No reason for the disqualification has been given
Francesco “forzaitalia” Garofalo, the initial winner of the WSOP Online $25K GGMillion$ Super High Roller Championship, has been disqualified, losing his title and more than a million-dollar prize. Well after the event had completed, tournament host GGPoker took action by confiscating Garofalo’s winnings and redistributing them among the final table participants, compensating them for rule violations by the Italian player.
This unexpected turn of events came to light when British poker professional Patrick Leonard posted on X (formerly Twitter) about a substantial refund credited to his account. Leonard expressed surprise at receiving $152,733, a sum far surpassing any previous compensation he had received in similar situations. Shortly after Leonard’s announcement, fellow player Chris Brewer also mentioned receiving a payout, further confirming that GGPoker had indeed penalized the tournament’s original winner.
While GGPoker’s security team has not publicly detailed the exact violation, speculation suggests that Garofalo might have used unauthorized software during the game or potentially benefited from outside assistance. Such breaches are taken seriously in the poker community, especially in high-stakes events, where fairness and integrity are paramount. Many players at the final table reportedly found Garofalo’s performance suspicious, raising questions even before the disqualification was officially announced.
This incident marks one of the largest fund confiscations in online poker history, drawing comparisons to a similar case in 2007 when PokerStars confiscated $1.3 million from Natalie “TheV0id” Teltscher after a ghosting violation in the WCOOP Main Event. With the redistribution of Garofalo’s winnings, GGPoker demonstrates a commitment to upholding its rules, ensuring a level playing field for all competitors.
