Self-confessed poker cheat Ali Imsirovic has been kicked out of a Florida poker tournament midway through day one. It is the second time this year that the highstakes pro has been ejected from an event.
He had already been banned, along with fellow cheat Jake Schindler and 80 others, in a crackdown by GGPoker. The PokerGO Tour banned him from their events that same year.
Yesterday he was spotted playing at Florida’s bestbet Jacksonville, playing the RunGoodPokerSeries (RGPS) $1200 buy-in Main Event…
Ali Imsirovic sighting – not quite sure it’s a good move to allow him to reg considering the stance by WSOP/Champions @RGPokerSeries https://t.co/2cuVE67dS9
— Cameron (@CamzillaPoker) May 1, 2025
According to the live reporting, “Imsirovic would enter the dinner break as the largest stack in the room. However, upon returning from dinner Imsirovic was nowhere to be seen and his chips were taken out of play.”
Tournament staff later reportedly confirmed that Imsirovic was no longer in the tournament and although no official statement has yet been made, it is likely that the negative publicity forced organisers to act.
As we reported in February, Imsirovic was booted from the Champions Club Texas after trying to enter their $1500 buy-in Winter Poker Open Main Event.
Part-owned by Phil Hellmuth, the Champions Club said they were “committed, first and foremost, to the protection of our members.”
Isaac Trumbo, President of Champions Club, explained further: “If poker is going to continue to thrive, the community must be able to trust operators to prioritize game integrity above all else, including our bottom line.”
Despite being effectively banned by several operators, tours and events, Imsirovic has played and cashed at WSOP, WPT and Venetian events, as well as a cash at the same bestbet Jacksonville venue in January.
In 2023, Daniel Negreanu stated that Imsirovic should face an indefinite live and online ban, claiming not only was he a confirmed cheat but also “the opposite of remorseful and is actual boastful, bragging about robbing former friends.”
Before knowing about Ali Imsirovic’s transgressions I thought he was a lifer who loved the game and would be a tournament fixture for a long time.
I’m hearing that he is continuing his antics and is likely irredeemable at this point
All operators both online and live should…
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) March 8, 2023
A few months later, Imsirovic finally admitted to some level of cheating, but stopped well short of any real admission. He confessed to multi-accounting on GGPoker during the pandemic but denied ever using RTA (Real-Time Assistance).
What happens next will be most interesting. The upcoming WSOP has now been bought over by GGPoker, which should mean that Imsirovic and others banned by the site won’t be allowed to play.
That’s what GGPoker ambassador Fedor Holz confirmed when quizzed on it a couple of months ago …
With the WSOP just a few weeks away we won’t have long to wait to see whether Imsirovic and his fellow poker cheats put in an appearance – and how quickly they are ejected.
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