Ren "Tony" Lin Is Back. Was the Ban Ever Real?
In October, Ren Lin was hit with what GGPoker and WSOP called an “indefinite suspension.”
It looked like a reasonable show of force after the GG Network ambassador was caught ghosting.
The "decisive action" was explained in GG's statement:
"Ren “Tony” Lin: Indefinitely suspended from GGPoker, WSOP, and all partner platforms."
Daniel Negreanu felt the move was strong, and the consequences were "firm and severe."
"Not so strong after all," pointed out Alex Duvall on Dec 11th, "considering the "indefinite ban" just meant weeks?
And Ren Lin is welcomed back to the very next WSOP event currently happening with no explanation from GG."
That's right. 49 days after his ban, Lin was back in the field at WSOP Paradise, showing us that the World Series brand is in a forgiving mood.
He cashed the WSOP Circuit Mystery Bounty, finished 11th in a Triton $125K for $254,000, and then jumped into the $25K Super Main. No announcement, explanation, or clarification from WSOP or GGPoker.
Let’s Be Clear About Ren Lin's Cheating
This was not a grey-area spot or a "maybe he did, maybe he didn't" situation.
During the October 14 GGMillion$ final table, “RealOA” was screen-sharing with Ren Lin in real time. Essentially, he was getting strategy advice during a live final table. That is as clean a violation as it gets in online poker.
RealOA was permanently banned. Lin was indefinitely suspended across GGPoker, WSOP, and partner platforms.
Afterwards, Lin apologized publicly with a lengthy statement. He said he was ashamed and said he did not profit.
You can view his full statement here:
GGPoker seized $250K from RealOA’s wallet, and Lin personally paid the remaining $96K so the prize pool could be redistributed.
Of course, this shows accountability. It shows cooperation. But when someone commits a crime in the real world, its not always as simple as paying a fine and resuming life as normal.
If paying back some money after cheating is all it takes, what does this imply to other cheaters? It says that if they cheat and get caught, pay the money back and you'll be in good standing before long.
It makes the statement on GG's website about fair play feel less... accurate.
At times like this, players get a rude awakening, and a reminder to play on sites that are harsh on cheaters, such as CoinPoker.
Why Was Ren Lin's Ban Lifted So Quickly?
Indefinite bans usually come with silence, uncertainty, and long absences. Instead, Lin was back in under two months. No public reinstatement statement. No explanation of conditions. No indication of what changed.
- Was the suspension always meant to be temporary?
- Was it shortened due to cooperation?
- Was it influenced by his past ambassador status?
- Was it influenced by his connections within GGPoker?
Right now, nobody knows. GGPoker and the WSOP have been silent on this issue.
One thing that Ren Lin has in common with others is being an ambassador. When Ebony Kenny and Nacho Barbera were caught using RTA during online Americas Cardroom tournaments, neither one was banned. Perhaps, their sponsoring company didn't think the violations were too severe. Ren Lin's case surely was.
It does make you wonder, if a player like Ali Imsirovic was sponsored by GGPoker, would he have been reinstated one day?
The sad thing is that most of GG's player base probably won't care about this saga after some time passes. It will fade from our collective memory until Ren Lin wins a major event or another scandal takes place.
