The iNinja Poker Tour may have returned after five long years, but not everyone is happy, including Allen “Chainsaw” Kessler who recently criticized the tour for its excessive rake and adding a bonus feature that leaves the door open for collusion.
“Highest” Rake
In a tweet, Kessler called out what he considers the “highest rake in history”, referring to one of the events that ran as part of the iNinja Poker Tour at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno. The poker community relies on Kessler’s views on whether or not a tournament structure provides good value for players.
Apart from the high rake, Kessler also criticized a $2,000 bonus offer in a best-stack forward event which he said would only tempt players to collude.
Organizers Respond
The team at iNinja Poker Tour read Kessler’s tweet and acknowledged there was a problem with the rake, but tour organizers did not like how Kessler pointed it out. The tour is now under the management of Next Level Poker, owned by Chris Fox Wallace and Jordan Handrich.
In his response, Wallace accused Kessler of getting perks and comps from tours that he criticizes. Wallace warned Kessler they’d spill the beans if he continues attacking iNinja. Kessler has denied the allegations and demanded an apology from the tour.
