Investigation Into Alleged Cheating Incident at 2015 WSOP Comes To a Close

2 min read
Valeriu Coca

The investigation into the alleged cheating incident at the 2015 World Series of Poker has officially come to a close, according to a statement released by the WSOP on the WSOP.com forums.

The statement read: "Once issues were brought to our attention, we immediately commenced an investigation and worked cooperatively with the Nevada Gaming Control Board. The investigation that was performed has now been completed by all parties. At this time, the matter is considered closed and the 5th-place finisher in Event #10 will now have his funds released for payment."

The alleged incident involved Valeriu Coca and his participation in the WSOP's $10,000 Heads-Up Championship. Several players suspected Coca of cheating his way to a fifth-place finish in the event, which earned the Moldovan player $54,545. Following complaints from players in the event that competed against Coca, the WSOP launched an investigation. Upon completion of the internal investigation, the event was passed off to the Nevada Gaming Control Board for further examination.

The $10,000 Heads-Up Championship event concluded on June 4, 2015, and was won by Keith Lehr. Lehr was actually the player to defeat Coca in the duo's Round of 8 match.

In the days after the allegations came to light, PokerNews' Marty Derbyshire spoke with Coca, who denied the allegations.

"This is a fantasy," he said at the time. "The players who lost are very good, so they just don't believe they could lose to me for an honest reason."

As the statement said, Coca will now be able to receive his payment of $54,545.

*Image courtesy of the EPT.

Want to stay atop all the latest in the poker world? If so, make sure to get PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!

Share this article
Donnie Peters

More Stories

Other Stories

Recommended for you
Cheating Allegations in WSOP $10,000 Heads-Up Championship Spark Investigation Cheating Allegations in WSOP $10,000 Heads-Up Championship Spark Investigation