One of Australia’s most well-known poker figures, Chris Skinner, has stepped down as a brand ambassador for the Southern Poker Tour (SPT) in the wake of a cheating scandal that has rocked the industry in recent days.
Australian Poker Schedule reported earlier this week that a player – who it refrained from naming – had been caught cheating during a New Year’s Eve poker tournament operated by “Poker With Fred” at The Grand Central Hotel in Cobram, Victoria. Specifically, the organiser had detected surplus chips on one of the tables early in the game, with subsequent checks of security footage showing a player taking the chips from his pocket and adding them to his stack.
Although he was not publicly named at the time, Skinner this week admitted to being the player in question in a message posted to his social media accounts.
“I cheated,” Skinner wrote in the post. “I brought chips into play that I had no right to bring into the game. No matter the amount or the result, it was wrong. There is no excuse for it.”
Revealing that he had since resigned from his role as an SPT ambassador, Skinner added, “I’m sorry to the players affected, the local poker community, and Fred. I’m ashamed of the position I put him in and of the damage my actions may have caused. I’m not making excuses for what I did.
“Poker, especially local poker, has been part of my life for a long time. These aren’t just games. They’re people I know, people I respect, and a community that’s always treated me well. Knowing I’ve let that community down and damaged trust with people who matter to me is something I regret deeply and am genuinely heartbroken about.
“I’ll be apologising in person to the players involved, and I’ve offered a contribution toward a future local tournament as a gesture of accountability, not as justification.”
Skinner said he would step away from poker for the next several months while he considers his actions.
SPT also addressed the scandal, stating that it is “deeply shocked and extremely disappointed” to hear about the cheating incident and confirming it had parted ways with Skinner – one of the tour’s most successful players. Skinner has been banned from participating in any SPT tournaments, it explained.
Addressing questions from players asking if Skinner’s cheating had been more widespread – especially given his known involvement in the transport and set-up of infrastructure for some SPT events – the organisers stated “Chris has only ever transported poker tables for SPT with our first two years of operation”, that “SPT chips are transported to and from our venues by only either SPT owners or our highest ranked staff members, and are stored securely after each series” and that “As part of our SPT series host venue agreements, the venue needs to provide us with a secure room for us to sort and store chips throughout each series. Only staff have access to these rooms”.
Skinner boasts almost $465,000 (US$312,000) in live poker earnings according to Hendon Mob, with a career high score of $46,000 from a runner-up finish in the APT Brisbane Main Event in 2023.
Be the first to comment