Live cash game streaming has attracted plenty of viewers in recent years and adding a celebrity to the mix can mean even more interest from poker fans. However, a recent appearance by one NBA player drew some negative reactions.
Nick Vertucci, the creator and producer of the Hustler Casino Live stream, recently announced that Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler has been banned from the show.
"Jimmy Butler, I don't like him,” he said o a recent stream. “He was rude to everybody, including our staff. I don't want him back.”
Allegations of Bad Behavior
Vertucci went on to spell out exactly how Butler was allegedly difficult to deal with. That apparently included waiting for another athlete to arrive and also getting angry because he didn’t understand how some of the action worked.
“First of all, he got here and waited an hour and a half for Neymar to get here, and he wouldn't play until he got here, which is okay,” Vertucci said. “We had to move his seat because he wanted to sit by Neymar. That's okay, too. Little primadonna stuff. Then what happened was that they straddled, and he didn't understand what it was, and he got very upset.”
The show also featured poker-playing social media star Dan Bilzerian, Twitch streamer Ninja, boxer Ryan Garcia, and others. It looks like Butler won't be back in the mix (see video of the game above).
Other players in the casino also alleged that they witnessed his poor behavior. After winning $122,000, Butler apparently got up and left the table and then got into another verbal altercation with Vertucci, according to reports.
“I don't care how many viewers he brings, I don't want him back,” Vertucci said. “He was rude to the dealers, other players, and the staff. He has a whole entourage of people, and his guys are all there with phones [out]. He takes out $100 bills and starts giving them to people, but they're his guys, so they're going to give the money back to him, so he had it on video.”
Butler has yet to comment on the allegations.
