An unidentified Italian player gamed the system and got off light
The Battle of Malta was recently the stage for a rather unusual incident involving a player’s unconventional defense for card manipulation. An Italian poker player was caught marking cards during the €600 (US$552) Main Event, a serious offense in the world of poker, which is governed by strict rules to ensure fair play.
According to David K. Lappin, who wrote about the incident after playing at the same table as the culprit, it was thought the unidentified player was marking cards on several occasions during a single game. However, when confronted about his actions, he only received warnings – one after another with no further punishment. He allegedly marked the cards eight different times in four hours.
After finally being caught in the act by the dealer at the table, the player offered a peculiar justification: he claimed that the large size of his hands made it impossible not to manipulate the cards inadvertently. However, curiously, that trait was only applied to Aces and Kings.
Despite the clear breach of tournament rules and having received multiple warnings, the player was not removed from the game. Instead, tournament officials imposed a seemingly lenient penalty—a single-round suspension.
This decision sparked discussions within the poker community about the consistency and enforcement of rules during high-stakes games. It also led Lappin to say that he hoped the Battle of Malta would put “better tournament directors … in positions of power for their flagship tournament.”
It’s unclear if the player hit the rail early or continued using his creative playing methods to make a deep run in the event.
