Poker Players Call Out Mike Postle After He Resurfaces at Beau Rivage
Mike Postle, the man accused of cheating on the now infamous Stones Live streams, has resurfaced more than two years after allegations of foul play first emerged.
The story of Mike Postle is a long and winding one. He was originally called out for cheating in September 2019 by poker pro Veronica Brill. Up to that point, he was an unknown low-stakes cash game player from California, but Brill’s Twitter thread changed everything.
Postle soon became the subject of a lengthy investigation by a number of high-profile pros, including Joe Ingram. The coverage put Postle’s name on almost every poker news site and social media feed for around two years.
Everyone is Talking About Mike Postle
The accusation that he cheated in cash games at Stones Casino was never proven in a court of law. However, the consensus among many members of the poker community is that he had an unfair advantage.
There are various theories as to how he might have cheated, the leading one being that he was being told what hold cards other players had.
If someone is displaying a probability of cheating on a live stream you don't make the entire room not be able to use their cellphones in an attempt to reduce everyone's anxiety and then still promote the player as one of the best.
— Veronica Brill ?? (@Angry_Polak) September 28, 2019
Postle denied the allegations and hit back with a spate of lawsuits against his most prominent accusers, including Veronica Brill and Todd Witteles. His $330 million libel claim was roundly dismissed and those targeted by Postle’s lawsuits hit back with their own claims.
Brill and Witteles won $27,745 and $26,982, respectively. However, missed payments and claims of bankruptcy meant Postle didn’t pay money to either party (it appears he still hasn’t). In summary, the Mike Postle scandal was a complex mess from start to finish.
The fallout forced Postle to go underground with legal fees and court judgments hanging over his head. Many assumed that he’d remain out of sight forever. Those people were wrong.
Mike Postle Back in the Eye of the Storm
As we’ve seen in the past, accused wrongdoers, such as Howard Lederer, Annie Duke, and Ali Imsirovic, always find their way back to a poker table. Postle’s comeback happened this week at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi.
The casino’s Million Dollar Heater series ran from Jan. 5 to 16, and Postle was one of those taking part in the $1,200 main event. American poker player Maxwell Young was the first person to spot him. He informed fellow pro Angela Jordison, who made it her duty to tell the poker community.
Good Morning Twitter! Welcome to 2023!
— Angela Jordison (@Angelajordison) January 16, 2023
I woke up with a message from @Mawkswell
“Unreal just played with Mike Postle he was using an alias floor confirmed it was him”
Postle is in Biloxi. Final table resumes today…h(huán)e is playing for 200k!@Angry_Polak @Joeingram1 pic.twitter.com/AE4yliakU0
Without eagle-eyed Young spotting Postle, we may have never known about his return to live poker.
As per Jordison’s tweet, he was allowed to register for the tournament using his first name (Michael) and middle name (Lawrence). Whether or not it was an attempt to avoid detection, Postle’s identity was outed on Twitter.
Pressure Mounts As Postle Goes Deep at Beau Rivage
The backlash soon started. A local lawyer, Rogen Chhabra, messaged Brill on Twitter offering his services. Although he said there might not be enough time to get an arrest warrant through the local police station, Rogen was still willing to work on the case.
I’m licensed in Mississippi and have an office in Harrison County. Just saw this, so not sure we could pull it together fast enough, but I’d glad to enroll your judgment in Harrison County and serve garnishment on the Beau. No charge.
— Rogen Chhabra (@rogenchhabra) January 16, 2023
The news also filtered through the players at Beau Rivage. Although the responses from those in the poker room weren’t severe enough for Brill, there was a definite change of tone once Postle’s identity was revealed.
Brock Gray certainly made his feelings known. Despite shaking hands with Postle after the fact, Gray slow-rolled him in a major pot. In fact, it was the pot that sent Postle to the rail in seventh place. As the alleged cheat went off to collect his $32,703 in prize money, someone said, “that’s for all the cheating you do.” You can click here for Gulf Coast Poker’s video footage of the incident.
Brill wasn’t thrilled by the post-elimination niceties, but a point was made. Postle wasn’t welcome at Beau Rivage once his identity was revealed and, judging by the reaction on Twitter, he won’t be welcome in many poker rooms around the world.
Good news he busted 7th and got massively slowrolled by top set! Guy said “that’s for the poker community you scum!”
— Maxwell Young (@Mawkswell) January 17, 2023
As it stands, he still owes money to Brill and Witteles. The $32,703 he won would go some way to clearing those debts, but whether he pays up remains to be seen. For now, the news is that Mike Postle has made a return to live poker.
Will he go back into hiding or is he going to ride his luck and play another tournament? Those are interesting questions and ones we await the answers to with bated breath.
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