Australian Poker Pro Chris Skinner Banned After Admitting to New Year’s Eve Chip Scam

Australian poker player and Southern Poker Tour (SPT) ambassador Chris Skinner has been banned from multiple events after admitting he cheated in a New Year’s Eve pub tournament in northern Victoria. Skinner was caught secretly adding extra chips to his stack during a modest A$125 Poker with Fred event at the Grand Central Hotel in Cobram. A routine chip count and a review of CCTV footage exposed the scam, prompting immediate bans and a wave of backlash across the Australian poker community.

Australian poker player caught cheating

Skinner is well known on the Australian pub and mid-stakes circuit, with more than US$300,000 in recorded live tournament cashes from largely low buy-in events. On 31 December, he entered the A$125 Poker with Fred tournament in Cobram. Tournament staff noticed an irregularity when a chip count revealed more chips in play than were supposed to be on the table. Security footage then showed Skinner slipping extra chips from his pocket into his stack, leaving little doubt about what had happened.

From denial to public confession

When first confronted, Skinner reportedly denied any wrongdoing, even in the face of the footage. He later reversed course and issued a public statement admitting he had brought chips into play that were not part of the official tournament bank. In the statement, he acknowledged there was no excuse for his actions, said he had let the local poker community down and expressed deep regret for damaging the trust of players who had supported him. The confession has done little to soften the reaction online or at the tables.

Bans, backlash and integrity concerns

Tournament organiser Poker with Fred immediately banned Skinner from all future events. The Southern Poker Tour followed by dropping him as a brand ambassador and issuing its own ban. SPT stressed that only owners and senior staff handle or store its chips, and that Skinner never had behind-the-scenes access to its chip inventory.

Even so, the scandal has raised wider questions about his long run of results. Some players are now re-examining his record and asking whether he chose smaller, more casual environments because the chances of being caught were lower. For many in  the Australia live poker scene, the incident is a sobering reminder that strong procedures and firm penalties are essential, even in low-stakes pub tournaments.