It was the poker hand seen around the world. One year ago, Garrett Adelstein made some bold cheating accusations against Robbi Jade Lew following what will likely forever be remembered as the most insane hand ever on Hustler Casino Live, and poker live-streaming altogether.
Lew, who was new to the show, made a relatively quiet debut on HCL earlier that week. But after she made one of the most controversial calls in poker history on Sept. 29, 2022, she became an instant polarizing figure within the poker community.
Poker fans on social media immediately took sides — Team Garrett or Team Robbi. And, like any other issue on any topic (sports, politics, poker, etc.), there wasn't much budging from either side, at least not initially. It was either "Robbi cheated, 100%" or "Robbi's innocent and Garrett owes her money and an apology" — not much in between.
The Poker Hand You'll Never Forget
The infamous hand, dubbed "J4o," occurred in a high-stakes game on Hustler Casino Live. Adelstein, the biggest winner and most popular regular on the show, made one of his patented aggressive bluffs against Lew, who called off a massive amount with nothing but jack-high.
It all started with "G-Man" raising it to $3,000 with 8♣7♣ and getting a call from Lew's J♣4♥. The flop came out 10♥10♣9♣, giving Adelstein an open-ended straight flush draw. He continued for $2,500 and received a call from his opponent, who really didn't have much other than position.
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When the 3♥ appeared on the turn, it seemed like a harmless card. But that is when the hand completely went off the rails. Adelstein, still sitting on eight-high with a huge draw, bet $10,000 and then faced a raise to $20,000. The Los Angeles high-stakes poker legend then shoved all in for his opponent's remaining $109,000 behind.
Lew didn't really have much of a decision with jack-high and no draw. Even given Adelstein's proclivity to bluff for stacks, there aren't many hands Jx4x could beat in that spot, and the bluffs that it does beat likely would still have quite a few outs. In this case, Adelstein had 20 outs or better than a 40% chance of sucking out on the river if she were to call.
After contemplating her decision, Lew went for either one of the best or strangest hero calls in live-stream poker history. The river bricked out and she took down a pot of $269,000, but that was far from the end of it.
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Adelstein almost immediately began questioning the legitimacy of the hand. He accused his opponent of somehow cheating by apparently knowing the exact hand he was holding.
Moments later, Adelstein left the Hustler Casino Live stage and then Lew went out on to the Hustler Casino floor to discuss the situation with the high-stakes pro. She denied cheating and made the questionable decision to refund him $135,000 in casino chips.
Many poker fans took the refund as an admittance of guilt, to which she vehemently denied. Lew, at the time, said that she was intimidated and just wanted to make the situation right, and that is why she refunded the money.
Right after the hand aired on the stream, it went viral and the poker community spent the following weeks debating if she did or did not cheat. Even the non-poker mainstream media took up the story, much like they've done with the Rob Mercer cancer scandal that painted poker in a bad light recently.
Where are they Now?
It's now been 365 days since the jack-four debacle, and the poker community still hasn't seen Adelstein, who became a father a few months after the incident, at the poker table since. He never was officially banned from Hustler Casino Live, although co-owners Nick Vertucci and Ryan Feldman announced earlier this year that he isn't welcome back on the show, at least for now.
Prior to Sept. 29, 2022, Adelstein had been a regular on HCL and Live at the Bike in Southern California for the previous six years. He was always one of the most feared and respected players in the game, and rarely did viewers have anything negative to say about his character or poker skills.
But his reputation among many within the poker community took a hit due to how he handled the cheating accusations. That said, Adelstein's claims about being cheated have never been proven false. They've also never been proven true. One year later and poker fans can only make their own assumptions either way.
Last month, Adelstein informed his X followers that he intends to soon return to live-streamed poker, although he didn't provide any other details. As for Lew, she's become a bit of a poker celebrity since that infamous stream. She also won't be appearing again any time soon, or ever, on Hustler Casino Live, but she is now a regular in live tournaments and occasionally on some cash game shows, such as LATB, which has transformed into Bally's Big Bet Poker LIVE.
Lew appeared in multiple events at the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP), along with a number of major tournaments such as the historic WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas last December.
Jack-four is one of the most publicized hands in poker history. Poker fans will still be talking about it for years to come.
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