Gossip Column: WSOP Suspends Michigan Online Player of the Year Kevin Ruscitti Amidst RTA Allegations

The poker world has been rocked with another controversy! Kevin “GR4ND_THEFT” Ruscitti, Michigan’s reigning WSOP Online Player of the Year, has been suspended from WSOP.com following accusations of using real-time assistance (RTA). Ruscitti vehemently denies the allegations, but the situation has sparked a heated debate about the prevalence of cheating in online poker and what can be done to stop it.

This scandal throws a shadow over Ruscitti’s recent victory in the $500 No-Limit Hold’em PKO event, where he defeated the 2022 GPI Female Player of the Year Cherish Andrews heads-up to win his first-ever WSOP bracelet. This win added to his already impressive poker resume, which includes multiple WSOPC rings and the 2023 WSOP Michigan POY title. But the celebrations were cut short when his account was suspended following accusations from fellow Michigan poker players.

Suspicions Arise

Michigan’s Ryan “MagicJohnson” Hiller first became suspicious of Ruscitti several months ago after Ruscitti allegedly “bragged about using RTA” to other players. Concerned about potential foul play, Hiller started using Fair Play Checks—a tool from GTO Wizard that analyzes hand histories to see if solver outputs were accessed during real-time play. Hiller claims to have found suspicious activity in Ruscitti’s gameplay, particularly in crucial spots where he would pause and then make unusual plays that seemed to align with solver recommendations.

Ever play against GR4ND_THEFT on @WSOPcom? The reigning @WSOPcom Player of the Year and recent online bracelet winner Kevin Ruscitti’s account was suspended, almost certainly due to his failing numerous GTO Wizard fair play checks. Hope @WSOPcom / @WSOP / @GGPoker does the right… pic.twitter.com/i0tgYVKkTc

— Mario Arribas (@MarioPartyPoker) October 22, 2024

Hiller alerted other Michigan players, who also began running Fair Play Checks on Ruscitti. According to Michigan player Mario Arribas, who shared screenshots on X (formerly Twitter), they kept their findings quiet until they felt they had enough evidence to push WSOP to ban him. However, some poker pros, including Matt Berkey, have cautioned that Fair Play Checks can sometimes produce false positives.

Don’t know much about this case aside from the fact that the account is currently under review…

but these wiz checks showed here (image 2 & 3) ARE NOT consistent w/positive hits & shouldn’t be used to publicly persecute someone.

If someone is using GTOW maliciously there… https://t.co/4J5f2VMwmf

— Matt Berkey (@berkey11) October 22, 2024

Ruscitti Denies the Allegations

Ruscitti, who only recently learned about his account suspension, firmly denies using any RTA and dismisses the Fair Play Checks as unreliable. “Think back to when you were a kid, playing board games,” he said in an interview with PokerNews. “If someone lost and couldn’t accept it, the first thing they’d shout is, ‘He’s cheating!’ That’s exactly what’s happening to me right now.”

Ruscitti, who won the 2023 WSOP.com Michigan Player of the Year title with 46,100 points, insists that his style of play is unconventional but fair. “I’m a wild player,” he says. “I make big calls, run big bluffs, but one thing I’m not is a cheater.”

Ruscitti confirmed that his WSOP account remains suspended, but he is working to clear his name and have his account reinstated.

Cherish Andrews Raises Concerns

Cherish Andrews, who finished runner-up to Ruscitti in the $500 No-Limit Hold’em PKO event, initially didn’t suspect any foul play. However, after hearing the allegations, she recalled “a couple of hands that seemed kind of sus” and ran her own Fair Play Checks, though they didn’t return any hits.

I just found out that the guy I lost to heads up for bracelet few nights ago has been banned (as of today) and failed GTO fair play. Though I didn’t at the time think much of his play could be RTA, it really sucks to think that I (along w/ everyone else) could have been cheated

— Cherish Autumn Andrews (@CherishAndrews) October 22, 2024

“I can’t say for sure if he’s cheating, but I wanted to push WSOP to act,” Andrews said. “It’s crazy that it took him winning a bracelet for them to pause his account and investigate. If regular players are bringing forward what they believe is proof for weeks, WSOP should act sooner.”

Andrews believes that if Ruscitti is found guilty, the money should be redistributed to the other players, and he should be stripped of his bracelet. “Even one cheated hand should lead to disqualification,” she said.

Patrick Leonard Weighs In

WSOP bracelet winner and online crusher Patrick Leonard also weighed in on the situation, stating that GTO Wizard is a “lethal weapon” for cheaters. He added that while WSOP has a role to play, it’s ultimately GTO Wizard that should take stronger measures to prevent players from using solvers during online games.

That really sucks I’m sorry. Whilst poker is booming the players have outgrown sites ability to make sure games are secure and GTOw is a readily available weapon that criminals can use. The pressure shouldn’t be on wsop (they won’t change) it has to be on GTOw https://t.co/8V6lgDdVJH

— Patrick Leonard 🫡 (@padspoker) October 22, 2024

A Wake-Up Call for the Industry

This is a developing story, and it highlights the ongoing challenges that online poker platforms face in combating RTA and other forms of cheating. It’s a wake-up call for the entire industry, including operators in India, to take action and ensure fair play for everyone. The use of real-time assistance tools is a serious threat to the integrity of online poker, and it’s crucial that platforms take proactive steps to prevent and detect cheating.