Two strikes, and you're outta here!
Poker firm ACR sever ties with ex-ambassador Barbero due to RTA criticism
Got axed from ACR Poker again, and poker pro Nacho Barbero can now bid adieu to his ambassador role at ACR. After tripping over his words again, this time about real-time assistance (RTA) software, Barbero has been given the ol' heave-ho.
On Monday, ACR issued a statement on behalf of CEO Phil Nagy, stating that Barbero’s recent comments about GTO Wizard raised concerns regarding his understanding of ACR's security measures and his responsibilities as an ambassador.
According to the statement, ACR does not censor its ambassadors, but they do expect them to speak truthfully, maintain a thorough understanding of their security efforts, and accurately represent the company.
ACR Pros love their RTA, but not too much
The beginning of the end for Barbero at ACR Poker was back in late January when he promoted ACR’s Venom tournament via Instagram. In the photo he posted, an active instance of GTO Wizard, one of ACR's most popular software packages, was clearly visible with multiple tables open.
As soon as the image hit the web, Barbero was called out for it. Barbero responded by saying he wasn't playing poker at the time, but rather coaching other players and using GTO Wizard to analyze some hands for them.
The poker room initially seemed nonchalant about the situation, stating that Barbero was just a "goofball" and that he wasn't a GTO-style player. However, after investigating, ACR eventually cleared Barbero of any wrongdoing.
In February, a similar situation took place with ACR Pro Ebony Kenney, whose social media post from a year prior also revealed an open instance of GTO Wizard while participating in the Venom. Kenney apologized, claiming she was only using the software to analyze a big hand she lost after the fact, while she wasn't actively playing at the time. ACR cleared Kenney of any charges as well.
Hot mics never lies
Fast forward to last week, when podcaster Conrad Simpson posted a snippet clip of PokerGO’s US Poker Open stream. The video showed PokerGO pro Ike Haxton discussing Barbero's earlier RTA controversy with him.
“I'm surprised ACR didn't just catch it automatically, to be honest,” Haxton said to Barbero. Barbero chuckled, and Haxton continued, “You can just have GTO Wizard open on your computer while you're playing, and ACR doesn't even know? Are they even trying?”
Barbero's response, which proved to be his downfall, was, “I don't think they're trying.”
ACR did not take kindly to Barbero portraying them as incompetent in handling RTA matters.
"The nature of these comments reflects a fundamental misalignment with our values," said Nagy. "As a result, we have decided to part ways with Nacho as an ambassador for ACR Poker."
Enrichment Data
While there is no specific information available concerning the security measures outlined by ACR for its poker ambassadors, the following guidelines can be suggested based on industry best practices for real-time assistance software and information technology-operational technology (IT/OT) security:
- To protect sensitive data and ensure compliance with privacy regulations, employ data encryption, both during transit and at rest.
- Implement strong authentication methods (multi-factor authentication) and role-based access controls to avoid any unauthorized access.
- Guard APIs against threats such as DDoS attacks and OWASP vulnerabilities by deploying advanced API protection solutions featuring real-time threat detection and mitigation capabilities.
- Employ network segmentation and virtual patching, where appropriate, to isolate the RTA software within the entire IT infrastructure.
- Utilize intrusion detection systems tailored to monitor the RTA environment for suspicious activity or threats.
- Adopt dynamic, adaptive security policies that evolve as the threat intelligence landscape evolves.
- Train ambassadors on security best practices to cater to both efficiency and security during real-time assistance.
- The controversy surrounding Nacho Barbero's characterization of ACR's real-time assistance (RTA) software handling has resulted in him no longer being an ACR Poker ambassador.
- In a recorded conversation, poker pro Ike Haxton questioned ACR's commitment to handling RTA issues, a statement that was criticized by ACR CEO Phil Nagy, leading to Barbero's dismissal.
- The casino-games platform ACR, in its statement, expressed concerns about Barbero's understanding of its security measures and his responsibilities as an ambassador, citing his comments about RTA software.
- Following industry best practices, a potential security measure for ACR ambassadors could involve the use of data encryption, multi-factor authentication, and role-based access controls to ensure IT/OT security and protect sensitive data.
