Ghosting at GGMillion$: Tony Lin Admits to Violation and Apologizes

What happened in GGMillion$?

On October 14, 2025, GGPoker hosted the final of the GGMillion$ tournament, a $10,300 buy-in tournament with a million-dollar guarantee. The tournament attracted strong regulars and numerous recreational players, who ultimately dominated the final table:

1. «RealOA» — $346 903
2. Guillermo Pinarello — $272 001
3. «Buzzcut» — $213 272

The winner from China had had only about $6,000 in prize money prior to the tournament participation. But a couple of days later, the tournament results descended into a major scandal.

A player named "Buzzcut," who finished third, published a lengthy post claiming that several people, including GGPoker ambassador Tony "Ren" Lin, were ghosting at the final table for "RealOA." In his account, he detailed the timeline of events.

That summer, at the WSOP in Vegas, "Buzzcut" met Tony, who added him to the general chat on several platforms. On October 14th, the player went on a trip to northern Japan, completely turning off messaging to focus on the game.

When he returned and opened the chat, he saw a message from "RealOA": "Thanks, Tony, for the coaching." At first, "Buzzcut" thought it was a joke, but soon received proof—screenshots of the chat confirming the ghosting. He contacted another finalist to discuss the situation, and after the trip (October 17th), he posted the entire message publicly.

Before this, Tony had written to him, apologizing for helping "RealOA" during the tournament. In a phone conversation, according to "Buzzcut," Lin stated that "90% of players are ghosting" and that "this is common practice." The Japanese player categorically disagreed.

It later emerged that Tony Lin was escorted out of the Main Event of the WSOP Super Circuit in Northern Cyprus—at the TV table, in full view of the spectators. He was disqualified, and his stack was forfeited from the tournament. Rumor has it that the ban applies to all GGPoker-branded series, including online tournaments and the upcoming WSOP in Vegas.

Tony Lin's Apology

Following the scandal, Lin published a lengthy public apology on his social media. He confirmed that he was indeed present on the video conference call during the GGMillion$ final when "RealOA" asked him for advice on a hand.

According to Lin, he was playing a live tournament in Cyprus at the time and joined the call during a break. The conversation lasted only a few minutes. After his victory, "RealOA" sent $100 to all the group members (approximately 500 people), thanking Tony for his help. Lin stated that he declined the money and received no benefit:

"I just wanted to help a friend. I've been through many tough times and know what it's like to be in a difficult situation. I'm disappointed that I couldn't live up to the standards I promoted myself."

The tournament winner has already returned most of his prize money, and Lin will pay the rest himself.

Community Reaction: From Sympathy to Irony

The reaction from the professional poker community was mixed. Nacho Barbero wrote succinctly, "Free Lin."

Daniel Negreanu was sympathetic:

"I've known Ren and his passion for poker for many years. His apology sounds sincere and reflects his humanity. He made a mistake in trying to help a friend, but he didn't shift the blame. I'm sure 90% of the high-stakes community will say there was no malice."

The commentators seized on the opportunity to joke: "It seems these are the same 90% who are 'guilty' players, according to Lin himself."

Patrick Leonard partially agreed with Negreanu, but added that the disqualification seemed overly harsh:

"If their ambassador believes 90% of players are 'guilty' players, that's bad publicity for the poker room." GGPoker must make fighting ghosting a top priority."

The site annulled the tournament results, and the prize money was redistributed among the remaining final table participants. The main question now is not whether Lin is to blame, but how widespread this type of "live coaching" is among pros.