“I don’t care how many viewers he attracts. I don’t want him back. He was rude to the dealers, the players, and the staff.” These were the words of Nick Vertucci, co-owner of the popular poker show Hustler Casino Live (HCL), following a recent encounter with Miami Heat’s star, Jimmy Butler.
Butler was invited to appear on the June 22 episode of HCL, joining a star-studded lineup that included Brazilian soccer sensation Neymar Jr., boxers Chris Eubank Jr. and Ryan Garcia, and social media personality Dan Bilzerian. However, it was Butler, a six-time NBA All-Star, who left the most significant impression—for all the wrong reasons, according to Vertucci.
Vertucci expressed his displeasure while playing poker during a live stream on Monday. A clip of his remarks was later posted on X by NBA content creator Rob Perez, who has also been featured on the show.
Despite staff concerns about the clip, Vertucci insisted it remain online, even retweeting it himself.
But what exactly did Jimmy Butler do to earn such disfavor?
Fixation on Neymar
According to Vertucci—though Butler has not shared his side of the story—the problems began as soon as Butler arrived at Hustler Casino and discovered that Neymar had not yet shown up.
Rather than joining the game, Butler spent an hour and a half sitting at the table, waiting for Neymar. When Neymar eventually arrived, Butler demanded to be seated closer to him.
Once in the game, Butler became frustrated by players frequently straddling—a poker move where players post pre-flop bets double the size of the blinds to increase the action. According to Vertucci, Butler didn’t fully understand this tactic, which only added to his irritation.
Tensions escalated further when the players began a “stand-up game,” leading to an argument. Butler eventually stood up and exclaimed, “F**k this!” Vertucci, who was at another table, was informed of the situation and approached Butler to see if he could help.
“I walked up to him—he knows I’m one of the owners—and I was very polite. I asked, ‘Hey Jimmy, is there anything I can do for you?’ And he responded, ‘Yeah, first, get your hand off my fking arm … If you want to help, go get my fking chips.’”
Other Allegations
Vertucci also accused Butler of being rude to a young NBA fan, saying, “Did he talk to him? Yes, but he did it begrudgingly and wasn’t very kind.” He further claimed that Butler had his entourage film him handing out $100 bills to members of the group, seemingly to take them back later.
During the game, Butler played very conservatively, barely participating—a behavior contrary to the show’s spirit. He left shortly after winning a $174K pot from Neymar, which Vertucci deemed poor poker etiquette.
“I don’t want him back,” Vertucci concluded.
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