Jimmy Butler Banned From Online Poker Show
Hustler Casino Says Heat Player No Longer Welcome

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler is no stranger to speaking his mind and being, let’s just say, very self-confident in how he is perceived publicly. He doesn’t hold much back, particularly when he is on camera, but he may have taken things a little too far when he appeared on the Hustler Casino Live poker show in late June. Now, Hustler Casino Live has banned Jimmy Butler for what the show’s creator says was rude and obnoxious behavior.
Hustler Casino Live is a live online streaming poker show operated out of the Hustler Casino in the Los Angeles area. Often, celebrities such as Butler and even soccer star Neymar will appear on the show to play for real money.
The draw for casinos is simple: They get big names to join their games and thousands of viewers, hoping to see some of their favorite athletes, tune it to watch. So, in June, Butler went from somehow who people bet on with the NBA lines to actually being the gambler himself at the poker table.
And, it turns out that this was a profitable evening of poker for Butler as he pocketed somewhere in the neighborhood of $200,000. However, it appears as if it will be his last time appearing on the Hustler Casino Live show because of how he treated the casino’s staff when he played.
Show founder Nick Vertucci shared on a recent episode of the casino’s video show that the six-time All-Star was rude and a “primadonna” while there. As such, they won’t invite him back.

Butler Was Loose Cannon During Show
Per Vertucci, Hustler Casino Live has banned Jimmy Butler because he was extremely rude during his appearance, both to Vertucci and other casino/show staff.
Apparently, Butler made the staff wait around until Neymar — who Butler is close friends with — showed up, which significantly delayed the show and forced staff and other players to wait around for over an hour and a half. He also forced show staff to sit him next to Neymar.
Butler found it contentious when the players at the table did a straddle, where they bet outside of the big/small blind before receiving any cards. Vertucci claimed that this confused Butler and agitated him.
Butler played well in the game but still got upset with another player and started cursing people out. His behavior frustrated Vertucci, who then announced that Butler can no longer participate on the show. If you placed a proposition bet on Butler getting banned from an online poker show during the offseason, you should probably try your luck with the lottery.
Ugly Behavior From Generally Well-Liked Star
It’s not surprising that Hustler Casino Live banned Jimmy Butler due to his personality and how he treated the casino and live show’s employees during his visit. This situation highlights the issues of involving big-name athletes in public-facing gambling operations and the risks of relying on celebrities to “be themselves” for content purposes.
Celebrities, including sports figures, often manufacture their public personas, rehearsing and calculating everything to maximize their appeal and minimize any potential controversies.
In a more casual setting like a live poker game, where lots of money may be on the line, those celebrities can let their guard down which could result in the kinds of behavior that resulted in Vertucci deciding not to allow Butler back to his casino and its namesake live show.
Also, with gambling games that have wealthy and famous people as participants, competitiveness, pride and greed are always going to be potential concerns. It appears that certainly was the case in this instance even though Butler ended up winning a lot of money.
When, as a famous and wealthy person, you pretty much can get whatever you want in almost any situation, it can be jarring to face the kind of pushback that Butler got from the folks at Hustler Casino. And, in those circumstances, it’s not all that surprising for said celebrity/athlete to turn into a diva and begin treating those around them poorly.
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