Gossip Column: Nacho Barbero & ACR Poker Part Ways After Explosive Stream Comments

ACR Poker has officially parted ways with high-profile ambassador Jose ‘Nacho’ Barbero, ending their two-year relationship just days after the Argentinian pro made some eyebrow-raising comments about the site’s commitment to preventing cheating. The move comes after a tumultuous few months for Barbero and the online poker site.

The final straw appears to have been a conversation caught on a US Poker Open livestream last week. Fellow poker pro Isaac Haxton questioned Barbero about the site’s security measures regarding real-time assistance (RTA) tools like GTO Wizard, asking point-blank, “Are they even trying?” Barbero’s candid response, accompanied by laughter – “I don’t think they’re trying” – quickly sparked controversy.

Nacho is trying……trying to get fired?!?! 😳 pic.twitter.com/w5l5H20lEP

— Poker Org (@pokerorg) April 17, 2025

This exchange didn’t sit well with ACR Poker management. CEO Phil Nagy released a statement confirming the split: “At ACR Poker, we hold our team members to the highest standards of integrity and commitment. Recent comments by team pro Nacho Barbero regarding the use of GTO Wizard have raised serious concerns about his understanding of our security measures and his role as an ambassador…” Nagy added, “We never censor our pros or tell them what to say, but we do expect them to speak truthfully and be well-informed about our security efforts… The nature of these comments reflects a fundamental misalignment with our values. As a result, we have decided to part ways with Nacho.”

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

Statement from Phil Nagy, CEO of ACR Poker.

At ACR Poker, we hold our team members to the highest standards of integrity and commitment. Recent comments by team pro Nacho Barbero regarding the use of GTO Wizard have raised serious concerns about his understanding of our…

— ACR Poker (@ACR_POKER) April 21, 2025

This recent drama unfolded just a few months after Barbero found himself in hot water over the very software he discussed on the stream. In early February, Barbero posted an image to Instagram showing himself playing ACR’s flagship Venom tournament. Eagle-eyed viewers spotted GTO Wizard open on his screen in the background – a huge red flag, as using such solvers during play is strictly against the terms of service and considered cheating on most poker platforms, including ACR Poker!

Barbero claimed he wasn’t actively using the solver for the hands in play, stating it was left open from a previous coaching session. ACR Poker conducted an internal investigation and publicly stated they found no evidence of foul play at the time, initially defending their pro, even referring to the incident somewhat lightly as “Nacho being a goofball.” However, despite being cleared, Barbero agreed to forfeit his Day 2 stacks in the Venom tournaments he was playing.

pic.twitter.com/K1JssAdkiu

— Jose Ignacio Barbero (@nacho_barbero) February 3, 2025

The poker community largely viewed the situation and ACR’s initial handling of it with scepticism. Many felt the consequences were too lenient for a sponsored pro caught in such a compromising position. Fellow ACR Ambassador Chris Moneymaker voiced this sentiment openly in an interview with PokerOrg, stating he felt ambassadors should be held to a higher standard. He recounted asking Nagy how a regular player would be treated, learning they’d typically receive a warning first, then a ban if caught again. Moneymaker bluntly stated, “If I owned ACR, I would probably get rid of both of them if I’m being real with myself… You’re probably not cheating. You’re probably just an idiot, which, honestly, I really don’t want idiots working for me either.”

Fast forward to the US Poker Open stream last week, and Barbero seemed almost flippant about the GTO Wizard incident. Before his controversial “I don’t think they’re trying” comment, he remarked to Haxton, “This thing about GTO Wizard, bro. I should never have posted it. How are they gonna know? I should never have posted it online.” This, combined with his subsequent dismissal of ACR’s security efforts, appeared to be the breaking point.

ACR Poker, which operates unlicensed in the US and has faced persistent community criticism regarding its effectiveness against bots, collusion, and RTA use, initially issued a statement after the stream expressing concern over Barbero’s comments misrepresenting their stance. Less than a week later, they decided to cut ties.

Moneymaker had also previously revealed Nagy’s strong aversion to letting team members go, saying, “Phil [Nagy] hates firing people… When he fires somebody, he gets really sick… we always joke, it’s really hard to get fired from ACR. Like, you really got to screw up.”

It seems Barbero, a WSOP bracelet winner with over $23.52 Million in live tournament earnings and impressive recent results, including $597,900 in April cashes, finally found that line. He will no longer represent ACR Poker at events like the upcoming 2025 World Series of Poker.