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Nacho Barbero is officially out as an ACR Poker ambassador, after stirring up serious backlash with some pointed remarks about the platform’s security practices—specifically, its efforts (or lack thereof, in his view) to crack down on real-time assistance (RTA) tools.
The drama escalated last week during a US Poker Open livestream, where Barbero didn’t hold back. He casually suggested that ACR wasn’t even attempting to prevent RTA software usage, throwing shade at the platform’s security efforts and, in doing so, himself under the bus.
It didn’t take long for ACR to respond. On Monday, ACR CEO Phil Nagy issued a public statement on X, distancing the company from Barbero’s comments and cutting ties with the Argentinian pro. Nagy made it clear: ACR expects its team members to be informed and aligned with the company’s values, and Barbero’s remarks showed “a fundamental misalignment.”
“We don’t muzzle our ambassadors, but we do expect them to speak truthfully and know what they’re talking about,” Nagy said. “What Nacho said publicly wasn’t just off-base — it didn’t reflect our commitment to integrity.”
Barbero’s Mistakes Started Earlier
This wasn’t Barbero’s first misstep. Back in January, he caught heat for an Instagram post showing him playing ACR’s flagship Venom event — with GTO Wizard visibly open in the background. GTO Wizard, for those unfamiliar, is an advanced strategy tool that can offer real-time help, which is strictly off-limits during live play.
An internal investigation cleared Barbero of using it to gain an unfair edge during the tournament, but the optics were bad enough. He voluntarily forfeited his Day 2 stacks in both Venom events.
The incident sparked debate, especially from within ACR’s own ranks. Fellow ambassador Chris Moneymaker didn’t sugarcoat his thoughts during an appearance on The Interview with PokerOrg. “Look, you’re probably not cheating,” Moneymaker said. “You’re probably just dumb. And if I’m running a site like ACR, I don’t want someone dumb representing me either.”
More Fuel on the Fire
Barbero didn’t do himself any favors in the days that followed. While playing the US Poker Open at the PokerGO Studio, he doubled down on the earlier controversy with a jaw-dropping take.
“This thing with GTO Wizard? I should’ve never posted that,” he said during the livestream. “How would they even know? Should’ve kept it to myself.”
When Isaac Haxton responded, saying he was shocked ACR’s system didn’t catch it automatically, Barbero laughed and said, “I don’t think they’re trying.”
That clip did the rounds fast, and it left ACR with little room to maneuver.
The Final Straw
Shortly after the stream aired, ACR released a follow-up statement reiterating its commitment to game integrity and transparency — and hinting that Barbero’s role with the brand was under review. It didn’t take long for that review to wrap up.
Within a week, ACR confirmed it had officially ended its relationship with Barbero. And according to Moneymaker, that’s no small thing.
“Phil hates firing people,” he said during The Interview. “It really tears him up. So if someone does get fired? Yeah… they messed up bad.”
Barbero might’ve just found out exactly where that line is.
Source: https://www.poker.org/latest-news/a...ollowing-livestream-controversy-aL9yT2O1Ujpl/
The drama escalated last week during a US Poker Open livestream, where Barbero didn’t hold back. He casually suggested that ACR wasn’t even attempting to prevent RTA software usage, throwing shade at the platform’s security efforts and, in doing so, himself under the bus.
It didn’t take long for ACR to respond. On Monday, ACR CEO Phil Nagy issued a public statement on X, distancing the company from Barbero’s comments and cutting ties with the Argentinian pro. Nagy made it clear: ACR expects its team members to be informed and aligned with the company’s values, and Barbero’s remarks showed “a fundamental misalignment.”
“We don’t muzzle our ambassadors, but we do expect them to speak truthfully and know what they’re talking about,” Nagy said. “What Nacho said publicly wasn’t just off-base — it didn’t reflect our commitment to integrity.”
Barbero’s Mistakes Started Earlier
This wasn’t Barbero’s first misstep. Back in January, he caught heat for an Instagram post showing him playing ACR’s flagship Venom event — with GTO Wizard visibly open in the background. GTO Wizard, for those unfamiliar, is an advanced strategy tool that can offer real-time help, which is strictly off-limits during live play.
An internal investigation cleared Barbero of using it to gain an unfair edge during the tournament, but the optics were bad enough. He voluntarily forfeited his Day 2 stacks in both Venom events.
The incident sparked debate, especially from within ACR’s own ranks. Fellow ambassador Chris Moneymaker didn’t sugarcoat his thoughts during an appearance on The Interview with PokerOrg. “Look, you’re probably not cheating,” Moneymaker said. “You’re probably just dumb. And if I’m running a site like ACR, I don’t want someone dumb representing me either.”
More Fuel on the Fire
Barbero didn’t do himself any favors in the days that followed. While playing the US Poker Open at the PokerGO Studio, he doubled down on the earlier controversy with a jaw-dropping take.
“This thing with GTO Wizard? I should’ve never posted that,” he said during the livestream. “How would they even know? Should’ve kept it to myself.”
When Isaac Haxton responded, saying he was shocked ACR’s system didn’t catch it automatically, Barbero laughed and said, “I don’t think they’re trying.”
That clip did the rounds fast, and it left ACR with little room to maneuver.
The Final Straw
Shortly after the stream aired, ACR released a follow-up statement reiterating its commitment to game integrity and transparency — and hinting that Barbero’s role with the brand was under review. It didn’t take long for that review to wrap up.
Within a week, ACR confirmed it had officially ended its relationship with Barbero. And according to Moneymaker, that’s no small thing.
“Phil hates firing people,” he said during The Interview. “It really tears him up. So if someone does get fired? Yeah… they messed up bad.”
Barbero might’ve just found out exactly where that line is.
Source: https://www.poker.org/latest-news/a...ollowing-livestream-controversy-aL9yT2O1Ujpl/
