During the notable Hustler Casino Live poker stream in which soccer star Neymar won $300K back in June, six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler was also at the table. He played a tight game and walked away from the felt with a $100K profit.
But he won’t be repeating the feat anytime soon. Hustler Casino Live co-owner Nick Vertucci spoke on stream this week. He trashed Butler’s behavior at the table and said he wouldn’t have him back on the stream.
Among other allegations, Vertucci said Butler was rude to various people and became frustrated when the poker game didn’t play out in the ways he was used to.
“I don’t care how many views he brings, I don’t want him back. He was rude. He was rude to the dealers. He was rude to the other players. He was rude to the staff… he’s not welcome back. Clip that,” Vertucci said.
The Poker
The Hustler Casino Live stream back in July was packed with star power. As well as Miami Heat basketballer Butler, players at the table included Brazilian soccer star Neymar, social media playboy Dan Bilzerian, professional video game streamer Ninja, and boxers Ryan Garcia and Chris Eubank Jr.
The action came thick and fast, with the high-limit players engaging in risky hands and loose play. The highlight was undoubtedly high-stakes player Alan Keating losing $300,000 to Neymar on seven consecutive run-outs.
But probably not for Butler. The six-time NBA All-Star came into the game late, after sitting out at the table until the also-late Neymar arrived.
He then proceeded to play a conservative game, playing only 2% of the hands he was dealt over the night. He also appeared at various times frustrated and confused by the loose play at the table.
That included stand-up play, where no one can sit down until they have won a pot, and the last player standing has to pay a big blind to the others. He also appeared to not enjoy straddling, where recreational players up the action by putting voluntary blinds in.
He’s Not Welcome Back
All of that is not the issue, however, as poker players have different styles, and Butler clearly underestimated super high- stakes recreational poker players.
The issue Vertucci had was Butler’s behavior in response. The Hustler Casino Live co-owner said that Butler was rude to multiple people at the table, and got into arguments with others.
When he asked Butler if he could help, Vertucci said the NBA star flipped out at him.
“So I come up and I say, ‘Hey Jimmy, listen, is there anything I can do for you?’ ” Vertucci said this week on stream.
“He goes, ‘Yeah, first thing you can do is get your f*****g hand off my arm. And I didn’t move it, and I said ‘Hold on, we’ve met, you may have forgotten, no big deal, but I own part of the show. I just want to help you.'”
“He goes, ‘If you want to help me, go get my money.’ “
Vertucci also added that he thought Butler had been dismissive towards a young fan.
On the other hand, the other Hustler Casino Live co-owner, Ryan Feldman, had nothing bad to say about Butler’s conduct on the stream.
“I know that Nick had a negative experience interacting with Jimmy, and I can’t change how Nick feels or what happened during their short interaction. But that’s unfortunate because my experience was positive,” Feldman said.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
