trying?
Nacho: I don’t think they’re trying.
Ayiyiyi pic.twitter.com/VhseASWQO6— Conrad Simpson (@conrads411) April 17, 2025
Aaron Barone, a streamer for a licensed poker site, 888poker, joked that the video "might be AI. Can we get a friend of Nachos to investigate whether he even said it?". Lee Bradbury dropped an obvious joke, "he's just being a goofball," while ClubWPT Gold piled on its competitor.
ACR Poker has faced criticism from the poker community because of repeated allegations of cheating. Barbero's comments, whether in jest or not, added more fuel to the fire.
The Cat's Out of the Bag - ACR Speaks Up
At ACR Poker we take our game integrity and our responsibility to ensure a fair and competitive environment for all players seriously.
We expect the same from the ambassadors who represent our brand. That expectation has been tested a lot this year and in light of recent comments…— ACR Poker (@ACR_POKER) April 17, 2025
A day after the incident, ACR addressed Barbero's comments on their social media platform, stating, "At ACR Poker, we take our game integrity and our responsibility to ensure a fair and competitive environment for all players seriously."
The site further emphasized, "We expect the same from the ambassadors who represent our brand." In light of Barbero's remarks, they have reached out to him to "discuss this event and consider his future" with ACR Poker.
While ACR maintains its stance against third-party software abuse, the incident casts doubts on their actual enforcement capabilities, particularly in detecting RTA usage in real-time gameplay. The site did not provide specific details about its current anti-cheating measures in these statements.
- The poker community has been abuzz on social media platforms like Twitter, with many expressing their opinions about the unregulated online poker site, ACR Poker, following Nacho Barbero's comments about their anti-cheat strategy.
- The entertainment world, including poker streaming platforms and podcasts such as Only Friends, have seized this news as a topic for discussion, raising questions about the integrity of ACR Poker.
- ACR Poker recently responded to the controversy on their social media platform, affirming their commitment to maintaining game integrity and a fair playing environment for all players, and pledging to discuss the matter with ambassador, Nacho Barbero.
- While ACR Poker has asserted its stance against third-party software abuse, continuous allegations of cheating and questions about their real-time detection capabilities persist, making headlines in the realm of news and entertainment.
