BREAKING: Nick Vertucci Out at Hustler Casino Live (HCL)
Hustler Casino Live co-owner Nick Vertucci is parting ways with the popular poker stream after being accused of sexual harassment and intimidation, PokerNews learned on Wednesday.
Fellow HCL co-founder Ryan Feldman informed PokerNews that "effective immediately," Vertucci would "no longer be involved with High Stakes Poker Productions."
"We look forward to continuing to deliver the best high stakes poker content to the community," Feldman said in a statement that was later shared on X.
Vertucci's departure comes days after former HCL regular Julia McBride accused the controversial co-owner of sending her inappropriate text messages and making unsolicited advances. She further alleged she was banned from HCL for rejecting Vertucci's advances.
After McBride came forward, other women shared their experiences of inappropriate behavior from Vertucci.
Poker pro Kitty Kuo shared a 2019 story about Vertucci allegedly showing her explicit photos at the table, while others dug up a clip of Sashimi accusing him of "sexual harassment" for an incident where he seemed to rub her ear without permission. The situation was debated in a February 2023 Reddit thread that generated 141 comments.
Feldman was unable to share contract details for this story.
Protecting Others From "Future Harassment"
Vertucci's removal from HCL came after several poker players and HCL regulars called for him to step down as co-owner. That included Nik Airball, one of the show's biggest supporters who said he wouldn't do so until Vertucci stepped away.
Doug Polk accused Vertucci of "using a place of power to make unwanted sexual advances on women" and said that "anything less than removing him from the show entirely is completely unacceptable."
Upon hearing Vertucci had stepped down, Garrett Adelstein praised the women who came forward with stories and "protected countless others from future harassment or worse." The banned HCL legend added that he thought "the house is far from clean."
"There should now be a microscope on those who knew about Nick’s behavior and did nothing or worse," Adelstein wrote on X.
