Biography
Robbi Jade Lew is an American poker player who became an instant name in the industry when she made a controversial call against Garrett Adelstein on the Hustler Casino Live stream.
With Hendon Mob cashes dating back to 2010, Lew says she started taking poker more seriously after the coronavirus pandemic. She previously worked in a senior capacity for the pharmaceutical company Bayer and is married to California attorney Charles Lew.
Since then she has six career live WSOP cashes including a 1,276th place finish in the 2022 WSOP Main Event.
Ahead of the 2022 WSOP, Lew received poker coaching from Faraz Jaka, a longtime pro and owner of Jaka Coaching.
Hustler Casino Live Incident
In September 2022, Lew made an infamous call in a $269,000 pot against Garrett Adelstein on a Hustler Casino Live cash game. The blinds/straddle were $100/$200/$400, with Lew raise-calling a shove on the turn with just jack-high. Adelstein bricked his draw on the river as they ran it twice, with Lew scooping a huge pot.
Adelstein immediately suspected he had been cheated, something Lew denied as she went on multiple podcasts to explain her side of things. Though her story shifted, Lew ultimately claimed that she had misread her hand and thought she had a pair of threes.
Hustler Controversy Aftermath
The infamous hand completely blew up on social media and received national attention from mainstream news outlets, including The Los Angeles Times.
While Adelstein kept silent, Lew was active on social media as she defended her name and took various steps to prove her innocence, including taking and passing a polygraph test in October 2022.
Lew made no efforts to duck the controversy and even made a trip to Las Vegas to play the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic, where she finished 49th for $22,400 and took plenty of selfies with starstruck poker players.
With the Hustler investigation still underway and no evidence of cheating against her, Lew hasn't given any indication she will be leaving the LA poker scene anytime soon.
Hustler Casino Cheating Allegations Timeline:
September 29: Garrett Adelstein Loses to Robbi Jade Lew Hero Call
September 30: Adelstein, Lew Tell Contrasting Stories Regarding HCL Hand
October 1: Faraz Jaka Offers Thoughts on HCL Controversy
October 2: Hustler Casino Live Investigation Might Include Polygraph Testing
October 4: HCL Commentator on Poker Controversy: I Haven't Seen Evidence of Cheating
October 5: Robbi Jade Lew Addresses Cheating Allegations
October 6: Investigation Finds Staffer Stole $15K in Poker Chips from Robbi Jade Lew
October 8: Garrett Adelstein Shares Details on Hustler Casino Live Poker Cheating Conspiracy
October 10: Bryan Sagbigsal Speaks Out and Denies Colluding with Robbi Jade Lew
October 12, 2022: California Gambling Bureau Notified of HCL Incident
October 14, 2022: Robbi Jade Lew Passes Polygraph Test