Ivan Deyra‘s sponsorship deal with French online real money poker site Winamax has been effectively terminated.
This comes after the French poker pro used multiple accounts while competing in the €2,000 Super High Roller which ran as part of the recent Winamax Series.
Deyra won the tournament for €83,300 (approx. $101,000), but it was later found out that he played using his father’s account “MATIVANAO“, a combination of the first names of Deyra and his siblings.
Deyra was stripped of the title, with his winnings reimbursed to the affected participant, including 5th-place finisher “MATIVANAO” who received €5,000 in refunds. It’s also understood that Deyra was immediately banned from the site, based on comments from other players in a long thread on the Club Poker forum.
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Deyra’s personal account had reportedly been inactive since January 6, two days after the tournament was completed. Apart from the €2,000 Super High Roller, Deyra also made it to Day 2 of several other Winamax Series tournaments, but he was noticeably absent when those tournaments played out.
Fall From Grace
Deyra is ranked 45th in his home country’s all-time money list based on the Hendon Mob, with nearly $1.4 million in total live earnings.
In 2019, he captured his maiden World Series of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelet after winning the $3,000 No Limit Hold’em event for a career-best $380,090. He actively participated in the 2020 WSOP Online Bracelet Series at GGPoker and was able to cash in numerous events, including the $5K Main Event.
In a statement, Deyra admitted to multi-accounting while competing in the tournament in question. He also confirmed that both his personal and his father’s accounts are now banned at Winamax, with all of his Winamax Series winnings redistributed to the affected players.
He has also been removed from Winamax Team Pros, despite his contract supposedly ending in June. WSOP bracelet winners Joao Vieira, Davidi Kitai and Adrian Mateos also currently serve as ambassadors for Winamax.
Deyra Issues Apology
Deyra recognized the “cheating aspect” of multi-accounting and apologized to Winamax and his fellow players for his “unforgivable” act. While he thinks the punishment was too heavy, he accepts that it’s “logical and understandable“. Deyra represented Winamax for around three and a half years.
Deyra chooses to be positive though and said he intends to continue with his poker career despite the current setback.
